Howard BBC012 Butcher Block Conditioner Food Grade Mineral Oil and Natural Waxes, 12-Ounce

by Howard Products

• Exceeds US FDA regulations for direct and indirect contact with food
• Revitalizing blend prevents drying and cracking of hardwoods and bamboo
• Natural waxes provide another level of protection
• Ideal for salad bowls, wooden spoons and wooden toys
• Used after every wash this conditioner help keep butcher blocks and cutting boards functional and beautiful

Product Description

From the Manufacturer

Specialized wood care for 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 rejuvenates the wood and prevents drying and cracking. The naturally antibacterial waxes help repair knife marks and protect the wood by keeping the mineral oil in and the moisture out.

Product Description

Specialized wood care for 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 rejuvenates the wood and prevents drying and cracking. The natural waxes help repair knife marks and protect the wood by keeping the mineral oil in and the moisture out.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

151 of 165 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Similar to Laxative-Grade mineral oil June 3, 2011

By Sailing123

Amazon Verified Purchase

Any professional cutting board conditioner is essentially the same product as laxative grade mineral oil you can buy at your local pharmacy. They are all based off crude oil, in some form or another. Despite the images on these bottles, unless you go with beeswax there is no such thing as all natural cutting board conditioner - it has to be crude oil based (thankfully it is healthy for consumption). There are two key differences between professional cutting board conditioner and laxative-grade mineral oil:

1. Scent
2. Thickness

Luckily, this one is mostly unscented which I prefer. However, while some might prefer the thick coat of a professional cutting board conditioner, it also tends to penetrate poorly into the wood. Whereas I could leave laxative-grade mineral oil on my wood and have it soak in a few hours later, this tends stay glumped on the surface. Some might prefer the thickness so that it is less likely to run off the side of the board (potentially saving you a mess), but I'll take the thin laxative-grade mineral oil at my local pharmacy any day.

Whatever you do, don't use olive or vegetable oil. That will go rancid and smell terrible. Use something that is derived from petroleum (mineral oil)

56 of 60 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars I Love This Stuff!! June 21, 2009

By L. Evans

This is great for your cutting boards!! I use this interchanged with a more solid form of butcher block conditioner that I get at Williams Sonoma. This one is more liquidy and I use it to deep condition my boards. If you are a serious cook, you should protect your knives by using wooden cutting boards and in turn, protect your boards from scratches,stains, and smells with conditioner!! This has a nice beeswax scent (i.e. no scent) and I use it on wooden spoons, my cutting boards, everything wood in the kitchen. Wonderful product!!

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful stuff February 5, 2011

By Zoya

Amazon Verified Purchase

I purchased a 50-year-old butcher block table from a local family. This is a block that was actually used in a butcher shop at one point and had been suffering the heat and dryness of summer in a garage.

Initially, I used mild soap, straight mineral oil and some wood crack filler to bring it back from the brink. Once I was satisfied that it was presentable enough for the kitchen, I purchased some of this conditioner to give it a nice sheen.

I would say go easy with this stuff - a little goes a long way! I heated it up by placing it in a sunny window before I applied it. Once I buffed it, it gave the old block a beautiful glow. It has also protected the block nicely when there is an occasional spill. Good stuff!

**UPDATE**
I recently became more liberal with where I use this product in the kitchen. I bought a very cheap French rolling pin at a discount store which had no finish of any kind on the bare wood - it was a steal but flour and dough would ALWAYS stick to it. I used this conditioner on the pin and immediately noticed an improvement in its performance and cleanup. The biggest perk? The pin actually looks fairly expensive now since the conditioner brought out the highlights in the wood.

I also used this on a guitar pick bowl my father carved himself in the 1970s. I only washed the bowl with water since it hadn't been cleaned or used heavily enough to require soap. After applying and buffing away this product, the bowl has a rich glow it didn't have before. This stuff really seems to make wood come alive by highlighting all kinds of beautiful colors and patterns you can't see in dry wood.

I recommend trying this on any unfinished wooden surface you have in the kitchen or elsewhere - the results will surprise you!