Top 10 Best Kitchen Islands with Butcher Block in 2020 {Consumer Reports}

Beautiful, warm and cozy, kitchen islands with butcher block will help you two folds: offer more workspace along with more storage options. As you know, planning and preparing meals can be tricky, especially if you’re tight on space. Whether you prefer to cook, it’s not unusual to find yourself wishing to have more space for meal prep.

A butcher block is a practical investment especially when it sits on top of a kitchen island or a kitchen cart. From industrial, rustic, to modern, you’ll find kitchen island butcher blocks in various sizes, styles, and finishes. Some are made with engineered wood, while others are constructed of sustainably natural wood.

Consumer Reports – Kitchen Islands Butcher Block Pros and Cons

Kitchen islands with butcher block come with a host of advantages and benefits for your space. Here are some of the reasons why you should or not consider buying a butcher block for your kitchen countertop.

Best Kitchen Islands with Butcher Block Reviews

Here’s to all the veg and meat lovers. If it is time for you to buy a new kitchen islands with butcher block, then this guide specifically caters to every requirement. We have reviewed the top 10 kitchen islands with butcher block for your convenience and ease to select the best product on the market. Read our care and maintenance guide primer and check out the best kitchen island butcher blocks below to find the one that’s perfect for your cooking and baking space.

AmazonBasics Multifunction Rolling Kitchen Island Cart with Open Shelves

Stay organized and enjoy additional storage space with AmazonBasics Multifunction Rolling Kitchen Island Cart with Open Shelves. This convenient kitchen cart can be used to place items such as utensils, dry goods, cookware, grilling or bar supplies, and much more. Whether you need extra counter space in your home or are looking for a mobile surface for outdoor entertaining, the AmazonBasics rolling cart provides functionality and an attractive, modern look.

You can easily roll the AmazonBasics cart between work areas to keep extra supplies and utensils at your fingertips. Chop and slice ingredients on the cart’s two-tone butcher block countertop. Stash other cooking necessities in the pullout drawer, or on two removable open shelves. With pivoting caster wheels, you’ll enjoy a smooth range of motion and effortless mobility.

Solid wood countertop and composite wood construction

Made of durable materials in a compact design, this AmazonBasics kitchen cart is built to last. Features a strong composite wood construction, a solid wood countertop, and contemporary metal fixtures and hardware. This multi-rolling supply cart offers serviceability and a smart look that fits in nicely with your appliances and kitchen decor.

It is pretty easy to assemble and has enough top space to hold most pots and pans. Fairly stable and reasonably sturdy given the price. It will take about 2 unhurried hours to assemble the kitchen cart. The instructions are completely pictographic so you have to pay close attention to getting everything oriented the correct way or you will end up having to backtrack.

Chris Rolling Kitchen Islands with Butcher Block, Juice Groove & Collection Pan

This is the kitchen work stations for the serious Chefs. Chris & Chris Rolling Kitchen Islands with Butcher Block is designed by two professional chefs (Chris Oxford and Chris Lindholm). Their love and passion for the kitchen and cooking are reflected in their designs. It is engineered to provide commercial quality, durable work surfaces and intelligent storage space for your kitchen, at a price you can afford.

The solid butcher block is about 4 – 5 inches thick and the cart is made of high-quality heavy metal. It comes with 2 stainless steel shelves, a condiment rack and a towel bar with 4 S-hooks. As a nice addition, there are two storage drawers with knife holder. Four wheels allow you to move it anywhere in the kitchen and locking it in place.

Professional quality, durable work surfaces and intelligent storage space

Chris & Chris Rolling Kitchen Islands with Butcher Block allows for the sanitary collection of juices, the easy collection of prepared foods, and easy disposal of waste. This exclusive system features a juice groove on the cutting surface to collect juices and direct their flow to the “pig snout” (cut out in the cutting surface). The stainless steel chef pan sits snugly below the “pig snout” to collect the juices or cut products. The trash pan is designed to accept either a common plastic grocery bag or various size kitchen trash bags. When preparation is complete, simply remove the plastic bag and dispose of directly into a trash receptacle.

