Butcher Block Workbench by Linda A. Martin
Butcher Block Workbench
During
the early 20th century, butcher block countertops or simply butcher blocks were a common sight in many homes just like ice boxes and woodfired stoves. These olden and wooden furniture or kitchen essentials helped make life a lot easier and the old butcher blocks were primarily used as a chopping board for various foods. As the 40s, 50s, and 60s came, the kitchen started to become smaller since many homes have also become smaller. Out of necessity, this bulky one-function furniture had to be replaced with something much, much smaller and mobile and thus the kitchen cutting board was created. With the use of the cutting board however, many have experienced its inconvenience and as people are again moving back to larger kitchens, the use of a butcher block workbench is very much possible. A butcher block workbench is quite similar to the old butcher blocks though it is not only used as a cutting board but for a variety of other applications such as preparation of food, dining, jewelry work, maybe even garden work, or any other things that one might do on regular kitchen counter tops. Typically, butcher block workbench tops are made from wood varieties such as maple, cherry, oak, and even tuff tops. The most common type of butcher block is the maple butcher block because of the wood’s sturdiness and affordability. A butcher block workbench top is designed to not only be sturdy but resilient as well since it will be subjected to various intensities of punishment. From supporting heavy items like kitchen appliances and cooking utensils, hot metal items such as recently heated metal pans and pots, cutting items such as knives and scissors, and of course, moisture coming from the food or wet items, which means that a top must be built sturdily to be able to remain functional for years to come. There are many kinds of features one can find on butcher block workbenches today. There are the foldable butcher block workbenches that allow for better space optimization and there are also various multi-purpose butcher block benches that allow for other applications such as storage of food items or the Butcher Block Workbench
support of other kitchen appliances such as the microwave, coffee maker, or toaster to name a few. If one looked hard enough, one might even find a butcher block workbench set for little tikes. These toy workbenches simulate how a real workbench would look like and how it will be used. These toy sets often come with plastic knives, utensils, and food to help enrich a child’s imaginations.
Butcher Block Workbench