Kitchen design is one of the biggest selling points for homes when on the real estate market and something individuals love to often modify within their own dwellings. While counter top space, storage, shelving, cabinets, and appliances all have an impact on the impression a kitchen can make, adding your own touch is key to enjoying the full experience. Often individuals will seek to modify or change their kitchen once into a new property and these modifications can make all the difference in providing a good space for future family gatherings and plenty of enjoyable time spent together gathering around the table.

For those who enjoy cooking regularly, having a kitchen that not only creates a sense of beauty but is also practical is vitally important. One of the major selling points for those who like to prepare their own meals, whether novice or professional, is a suitable cutting board or useful butcher block. Each of these two components not only can be the focal point of a kitchen but also serve an extremely important purpose while providing a sense of stability to the setting within a modern kitchen - tying the past to the present while maintaining a sincere functionality.

Both regular and custom cutting boards or butcher block countertops will immediately become focal points for your kitchen while maintaining their useful purpose. For the use of each there are three things to consider before implementing the installation of either into a home or commercial kitchen. These include the following areas of design style or type, which is the best fit for your particular kitchen. Purpose, the usefulness of each type of cutting board or entire countertop and finally, the care required for each.

Countertop Design

There are typically two different installations to consider when wanting to employ the services of a cutting board, butcher block, or countertop into a kitchen. These include either stand alone cutting boards which can be stored either on top of the existing counter, permanently accessible, or in a drawer or other area out of sight until needed. The other is a built in cutting board or butcher block which can either take the form of a small section from the existing countertop, an entire counter, or potentially a kitchen island.

Deciding on which works best for your particular situation depends on your intended use of the product over time. If you are regularly cutting meat, fruits, vegetables, and other ingredients then a permanent countertop butcher block or cutting board may be in your best interest. However, if you are more akin to the occasional uses, a singular model that can be accessed when needed and then stored away could be your best bet.

Both wood and butcher block kitchen countertops can immediately improve the look of your kitchen while providing a suitable space for food preparation. The choices are almost limitless and designs can be customized to fit exactly what you are looking for both from a usefulness and practical standpoint.

Purpose and Practicality

The usefulness of both customized cutting boards and wooden or butcher block countertops is obvious. Each allows for food preparation without causing damage to the existing countertop surfaces with a safe alternative through the wooden design. Whether you are interested in taking a small corner of your existing countertop space in the kitchen or installing an entire butcher block island, each serves a unique and useful purpose.

Depending on expected level of use, the decision of whether to install an entire countertop, island, or removable cutting board can easily be determined. Extended and repetitive use can be taken care of with the installation of a more permanent fixture. These also allow for particularly easy clean up when needed after use.

Placement of the board or installation of a countertop can also be focused on intended use. For instance, if you know meat or other ingredients will need to be cut and then placed into a pot, pan, or baking dish on the stove or in the oven - putting the board or countertop next to the appliance can be beneficial while allowing a smooth transition from preparation to performance. This allows for not only an increased focal point in an area but also a practicality and unmatched usefulness of implementation.

Care and Considerations

Finally, the care of both cutting boards and wooden countertops is a bit unique as opposed to most other regularly used, traditional, countertop surfaces. While the extra conditioning is somewhat more than is required of the other countertop materials, application of an oil or conditioner on occasion for the return received from a wooden food prep surface is an easy trade off and not something that requires any amount of extensive labor or consideration.

A simple conditioning and care oil can typically be applied occasionally, depending on the amount in which the surface is used. Cleaning and oiling butcher blocks for use in the kitchen will be related to the amount used and a food safe conditioning should always be applied. These surfaces are often in contact with food and especially when using wooden cutting boards or butcher blocks should be taken care of appropriately.

For decades, Sears Trostel has served our community with quality and integrity providing custom wooden countertops and John Boos Blocks when and where applicable. We are proud to offer the best value without compromising quality or customer service. Our manufacturing processes allow for unrivaled flexibility in custom profiles, and our commitment to quality has earned us the trust of our customers through Colorado, Wyoming, and the surrounding areas. Feel free to contact us today with your needs or visit our retail sales and showroom located at 1500 Riverside Avenue in Fort Collins, Colorado. For commercial and residential sales please call 970-482-1928 or for wholesale and manufacturing, 970-482-0222 or 800-950-1928 with any other general questions about our products and services. We can also be reached by email at Sales@sears-trostel.com as we look forward to showing you the effects quality beautiful natural woods can have.