The whole kitchen cart is sturdy and doesn’t move, even when you’re rolling dough. The wheels can be locked but it’s so heavy that it doesn’t move even when they’re not locked. It is easy to put all the parts together, but you probably need two people to bring it into the kitchen to assemble it. This durable solid wood state of the art butcher block kitchen island will optimize your kitchen space and it is an investment piece. And over the years, you’ll be glad to have made the investment.

John Boos Cucina Americana Kitchen Islands Carts with Butcher Block Top

By far this is our recommendation for premium island with butcher block. It is perfect for anyone that has a small kitchen. In case you don’t know, John Boos is America’s oldest manufacturer of premium quality kitchen equipment designed for professional chefs. Since 1887, John Boos manufacture fine butcher blocks, cutting boards, kitchen workstations and carts, and other food preparation products. Thousands of professionals have used their products in restaurants, commercial and institutional, or government and educational food services.

John Boos Cucina Americana Kitchen Islands Carts with Butcher Block is the perfect place to prepare food, as well as serve. They are single units that increase both counter and storage space. It is part of the Cucina Americana line, which blends European design with John Boos trademark butcher blocks. This kitchen cart has a food service grade stainless steel base and a nice hard-grain removable butcher block working surface. The countertop is a standard Boos block in a cream finish with beeswax.

Durable stainless, easy to roll around, with a nice removable maple butcher block

This steel base butcher block features two sturdy foodservice shelf. Good quality commercial grade 3-inches casters and locking brakes for easy to roll around, while the wheels are soft and will not mark a wooden floor. This cart has been a huge timesaver in my large kitchen. Not only is it used as a small food prep island, but it’s also used to move pots/pans from the food prep area to the dishwasher, as well as for clearing the dining room table after a meal.

When you have a stylish room, home or citizen, you desire a modern John Boos Cucina Americana Kitchen Islands Carts with Butcher Block to provide even more style and perfection to the places. Easy to assemble, it comes with a one-year warranty against defect in workmanship and materials. Don’t think twice about the cost. Best purchase in the total kitchen redesign project. With proper care, these tables can last for many generations! The Cucina Magnifico carts are the ideal combination of style and efficiency to blend with and compliment your home decor.

Winston Porter Wulfram Kitchen Island Cart with Butcher Block

This Winston Porter Wulfram Kitchen Island Cart with Butcher Block is an excellent storage addition to your kitchen. It is classically designed and ruggedly constructed. This rectangular kitchen cart butcher block is made from yellow birch in the Catskill Mountains and is accentuated with an oil finish. I would say it is a perfect fit for a modern kitchen setting, yet, this piece is practical and adaptable to many other different kitchen styles.

The kitchen cart contains a butcher top, two slatted shelves, and a spacious drawer with full extension slides. The height of the shelves is adjustable. It also features stainless steel towel racks on both sides to keep your kitchen towels handy. The butcher top can be used for cutting vegetables and meat, while you cook food. This kitchen cart with butcher block top from Winston Porter also includes locking casters for easy mobility.

The unit is strong and accommodates heavy plates or other appliances

The butcher block cart is very attractive and measure 30 x 20 inches, with a thickness of 2.5 inches. The total weight capacity for this kitchen island butcher block is 200 lbs, while each shelf weight capacity is 80 lbs. An amazing value, absolutely gorgeous highly grained real wood, American made, and portable. Wheel it away from the wall when you need more space room to work on your meal from all angles.

The block top is finished with food-grade mineral oil. Assembly came together well but need the patience to take the time to complete. It can take a little under 2 hours to put it together but once it is done, it well worth it. It will go great in your kitchen and you’ll be using it for food preparation and extra room for serving when you have guests.

Seville Classics Rolling Kitchen Islands with Butcher Block Solid Bamboo

Beautify your kitchen with Seville Classics Rolling Kitchen Islands with Butcher Block Solid Bamboo. The butcher block top is composed of solid bamboo with an end-grain surface and measures 2 inches thick. The density of wood fibers in bamboo end-grain makes it an ideal cutting surface as it’s resistant to cuts and scarring. Bamboo is a tough, sustainable building material that doesn’t sacrifice beauty for utility as it’s stronger than most hardwoods. Also available with Acacia butcher block top.

