Best finish for cutting boards

[John Hollander]

Im making a bunch of cutting boards for chirstmas and I'm looking for suggestions for finishing them. Ive always used mineral oil in the past. Now i see all these special butcher block oils and im wondering how much better than mineral oil these are. The cost seems to be about double the amount for the specialty oils. Since these are going to be given as gifts I am not sure how much maitanance the recipients will do. Id like to put something on the boards that will keep them nice for as long as possible.

Anybody have any input to help me out with this?

[Rich Engelhardt]

Now i see all these special butcher block oils and im wondering how much better than mineral oil these are
Take (inexpensive) mineral oil.
Stick a label on it that says "Butcher Block Oil".
Charge at least double for it.
Three, four or fives times as much if you can.

See the look on someone's face when they read the contents on the bottle of "Butcher Block Oil" & it lists:
Made with 100% mineral oil.

[Kent A Bathurst]

If they are going to be put to use on a regular basis [as opposed to simply decorating the kitchen], then IMO, it won't matter what you use.....the surface will be getting whacked with sharp objects, and the end results will be the same - they will look like a cutting board that gets used. So - even though the odds of regular maintenance are low [see: the three boards upstairs in my own house - like the cobbler's kids going barefoot :D], it would seem to me that the simplest, easiest, most commonly-found variety would be the best - mineral oil.

You could do what I did, if you like: When I gave each of the 2 neighbors a small & large pair a few years ago, I also gave them a pint mason jar of oil + beeswax mixture, with instructions - beeswax mix right out of the jar, or into a pan of water heated on low to get a liquid. Rub in, wait, rub off. One neighbor couldn't find that jar now if you paid them. They other neighbor has come back for a refill. So - some people will get into it, and some people will just use the boards. In either case, seems to me you accomplished your goal - a gift that they will be using daily, and they will always know where it came from.

You could also make an annual maintenance tour....a perpetual gift, as it were.

EDIT: I don't know the "official" answer to this, but when I was once considering walnut oil, somewhere, someone cautioned about possible issues with people that have allergies to nuts. As I said, I dunno if it is a legitimate concern or not, but I decided to nix that idea.

[Howard Acheson]

Commercial butcher block oils are almost always just mineral oil.

Here is the treatment you want to use:

An excellent treatment for wooden food preparation surfaces like cutting boards and butcher blocks is a mixture of mineral oil and either paraffin or beeswax. This is what is used on many commercial wood surfaces. It will last longer and be more protective than just mineral oil. Mineral oil can be found in most supermarkets in the pharmacy section or in a true pharmacy. Paraffin is found in the canning section of the store or in a hardware store.

Heat the oil in a double boiler and shave in some wax. The exact proportions are not critical--a 5-6 parts of oil to one part of wax will work fine. Stir the mixture until all the wax is liquefied. Apply the mixture heavily and let it set 10-12 hours or overnight. Next day do it again and continue until the wood will no longer absorb the finish. Let it set for 10-12 hours and then lightly scrape off any excess. Then buff it with a rag.

Reapply whenever the wood begins to look dry.

Never put a wood board in the dishwasher and don't soak it in dishwater for long periods.