we just had our wooden countertop delivered. I am very glad we broke up the granite with wood, and we placed the wood on the island for the very same reason vickimp stated- it is warmer. Use a good sealer, and it should be no problem. We do have an induction in the island and bar sink- waterlox is what we are using to seal the wood.

You could try the Butcher Block Company's Website or the cheapest option (IMO) is to get a Craftsman worktop. Try Craigslist or Ebay first to see if anyone is selling an old one.

Mineral spirits evaporate. Unless you drink them, it's not a problem. Tung oil isn't food safe either if you eat it, which is why you shouldn't use it on a counter you're going to cut on. Nothing that creates a protective surface for a counter is truly "food safe". It's a completely overblown concern unless you eat off of your counters though. Cutting boards and trivets should be used with all counter surfaces. The only time you need to worry if a finish if food safe is if you are using butcher block for it's original intended purpose, and chop directly on the counters. Then, you wouldn't stain them at all. Only oil them with mineral oil. Which IS food safe, in it's original meaning, meaning you can ingest it without harm. It's used as a laxative, after all. Staining butcher block is usually best accomplished by a wood dye, not a stain. It will be much more even, especially if you're dealing with a maple butcher block, which can blotch badly. Or, you can use a plain light coat of tung oil as a sealer to minimize the blotching, and then use regular stain on top of that. I wouldn't recommend a stain/tung oil mix for any coatings though, as if you scratch it, you'll be scratching off the color. It's the same as using a pigmented varnish on cheap furniture to disguise the wood underneath. It's one way to end up where you want to be, but it's far from the best way. Tung oil is a good choice for a top coat over the dye though, not because it offers more protection than a standard much harder polyurethane, but because it's easier to touch up if someone's knife does slip off the cutting board and scratch the counter.

Thanks capegirl for your response. Yes, it is smooth on the side that I've shown and has a huge 1/3" wide x 15" long gap on the back side, so am assuming that is the back! It was not labelled as such. Interestingly, the back has only a couple of knots that aren't as prominent, but they aren't filled either and have good sized gaps in them. The top is smooth and actually quite beautiful. It just looks rustic to me, and all my friends think it's rustic looking too. ARGH! The final piece and I just wanted it to be like the picture on the website! And yes, so far Craft-Art has had good customer service. I'm still emailing photos, so keep your fingers crossed......