Make your kitchen match your dreams with custom countertops
Northern Hard Maple has been the standard for “butcher-block” counters for many years due to its hardness and lack of open pores. Turning the side of the board up increases the hardness, while the end grain is harder still and seen in professional chopping blocks for butchers.
However, any wood is suitable for most residential uses. Cypress wood is softer and shows more day-to-day wear than other woods might. Cherry wood makes for a rich-looking counter. Its close pores make it acceptable as a cutting surface, even if it is somewhat sof.
