Features:

  • Butcher Block Conditioner is a revitalizing blend of genuine beeswax, Brazilian carnauba wax (hardest natural wax available), and pure USP Food Grade Mineral Oil that is tasteless, odorless, and will never go rancid
  • Ideal for conditioning and maintaining all wooden butcher blocks, cutting boards, wooden bowls, and utensils
  • The penetrating quality of food-grade mineral oil along with the water-resistant traits of beeswax and carnauba wax helps to rejuvenate the wood, prevent drying, and even repair knife marks in the wood
  • Regular use of the Conditioner helps season and protect the wood by keeping the mineral oil in and the moisture out
  • The mineral oil used in Butcher Block Conditioner exceeds U.S. FDA regulations for direct and indirect contact with food
  • Can be used on butcher block countertops to achieve a natural looking satin wax finish
  • Made in USA with strict quality controls
Wonderful product. Easy to apply just takes patience.

I just bought bottles of both Howard's Conditioner and Mineral Oil to compare on new Beech butcher block counter tops. I heated the Conditioner with hot water as it was very gooey and then applied both products to a small area on the back side of the counter and let dry. The Conditioner was shinier and looked better. Remember that this was just one coat and that all I did was wipe off any excess oil and did not buff the wood. I decided to use the Conditioner on my counter tops and applied the Conditioner to all of the back side and the sides of both counter tops, wiped off any excess and let dry. They look great. I will reapply in a few hours and then do the top, repeating the process until I have put on 6 coats. One bottle (12 oz) will cover 2 8' boards on both sides once for the first coat. I will update this post with photos later and further comments as I get more into the project but as of now I think this is a great product.

Warm it up, then apply to thirsty boards

Excellent stuff. Run it under some hot water for a few minutes to get the wax to liquify/mix well before applying. Dry cutting boards are thirsty. Fill them up with oil, otherwise they'll absorb water and other liquids which can cause cracking and other damage. I applied 3 coats of this with a new board until it started "sweating" excess oil. Thereafter a cleaning and conditioning once per month is all it takes to keep your boards looking new.

Good Stuff

Used on an unfinished 24" x 24" butcher block table. Recently stained the legs and base, but needed a food safe coating on top. Stain was a light walnut color and hoped to match the surface somewhat for a consistent look. This conditioner comes out a little gooey, like sloshy jello perhaps and the initial coat took a bit of it as it soaked in. 2nd coat after 4 hours dry time was a fraction of the 1st coat. Used less than 1 oz total for both coats, so this 12oz bottle will last a very long time. It dries to a nice finish, very smooth and not oily. No residue noticeable on anything that I've chopped on it so far. No noticeable odor as well. I would say this is an excellent conditioner and a good value for the money!

Works Like a Charm

I used this to season a newly built hard wood cutting board and it worked great. I reapply about once a month to keep my cutting board conditioned and healthy. I have also used on turned olive wood bowls. One of my bowls cracked when it became dried out and olive oil (which I used before getting this conditioner) can become rancid. I will never have a bowl crack on me again. The same company sells a cutting board oil, but I have been very happy just using this conditioner. From now on, I will always have a bottle under the sink.

Be sure of what you want before you complain...

