Butcher Block Care

We sell a lot of John Boos butcher blocks and furniture with butcher block tops at 125West.com, and often we get customer questions about caring for their new butcher block. By following a few easy usage rules and maintenance steps, butcher block life is almost unlimited! Firstly, butcher blocks are made from real wood. Wood is a natural material that responds tochanges in temperature and humidity. These changes set up tremendous internal forces in the block. Their shape and dimensions will change with the seasons. If warping or edge cracking appears it is related to uneven changes in temperature or humidity. Keep your block dry, away from heat and allow it to dry evenly. Regular oiling helps to prevent these problems because it keeps water from entering the board. Sometimes this finish will give the impression that the block is wet, the topis ready to use. Wash your block by hand only using anti-bacterial dish soap and warm water. Do not submerge the block! Add a small amount of bleach or vinegar to the water for extra bacteria killing power after chopping bacteria carrying foods such as raw chicken. You can also rub the block with a half a lemon to kill bacteria. Our blocks are not dishwasher safe. Thoroughly dry the block after washing. When possible allow the block to dry standing up on edge to help the block dry properly and prevent warp. Periodically oil the block with mineral oil, Glumber Oil, or our Block Bros. All-Natural Block Oil. Letting the block dry out because of a lack of oil is the #1 cause of problems with the block. You can't oil your block too much! Oiling will help keep that beautiful sheen. Do not allow liquid to stand on the block for a long period of time, it will stain the block and cause the wood to expand, causing glue joint failure and warp. Use a steel scrapper or sandpaper as needed to keep the top smooth and free of deep cuts and food buildup, then re-oil the top. Work with different areas of the block to help it wear evenly. Both sides should be used if the design allows to extend the life of your board. Do not use a razor sharpened edge on your clever it will chip out the wood. Do not expose tops to excessive heat, cold or moisture! Never put in microwave or dishwasher. Never place on stove burners.

View John Boos Butcher Block Furniture at 125West.com

John Boos Hard Rock Maple Countertops

More than just a countertop! The Boos Block name has become universally recognized as the ULTIMATE BUTCHER BLOCK COUNTERTOP, the perfect melding of beauty and function. Chefs prefer butcher block maple for all slicing, dicing, and chopping duties. Bakers choose it for preparation and rolling dough. No other countertop surface offers the functional advantages of butcher block, and they are priced far below other solid-surface tops.

The Beauty! Ultra Premium says it all. These counter tops are manufactured from the finest hard rock maple. Rails are cut, selected, and matched for appearance, thus assuring the uniformly rich and clean appearance that is desired by many discriminating customers. These rails are bonded edge to edge with FDA approved adhesives and then subjected to applied heat under enormous pressure to build the counter top. The full length rails that comprise the top provide an unbroken appearance over the length of the product. As one can readily imagine, it is extremely difficult to process the natural wood into a product that provides the desired uniformity and appearance that customers prefer, but John Boos & Co. has been doing an excellent job of it for more than 100 years.

125West.com has been an authorized John Boos dealer for ten years and offers a complete selection of John Boos Butcher Block Countertops and Kitchen Island Tops. Many sizes, thicknesses, and styles are available. Please feel welcome to call the 125West.com Concierge toll-free at 1-888-921-9378 for consulation and orering assistance.

Sorry, have been ignoring the blog, but now will make new contributions on a regular basis. A few words about John Boos butcher block furniture:

The wood and metal products are listed with the National Sanitation Foundation, the leader in sanitation agencies for approving equipment to be installed in foodservice and supermarket operations. The products must have approval of various sanitation agencies in order to be accepted by the industry. The stainless steel product group, which continues to expand, now includes stainless steel sinks, shelves, carts, etc. One of the outgrowths of our stainless steel plant and our wood plant is the new Cucina series of foodservice carts made from northern hard rock maple and foodservice grade stainless steel. The product has received instant acceptance from professional, as well as domestic chefs throughout North America. Sales are made through major gourmet catalog companies, as well as foodservice equipment dealers. Mixing the two materials provides John Boos & Co. with a competitive edge as the manufacturing begins and ends in Effingham, IL. John Boos & Co. Cucina products, butcher blocks and cutting boards are being used by celebrity chefs throughout the United States. Celebrity chefs currently using John Boos products are Charlie Trotter, Ming Tsai, Paul Kahan, Susan Spicer at Bayona Restaurant in New Orleans, and Mary Sue Milliken and Susan Feninger at Border Grill in Santa Monica, California. In addition, the country’s premier food channel, “THE FOOD NETWORK” features chefs, such as Mario Batali and Emeril Lagasse, who prepare meals every day on John Boos cutting boards. In most cases Boos cutting boards are used on the daily and weekly television programs sponsored for the chefs. In 1994 John Boos was awarded the Gold Medal for Excellence in Foodservice Equipment by the Chefs of America. This ceremony was conducted at Carnegie Hall in New York City, and we were one of only 22 companies receiving awards. The company sells its products under the registered trade names, "BOOS BLOCKS", "PRO-CHEF", "CUCINA AMERICANA", "PRO-BOWL", "STALLION" work tables, "TABLE TAILORS", "4COOKS BY JOHN BOOS", and "JOHN BOOS".