Butcher Block Oil vs Mineral Oil

Jackie Bolen
1 min readJan 24, 2020

Okay, so if you spend money on a nice butcher block, or wood countertop, then you’re going to want to protect it so that it lasts as long as possible, right? Keeping this in mind, you’ll definitely want to use some oil or conditioner or some kind. But, what kind? Here’s a quick run down of your options.

Butcher Block Oil vs Mineral Oil

You may already have some mineral oil laying around your house and want to know whether or not this will work for your wooden cutting board or butcher block.

The general consensus is that they are very similar products, although the butcher block oil has the label of food safe added to it, and costs around 4x more! Is it worth it?

That said, some mineral oils are not food safe because they are not refined to a certain degree, and are designed for industrial use as lubricants, etc. Be sure you know what you’re buying and if you’re uncertain, stick with one of the specially designed cutting board or butcher block oils.

Do you want some recommendations for specific brands? Then check this out:

https://www.kitchengadgetreview.com/top-5-cutting-board-oils/

What about Butcher Block Conditioner vs Oil?

Oil is best used on new or raw wood surfaces in order to season it to prevent drying and cracking. Apply 2–4 coats depending on the thickness. Then, maintain the wood with conditioner by applying 1 coat and allowing to sit for at least 20 minutes before using. Butcher block conditioners keep the oil in and moisture out.

--

--

Jackie Bolen

Jackie Bolen is an ESL Teacher and author who publishes books and content for teachers and English learners. You can find her at the Let's Talk TEFL podcast.