The very first butcher blocks produced were made primarily of rock maple wood in basic standing and counter top designs. As butcher blocks began to move from the domain of butcher shops into home kitchens throughout the 20th and 21st centuries, consumers began demanding styles that better complemented their kitchen decors without compromising utility.

Designers mixed and matched new styles and materials, and gradually, specific combinations of wood types and overall designs became favored by homeowners. One such combination is a sturdy rectangular oak butcher block mounted on four legs to resemble a table.

The reason that the popularity of oak butcher block tables continues to increase year after year relates not only to their aesthetic appeal, but also their versatility. The tables can serve not only as work surfaces for food preparation, but also as extra seating and serving areas for large meals. The designs of oak butcher block tables also incorporate storage space to help organize and ease the mess in busy kitchens.

As you begin to shop for oak butcher block tables, you'll encounter a wide variety of styles as well as industry standard terms with which you may be unfamiliar. Our Buyers' Guide to Oak Butcher Block Tables was designed to answer all of your questions related both to purchasing butcher blocks and to the qualities of oak wood.

What types of oak are there?

The term oak does not refer to one specific species of wood, but rather to an entire genus, which is also known by its scientific name Quercus. There are more than 600 individual species of oak trees, most of which are native to North America.

The oak used in today's butcher block table designs falls into one of two categories: white or red. White oak trees produce wood with a light gold color. The most commonly used white oak species is the Quercus alba, which has a very strong fiber configuration that makes it ideal for butcher blocks. The tree is native to eastern North America.

Red oak wood has a similar golden overtone as white oak; however, the wood also has a slight red tint that gives it a warmer, almost glowing quality. Often, you'll hear the term Appalachian red oak used to describe the materials for butcher block tops. Rather than being a specific species of tree, the term refers to a group of 200 subspecies that are native to the deciduous forests located in the Appalachian mountain range in eastern North America. These subspecies all have similar properties that allow them to be used together for producing home furnishings.

How durable is oak wood for a butcher block table?

Both white and red oak butcher block tables are more durable than those made with some other varieties of wood, such as American cherry or American walnut. On the Janka scale, the universal scale for comparing the hardness of hardwoods, white oak has a higher ranking, indicating that it more durable than red oak species. White oak is not as durable as rock maple, however.

What does the word grain mean?

Found in most product descriptions for oak butcher block tables, the term grain relates to the construction of the block tabletop. To produce the block, manufacturers do not use a solid piece of wood; rather, they take rails, pieces of oak hardwood cut into a uniform size, and join them together. The shape and arrangement of these rails is what gives the block tabletop its grain.

Often for oak butcher block tables, manufacturers take long rails and cut them to the exact length of the tabletop. Then, these rails are arranged in rows one above the other, joined and sanded to a smooth, even finish that is durable for food preparation. The finished product has a largely uniform color with horizontal lines visible across its surface where the rails meet. This arrangement of the oak rails is known as edge grain.

Another method of producing butcher block tables is to trim the oak rails to lengths that are shorter than that of the tabletop. Then, the rails are placed end to end as well as from top to bottom to form the block. After they are joined and sanded, lines are visible not just at the horizontal joints, but also at the vertical ones. Because more oak rails are used in the construction, the color is not as uniform as edge grain, but still has only moderate variation across the tabletop. Strength and durability are not compromised by the construction. This type of construction produces blended grain butcher blocks.

Preferred by many professional chefs, the final grain type common for butcher block tables is the end grain. For this type of construction, manufacturers hold the rails vertically and slice off their ends to the desired thickness for the tabletop. Then, these square blocks of wood are arranged one beside the other in repeated rows. The end result is a checkerboard appearance with a wide variety of color variation on the block. The end grain's unique surface is gentler on cutlery than the other grains and the strongest available for a workspace; however, some people find the grain unattractive, particularly for table styles that may be used by guests.

What finish is best for my oak butcher block?

Over time, wood is prone to drying out, which can make it split and crack. To prevent this from occurring, wood must be finished with a material that seals in moisture or conditions it. For oak butcher block tables, two types of finishes are available: natural oil and Varnique.

The natural oil finish is a type of food-grade mineral oil that is absorbed into the wood. A natural conditioner, the oil finish allows you to use your butcher block table as a surface for knife work without a cutting board.

Because the wood gradually absorbs the finish, regular maintenance is needed for natural oil finish blocks. Approximately once every four weeks, you'll need to reapply an oil or wax to keep the wood moisturized. If you develop a scratch or blemish on your butcher block table, you can sand off the finish and the scratch and then re-oil or wax your block as usual.

Varnique is a food-safe synthetic finish that forms a permanent barrier over the wood to lock in moisture. The finish has a semi-gloss appearance that many home chefs love the look of. Although you can use a Varnique oak butcher block for most food preparation tasks, the protection of a cutting board is necessary for knife work.

Since Varnique is a permanent finish, no regular maintenance is necessary; however, since you cannot reapply the finish yourself, any blemishes or scratches that form in the butcher block tabletop must be repaired by a professional.

What base options are available?

Most oak butcher block tables feature wood bases rather than stainless steel. For most styles, you will have your choice of a natural color that blends with the butcher block or a painted finish to coordinate with the palette used in your kitchen. Some styles also have wood bases in a different type of wood with a natural color to create an eye-catching, two-tone appearance.

Are there storage options available in oak butcher block tables?

Yes, today's oak butcher block tables do offer the convenience of built-in storage options. Before considering what options are best for your table, it is important that you think about how often you will be using the table for seating and what type of chairs or stools you will use with your table. For everyday seating on standard chairs, any storage that is located under the tabletop along the floor will take up legroom and make the table less comfortable. Because stools typically raise the feet off of the floor, they are not as greatly impacted by storage.

Most oak butcher block tables have at least one open shelf that runs parallel to their tabletops. The shelf can be used to store tabletop kitchen appliances, pots, pans, bowls and other medium to large items. Some styles have two shelves stacked one above the other. This increases the surface area available for storage, but decreases the available height and may mean that large tabletop appliances cannot be stored under the table. Shelves are convenient because they allow you to easily reach down or bend to retrieve stored items without having to step away from the table.

For smaller utensils, oak butcher block tables often have one, two or three drawers, which are compartments mounted on casters that slide in and out of the table along a metal track. Drawers can be outfitted with rubber or plastic organizers to maximize their space and, depending on their depth and width, can hold some small kitchen appliances, such as handheld mixers and electric carving knives. To access items in drawers, you may need to step back from your work surface or step to the side of it, depending on the location of the drawer. Unlike open shelves, drawers keep the stored items hidden out of sight.