[domesticzookeeper]

We replaced one of our kitchen counters (where the sink is) with butcher block this year, and plan to do the rest of the counters and island with butcher block next year.

My parents already have butcher block counters in their place, and they opted to seal them with polyurethane, which gave them a nice sheen and made them absolutely impervious to water. I think Tung Oil, which is a marine sealant, has the same effect.

I personally like the way that butcher block ages with time, so I opted to do upkeep with wax and oils. It's a lot more work up front when the wood is still dry and continuously absorbing layers of oil, but eventually you can move to products with a higher wax-to-oil ratio that lasts longer and gives a smoother finish. The patina will build up to the point where you don't need to re-apply so often; we're a little less than 3 months in now and only need to re-apply it bi-weekly. We do have trivets to hold our hot items and are mindful of sitting water near the sink, but I don't feel particularly nervous about the water or wear on the counter.