Several negative posters have complained this doesn't soak in easily, or have complained about it being waxy. The product clearly states it is better to heat it before applying, and that it contains wax. The wax is a sealant, so of COURSE this doesn't soak in as easily as an oil-only product. If you have a brand new, unseasoned wooden cutting surface, particularly if it is thick and/or cannot be moved or reversed, I recommend the following. Instead of starting with this conditioning product, start with a plain cutting board oil such as "Howard BBB012 Cutting Board Oil," which contains only food-grade mineral oil plus a little vitamin E added as a stabilizer. Start with a very clean, very dry surface. It is still recommendable to heat the oil before applying. Apply a thin coat to all exposed surfaces and allow it to soak in. Repeat this several times. The first coats will soak in quickly, later coats may take between an hour and a day -- it is a slow (and maybe tedious) process, but worth doing! You really want the wood to be saturated with as much of the oil as is possible. Then for the last coat or two, apply this conditioner and follow the directions carefully. The wax is intended as a sealant, which is why you DON'T start with this product on particularly thick surfaces! Yes, the surface may be somewhat oily and waxy for a day or two. That is good, because it means it is keeping germ-laden food juices OUT of the wood grain. Just wipe well with a paper towel before and after use. When the cutting surface starts getting dry, or when you've actually had to wash it, reapply just the conditioner. Again, start with as dry and as clean a surface as possible. Be sure to follow the directions again... heat it before use, etc. If you maintain your surfaces well, it will not require more than one or two coats to restore it. * * * My wife doesn't like it right after I've treated the surface, so here's a trick I use with a separate cutting board (not a butcher block). I treat only one surface at a time, and apply saran wrap to the still-oily surface once it's cooled. That side goes face-down for a day or two, so she still has the dry surface to cut on. Then on a day when we'll be out of the house, I flip it over, remove the wrap, and rub it thoroughly with paper towels to reduce the surface oil and wax as much as possible. I'll wash, thoroughly dry, and similarly treat the other side perhaps a week later. As I said earlier, it's somewhat tedious to go to this much trouble, but your wooden cutting surfaces will stay nice for years, and you'll stay healthier!

Works on every kind of wood I’ve tried it on

I bought 2 bottles of this in 2012 to maintain my butcher block island and a stack of cutting boards made of various different wood types. This week I used about 1/2 the second bottle on an unfinished, reclaimed teak wood buffet. It went from a dried out, dusty looking, pale piece I wasn’t sure about to a deep, rich, glorious piece I’ll keep forever! I’m finally ready to buy a few more bottles, I still have the island and cutting boards, and in reading reviews I was reminded I should be treating my wooden spoons, too.

Wonderful product !!

Great product. I have been using it for over 10 years. I Definitely will buy it again. Follow directions on bottle. *Apply gerously to a warm, clean, dry surface. Let it soak in. I am retreating a board right now. I have nice hard wood cutting boards that are decades old. With love, care, and Howard Butcher Block Conditioner your cutting boards will stay nice. It lasts for a few years depending on how often you use and clean the cutting surface. Very little sent that smells nice. Food grade product. It can also be used on wood spoons and bowls. Any wood food surface really. I love how it works on my high quality cutting boards.

It's Great, and Here's Some Helpful Information

OK, I totally love the Howard Butcher Block Conditioner. I applied it to a butcher block surface that had had little or no maintenance for years (my wife and I are restoring an old house), and it turned a white, easily-stained surface into a beautiful golden stain-resistant finish. Here's some useful information, if you are working with an older, unmaintained surface. Be aware that the wood probably will change color: this isn't because the product is coloring the wood, but just that wood changes color a bit and the grain comes out when you oil it. My wood went from almost whitish to a very beautiful golden shade. Be aware, if you're working on an older surface, you may need to apply a fair number of coats. Howard says 3-4 coats on new butcher block, but old unmaintained wood may need more than that. Oddly, my wood absorbed *more* oil with every coat I applied. I usually prepped the wood before each coat by just buffing it, and I may have been removing old wax. Or pores in the wood may have been opening. Dunno. Warm conditioner applies better than cold conditioner. I store the stuff where it will naturally be a bit warmer than room temperature, and only apply a coat on warm afternoons. I space applications by at least 48 hours. Dunno if that's necessary, but with the first coats it seemed to take about that long for the surface of the wood not to have any obvious oiliness left from the last treatment.

Great stuff for sealing and preserving your cutting board or ...

Great stuff for sealing and preserving your cutting board or butcher-block counter top. Follow the label directions and add a nice protective layer to you board. Warm the oil mix SLIGHTLY before applying so the wax melts and is absorbed in the wood- this seals the top of the board and helps prevent contamination from food products.

Looks great, it gives a nice sheen and it absorbed ...

I made a solid maple butcher lock island and used this for the top. Looks great, it gives a nice sheen and it absorbed into the wood and the top didn't feel slimy, but smooth.

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