Solid wood countertops - who has experience with them?

That would mean she's out for me if I were her. Real wood, especially open-pored, requires discipline in my opinion. Otherwise, it could get sticky.

Mmhh yes, you're right. But maybe we can still retrain ourselves and I also think that you act differently in your own chosen and bought kitchen than in the ugly rented kitchen you don't like (like we have right now).

In the future, we will try to hold ourselves together more in the kitchen and pretend there's already a solid wood countertop. Minus the oiling, of course.

In the future, we will try to pull ourselves together more in the kitchen and pretend there’s already a solid wood countertop there. Minus the oiling, of course ;)

Be honest: do you want to become different people? Even meticulous people have to nurture and care for open wood, which can indeed get a bit annoying.

I once had a rustic table that I re-oiled: we couldn't put any paper on it for half a year because it kept releasing oil.

Consider options for what else might be suitable. There are so many materials nowadays. You can also tile a countertop. Or nowadays plastic doesn’t even look like plastic anymore. Granite? However, I’m not familiar with natural stone.

We have an oiled solid oak dining table, which is much less sensitive and maintenance-intensive than previously feared (we are also not the tidiest). I am considering whether I also want a solid countertop, but it is indeed wetter and dirtier there than on the table…

Hello,

yes, of course it is real wood and over time it will develop discolorations. You can't change that, but it really doesn't matter at all. Nevertheless, I find my countertop simply perfect and can't imagine having any other.

We have had a 2m*1.1m oak table for 7 years. This typical table in the living area, where we eat, leave letters, drink coffee, celebrate, argue, throw clothes on, place sewing machines, spill juice, etc. This table that is therefore always "tidy and neat." Also, 7 m of kitchen worktop, also solid oak – and we cook 5-6 times a week with plenty of chopped vegetables, and there are sometimes splashes when frying. Our nearly 2-year-old daughter contributes her share to the wear with smeared peaches, melon pieces, and thrown tomato halves.

I have oiled the table maybe once every two years, and despite the wear, it looks great. The worktop is only 6 months old but requires similar care – and I don’t always wipe every peach squash away immediately. There are spots and water stains somewhere, but eventually, they fade again. I wouldn’t trade it anymore! A thousand times better than wood-look imitation-imitation. I can’t say anything about stones and concrete.

I think we will dare the "solid wood countertop adventure." However, we have decided on acacia, as it is even more durable than oak and we like the look better. If it doesn’t work out at all, such a countertop is still replaceable, and we will then make furniture from the wood.

Many thanks for the responses, and maybe I will post an update someday about how it’s going for us.