Yes I have heard of it. It's quite expensive and looks chic. It can be used to façade buildings even...

As a kitchen designer, I always warn our customers of the potential pitfalls of wood if it is not properly maintained, but at the end of the day I LOVE the surface and am always quietly pleased when clients still opt for it after all the warning!! But you really must follow a proper care regime - wipe up spills & standing water quickly, don't open dishwashers before they've cooled, pay particular care around sinks & taps and the dishwasher. You simply must iol them regularly - we suggest setting a recurring reminder on your phone for a weekend (in the week you'll forget!) every 3-4 months and sticking to it religiously. One of the problems is that once rot/damage/discolouration sets in, it can't really be removed. While for many years we used Danish Oil, our current recommendation is Habiol - much improved penetration into the wood, a nicer finish and less risk to nut allergy sufferers. Oh, and perhaps I'm a bit strange, but there is something quite therapeutic about oiling a worktop. Over the weekend I've been giving a lovely oak worktop for a welsh dresser 4 coats from new, and have thoroughly enjoyed seeing the transformation. Or maybe the solvents are getting to me..... ;-)

Oil will not keep a shine. It penetrates the wood and is used to keep the wood from drying with the heat of the kitchen, it prevents it from splitting and prolongs the life of the wood whilst still letting it breathe, ie contract and expand with different temperatures, as that is what wood does. There is no reason why you can't varnish your wood, you need to pick a very hard wearing Floor varnish. However, you still meet with the same disadvantages with oil............as soon as you put something hot on the surface it will leave a mark. Oil or varnish make no difference with regards food prep, you shouldn't prep on either! You will mark the wood, however, from a hygiene perspective a varnished surface is actually better because it's sealed. Most people will choose to prep and dish onto boards of either more wood or glass. I think most people think that by choosing wood they can do what they like to it, pan and heat wise............it's not the case. The only surfaces that are not affected by heat are natural stone.

In our opinion they serve no purpose other than make people think their dishes are draining. Whats more, especially on lighter colour stone they can discolour. Leave them out entirely and get yourself a Franke rollamat instead - much more practical. a recess drainer will also do the job although i don't really like the look of them.