Round bamboo butcher block top features a circular juice well groove with removable, under-the-table, grade 304 stainless-steel bowl for collecting drippings or prepared ingredients. Two generous storage shelves, each measuring 30 inches in diameter provide convenient storage for kitchen cookware, appliances, and utensils. The top tier measures 12 inches tall while the bottom tier is 17 inches tall.

Bamboo end-grain cutting surface, collector bowl is specially crafted from grade 304 stainless steel

Two wide, curved cart handles are attached beneath the top. Use them with the eight included grade 304 stainless-steel S-hooks to hang oven mitts, kitchen towels, washcloths, BBQ utensils and more other kitchen utensils nearby. Retaining lip (1″ H) keeps things on the shelf while the cart is in motion. Overall, it’s an attractive solid end-grain bamboo butcher’s block top for chopping, cutting, slicing and dicing.

Includes four rubber wheels for easy and smooth mobility. Two locking casters allow for confident stability during food prep. It’s solid but reasonably lightweight, and the wheels make it a breeze to steer around the kitchen as necessary. Assembly is easy and screws together in minutes. Seville Classics Rolling Kitchen Islands with Butcher Block is backed by a 1-year limited warranty unless otherwise specified.

Do You Like Rustic & Vintage Style? Discover…

Brunton Vintage Kitchen Islands with Butcher Block

The natural Brunton Kitchen Island with Butcher Block Top comes with a rustic hardware and a rich distressed finish. It’s small size make it a truly versatile piece for any size kitchen. Features solid hardwood and pine construction, with rustic iron accent corner guards, and vintage iron hardware. No assembly required.

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Ebern Designs Sydney Kitchen Island Cart Butcher Block

If you love wood furniture, Ebern Designs Sydney Kitchen Island Cart Butcher Block is a wonderful workstation for your kitchen. Designed by professional chefs for serious Chefs, this chop and drop system provides commercial quality, durable work surfaces, and intelligent storage space for your cooking space.

The butcher block include a juice groove on the cutting surface to collect juices and direct their flow to the pig snout. The included stainless steel chef pan fits snuggly below the pig snout to collect the juices and/or cut product. It has two shelves, one of which is a removable wire basket shelf, a trash ring, a trash bag, a knife block, a removable pot rack, spice rack, and a towel rack. Trash ring is designed to accept either a common plastic grocery bag or various size kitchen trash bags.

Sturdy and durable, the finish is smooth, the height is just perfect for food prep

Hardware material is steel with a nickel finish. The total weight capacity is 125 lbs. The height is just perfect for food prep. The removable speed rack that holds ingredients near the work surface. Features an oversized towel bar with 4 fixed S hooks to hang your favorite utensils close to you. This kitchen cart butcher block rolls on wheels, two of which have a locking feature.

Rubberwood countertop is non-toxic. It can be conditioned with natural engrain oil and washed with a damp cloth. Assembly is required upon arrival. All the drill holes lined up perfectly, all the parts and tools were included and were clearly labeled. If you want a small, but useful kitchen cart butcher block for our new home, this one is perfect.

Crosley Furniture 3 Piece Kitchen Island with Butcher Block Top

With its ample surface space and built-in storage, the Crosley Furniture Kitchen Island with Butcher Block Top is well-suited to meet all your needs. The traditional styling is tastefully refined, lending itself to a complementary aesthetic. The butcher block top adds a rustic appeal to any kitchen decor. The wood veneers feature grain and hue that vary slightly from piece to piece making each island individually unique. Put the finishing touches on the island by selecting a Black or White color finish.

Constructed of solid hardwood and wood veneers, this kitchen island with butcher block top is designed to last. The handsome raised panel doors and drawer fronts provide the ultimate in style to dress up any culinary space. Great for food preparation, the butcher block top is a plus in any kitchen. Fully functional doors and drawers on both sides of the cabinet provide beauty and convenience.

Crosley Furniture 3 Piece Kitchen Island with Butcher Block Top and Schoolhouse Stools

A very big PLUS is the storage space underneath which is accessible from both sides. Behind the doors, you will find adjustable shelves and an abundance of storage space. Deep push-through drawers are great for holding essential items. Appliances (kitchen-aid mixer, food processor, blender, panini maker, or whatever else you have) fit nicely inside the cabinet, nice to have them out of sight. Style, function, and quality make this kitchen island butcher block a wise addition to your home and kitchen.

