Mineral Oil vs Sealer. Which one is better?

Finding and using the right sealer can make all the difference, from colour to durability, & maintenance.

Now the question is which one is better? The truth is one is only better than the other depending on what your use & application for your piece is.

If you’re a baker, a cook, or even just a foodie and are looking for a large cutting and/or prep space, a mineral oil finish is for you! It’s food-safe and keeps your wood looking fresh and the colour vibrant. It requires some maintenance. Our recommendation would be to oil every 3-4 weeks. But a true sign of when you need to oil your piece is when you start to see that it is dry or lighter in colour. Wood is a live material and extremes of humidity and dryness can swell and shrink your butcher blocks enough to cause seasonal checks to appear. But if you regularly take care of your piece, you will find that you will fall in love with the natural simplicity and beauty of wood.

Here at Knotty’s, we’ve used many different sealers. After much testing, we have landed on using Rubio Monocat Plus 2C. It is by far our favourite sealer and the most user-friendly to apply. Sealer is the perfect option if you are looking to add to your home aesthetic. It is also food-safe, water resistant, and keeps your top looking and feeling like natural wood. The matte finish is what elevates Rubio over other sealers in our opinion.

When choosing a finish it may be hard to decide on one, so the best thing you can do is to try to envision what you want for your space. After all, it is your space, and it needs to suit your needs.