The Beauty, Practicality and Maintenance of a Butcher Block

butcher blockA butcher block is an aesthetic and essential piece of furniture. It has gained a lot of popularity for the serious kitchen designers and home cooks https://www.facebook.com/pages/Butcher-Block-Co/1670390176521145. It was developed over a century ago and continues to meet needs of butchery industry. It is now an important feature in any kitchen. It is ideal for preparing and serving vegetables, meat, cheese, bread and fruits without need of using separate cutting boards. The following are some of the features that make it a must have in a kitchen:

Stylish and durable construction

Usually, it is made of durable, solid woods such as teak, walnut, hard maple, red oak, and beech. Most of the manufacturers use wood that has been certified by relevant forest authorities. This is important to ensure you are using a product that is confirmed to be environmental friendly. The wood pieces are glued together with either edge or end grain by using glue. This ensures the block has the required strength to withstand mishandling. In addition, this prevents splitting or warping. For instance, the knife marks will not be seen easily on the surface. It is also important to note it will not dull or damage expensive knives. A thicker board is considered to be more durable as compared to its thin counterpart. Natural aesthetic value of wood can be combined with strong frames and legs in stainless steel, granite and wood. This creates a great piece of furniture that is stylish as well as practical.

Portable convenience 

Nowadays, it is easy to get a butcher block with option of the rolling caster wheels. This adds a lot of convenience as it makes it easy to move it from one place to another. This explains why it is a great product for food preparation. For instance, you can move it adjacent to an electric socket when using electric knife, or besides a window for additional light. If you love outdoor cooking, then this is the type of furniture you need. A wheel option can also be used as serving trolley to deliver food into other rooms and move it around while serving guests.

Maintenance

Maintaining this piece of requires minimal effort. However, there is a need to prevent growth of bacteria as it can result in food poisoning. Therefore, basic hygiene procedures should be followed. It is advisable to clean its surface with natural vinegar solution or bleach on a regular basis. It is advisable to apply mineral oil to the butcher block once a month. The oil will seal the moisture into wood and this will prevent cracking and drying out. This can also protect against germs. Avoid using olive or vegetable oil as they leave residual smell, which contaminates taste of food being prepared. You can get the mineral oil from shops and websites that sell this type of furniture.

This type of furniture comes in different sizes, shapes, thicknesses and made of a variety of materials. The styles range from traditional to country to modern. It brings elegant and classy touch to the kitchen design in addition to being useful and functional. Food preparation has been much more enjoyable and efficient experience with this table.