Set includes two 24-inch Schoolhouse stools, however, you can also buy Upholstered Saddle, Square, or X-Back Stools. You can also choose from antique brass or brushed nickel hardware, based on cabinet finish. It looks great, solid – heavy but movable. It took about three hours to assemble. All the drawers and components are marked for easy identification. Came in 2 large packages that were protected very well. Really, it’s the best 3 piece kitchen island set you’ve found for such a price.

Red Barrel Baca Kitchen Island Cart with Wooden Top Butcher Block

Bring function and flair to your kitchen with this piece of solid and manufactured wood rolling cart block. It’s wood grain details pair perfectly with rustic decor while its understated design blends effortlessly with any casual arrangement. You can add Red Barrel Baca Kitchen Island Cart with Wooden Top Butcher Block to the dining room to complement a traditional arrangement, then pair it with a wood table and ladder back chairs to round out the look.

Lay out everything you need to cook dinner on the large open worktop. If additional working or counter space is needed, the surface can be expanded by adding the side panels. These panels add an extra space of 2 square feet and tuck away neatly by the side of the cutting board. Its interior storage space is perfect for stowing spare serveware while its butcher-block top can be used to prepare fresh ingredients for dinner.

Place veggies & meat on the cart to chop up, turn around and wheel it over to the stove

The clean-lined frame is crafted from manufactured wood and it is topped with a thick butcher block. This kitchen cart features one utility drawer. Leaf capacity is 20 lbs for a total weight capacity of 60 lbs. Four locking swivel casters (2 lockings) keep the cart from slipping out from under you, so you can chop and mix worry-free to your heart’s content.

Assembly is very easy following the enclosed instructions. The quality of the materials is way beyond what you expected. It fits perfectly in the middle of a kitchen and is very easily rolled away when not needed. If you’re thinking about getting an island cart with wooden top butcher block, do yourself a favor and pull the trigger.

Casual Home Sunrise Solid Maple Top Kitchen Island

Designed for very tighter spaces and those who value extra counter space, Casual Home Sunrise Solid Maple Top Kitchen Island is the perfect companion to start any culinary projects in the kitchen. Its two-tone neutral color design gives it a modern appeal that highlights the natural beauty of the American Maple top while complementing any current home and kitchen decor. Solid wood construction ensures sturdy construction and years of lasting beauty that can withstand everyday use.

The smooth sliding drawer and 2 lower slatted shelves provide plenty of space to store everyday essentials or the supplies of today’s recipe or project. The side even features a stainless steel towel rack for convenient hanging or decoration. The shelves are just spacious enough for a microwave. The drawer is small and narrow but it serves the purpose for what you’ll need.

Solid American Maple and solid wood construction, superior durability and longevity

Extremely sturdy and high-quality butcher block top table that doubles as an island and storage module. It comes packaged extremely well protecting all of the wood. The assembly is quick and easy – the only part that might be a little tricky is the back panel for the drawer. You will need a small Phillip’s head screwdriver. The other tool you need is the L-wrench, but all these come in the package. All in all, a really nice piece of kitchen furniture.

August Grove Rolen Kitchen Island Cart with Butcher Block Top

Simple, functional and attractive, the August Grove Rolen Kitchen Island Cart with Butcher Block offers great storage solutions. This kitchen cart is a great option to expand storage space in small kitchens or living spaces. Matches all types of interiors, from more neutral, traditional, to those more of contemporary styles, always adding pure beauty to your kitchen space.

It is made of solid wood, which ensures strength and durability for a long period of time. The base of this cart is available in white or black finishes and you can choose the one that suits the color scheme of your kitchen. This kitchen cart consists of two fixed shelves, is topped with a generous butcher-block top, which provides a great surface for cutting vegetables and preparing food.

A great addition for a studio apartment features 4 wheels for easy mobility

Total weight capacity is 150 lbs, and the shelf weight capacity is 50 lbs. As a basic kitchen island cart, it does what is expected and is very easy to put together. Lastly, it features four wheels for legs for easy mobility. Because it doesn’t weigh much, you can leave the wheels off to keep it stable and use it as a prep surface to expand the counter space you have.

Very good quality for the price range. Inspired by the country cottage, August Grove Island Cart with Butcher Block celebrates enduring farmhouse style and down-home comfort. A fantastic home gift for new young families that can be a meaningful gesture to show that you’re thinking of them!

How to Take Care of Your Butcher Block Tops

Kitchen islands with butcher block countertops are elegant pieces of furniture that give character to your kitchen. If properly taken care of, wooden countertops can maintain their timeliness charm for many years to come. There are a lot of options to treat butcher blocks. And we need to consider simple goals when it comes to treating your butcher block countertop:

• It must be food safe
• It must be easy and convenient
• It must be low cost, obviously…

Finding a finish that will be safe for food is just common sense. Food safe for chopping means that everything in the finish is FDA approved and edible. Mineral oil and organic beeswax finishes are in this category, 100 percent food safe and designed to use for direct chopping.

Food safe for contact means the finish is safe for food contact and general prep work. This does not necessarily mean the finish is safe for direct chopping. Finishes that are safe for food contact often have wood-protecting chemical components in them that shouldn’t be ingested. If you chop food on this type of finish, the knife can chip out pieces of hardened finish. If that happened, small parts of finish could be pass on into your food and ingested.

Maintenance depends on the type of butcher’s block top finish you have. In general, after each use, wipe clean with a damp cloth and mild soap. Do NOT use harsh detergents, chemicals, and left on surface puddles of standing water! After a period, you need to sand light scratches, dents, and dings with fine sandpaper. Recondition or oil when wood gets dull or shows signs of cracking or aging.

Here are important regular maintenance routine practices that will keep your butcher block countertops looking stunning and healthy all the time.

Regular Oiling (Sealing)

Butcher block counters require regular oiling once a week (or whatever needed) at least in the first year of installation. After the first year, depending on the wood type and manufacturer’s instructions, you can schedule the oiling routine twice a year. Since the countertop is used as a food preparation area, you need to be careful with the kind of oil you use. You need to use food-grade oils and sealers just to be on the safe side.

Drying oils and sealers penetrate the wood and form a barrier against water, during the use or washing. Various commercial sealers are similar to thinned varnish (polyurethane or alkyd-modified polyurethane) and drying oils (such as linseed, tung, walnut, diluted varnish) can also be used as sealers. Sealers and drying oils give the wood a surface that is easy to clean and resistant to scratching, plus it’s easy to apply.

Nondrying oils (vegetable and mineral oils) also penetrate wood but do not cure it. They do improve butcher block’s water resistance, but cooking oils are also food for microorganisms such as mildew or bacteria. Vegetable oils can also become rancid and may impart undesirable odors or flavors to food.

Below are some of the oils you can use on your butcher block countertops:

• Food grade mineral oil
• Pure tung oil
• Walnut oil/almond oil
• Raw linseed oil

Mineral oils are usually a popular choice for most homeowners because they are available in most stores and pharmacies. Mineral oils penetrate the surface of wood countertops, conditions it, and helps lock in the moisture. It’s food-safe, inexpensive, and it’s the only sealer you want to use if you plan to cut on your countertop.

Pure tung oil is a good choice for a food-safe wood finish. It’s easy to apply, nontoxic and leaves a beautiful matte finish that fits into almost any home style.

When choosing an oil to use on your countertops, stay away from cooking or vegetable oils. Even if these are organic oils, these oils can easily become rancid and may end up contaminating the food that is prepared on the surface of the countertops. Other oils might contain chemicals and should not be used on butcher block countertops.

Also, you should avoid using stain finish on your wooden countertops. They also contain chemicals that can be harmful to your health. Moreover, it doesn’t matter whether you seal your stained countertops, the seal will eventually come off and expose your food to the chemicals from the stain.

Paraffin wax is one of the simplest ways to finish wood countertops. Butcher block wax or conditioner is a mixture of mineral oil and wax, usually beeswax, carnauba, or a combination of both. It’s safe on cutting surfaces as plain mineral oil. The big benefit is that the wax helps seal the oil into the wood so you don’t have to apply it as often.

If you want the best food-safe protection for your countertop, buy a penetrating sealer. The point of a sealant is to absorb into the pores, fill them and harden them so that they cannot fill up with water, and so that the hardened plastic makes the wood stronger than it even is in its natural state. While it does offer a higher degree of protection than oil or an oil/wax combo, it’s much more expensive and can take a week to fully cure.

Did you know that most kitchen butcher block countertop
maintenance products rely on mineral oil?

We recommend Thirteen Chefs Food Grade Mineral Oil because hydrates, seals and penetrates deeply into wood to protect from water and prevent cracking and drying. It is the highest quality white mineral oil for food contact with tamper seal and it works on ALL types of wood. Bottled in FDA compliant facilities in the USA and undergoes regular testing.

Polyurethane is perfect for bartops and tables but it’s not recommended for cooking surfaces. As much it can protect your butcher block countertops, it contains harmful chemicals that should not be ingested.

Whatever you use, make sure that the finish is safe and not toxic. To seal butcher block with mineral oil, you simply apply the mineral oil generously, let it soak in, and wipe off the excess.

How To Clean and Disinfect Your Butcher Block Countertops

Butcher block countertops need to be cleaned deeply using hot soapy water. When deep cleaning, scrub the surface using a scrubbing pad to be able to get rid of food particles that may have stuck in the wood over time. After scrubbing, rinse the surface with hot water. You can sanitize the surface after cleaning using a solution of water and white vinegar.

To remove odors and stains, make a paste of lemon juice and 1/4 cup of salt and scrub it on the surface where you poured the vinegar solution. After scrubbing the surface, rinse it off with clean water and get off the water on the surface as much as possible.

Once you have removed water from the surface, pour mineral oil on the freshly cleaned surface and use a soft cloth or paper towel to rub it in. Keep adding more oil as it soaks in the wood until the surface absorbs all the oil. Once the wooden surface stops absorbing the oil, you can wipe the excess oil using a paper towel. At this point, your butcher block countertops are sparkling clean and well-sealed.

Occasionally, you need to disinfect your butcher block countertop, especially after prepping raw meat, fish or poultry. Clean the butcher block first. It’s crucial to kill germs, not just to reduce their count. So you’ll need a disinfecting solution. Use food-grade hydrogen peroxide by mixing one part with 11 parts of water. Pour the hydrogen peroxide onto the butcher block, spread it around using a clean sponge or cloth and let it stand for 10 minutes. Rinse the solution off of the butcher block surface by wiping with a clean and wet cloth. Then dry the butcher block thoroughly with a paper towel or dishcloth.

Another option to disinfect is to fill a spray bottle with vinegar, or a 1:1 mixture of vinegar and water, and spray your butcher block. Wipe with a clean cloth or paper towel, and allow to air dry for 15 minutes.

To remove stains, cover the stain with anywhere from a 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup of baking soda and use a wet sponge to scrub out the stain. Don’t be afraid to apply some force. Let the solution sit for 5 minutes before giving it a final scrub. For even tougher or darker stains, apply a hydrogen peroxide solution (1 tablespoon of 3% hydrogen peroxide per one cup of water) with a cotton swab or cloth. This solution did the trick on challenging stains and also eliminated most of the lighter stains.

These tips are applicable any time of year. So remember to clean and disinfect butcher block to keep you healthy and to protect your investment.

The Final Line

Beautiful and enduring, they are the work-horse of your kitchen. Kitchen islands with butcher blocks are timeless pieces of furniture that can transform your kitchen into a vintage, rustic, industrial, traditional look and still maintain a classic modern style. They are durable and multifunctional masterpieces that will serve you well for years to come.

If you planning to buy a kitchen island with butcher block, you have an endless choice of wood countertop. Each has a distinct character, and the choice depends on your budget and preferences.

Overall, we recommend the AmazonBasics Multifunction Rolling Kitchen Island Cart as the best buying option for most needs and concerns. Its clean design, shelves storage space, and countertop material won’t disappoint you. And the price is more than compelling.

For a premium product, nothing can beat the Cucina Americana Kitchen Islands Carts with Butcher Block from John Boos. Ultimately, Crosley Furniture 3 Piece Kitchen Island with Butcher Block Top include a highly rated island with butcher block and a pair of two stools at your choice – possibly the best deal on the market.

Invest in one of the reviewed kitchen island with butcher block so that you can chop, cut, or slice your food conveniently. We are sure that one will satisfy all your requirements, therefore, happy shopping!