When we first installed them I used Watco butcher block oil. That is the finish you see in these photos. It is a penetrating oil and does a pretty good job of protecting against water as long as it is wiped up quickly. It has to be reapplied every six months or so depending on the use the counter gets. I wasn't good at reapplying like I should and have a family who insists on leaving glasses on the counter. My husband left a leaky bottle of strong cleaner on the counter and it made a very bad damaged spot. I did some research and decided I needed to do something different. I sanded the counters down, removing the damaged area and applied Waterlox. It is also a penetrating product, but does not have to be reapplied and provides excellent protection from water. It was easy to apply, but does require 24 hours to dry between coats. I think I ended up with five or six coats and the counters look great. I had to order online because I couldn't find it locally and it did end up being pretty pricey with the shipping, but if it gives long term protection it is well worth it. Sorry for the long winded answer.

Thank you for your help because I have been going round and round with wanting the wooden counter top at Ikea but was affraid because I too have a husband like yours. lol lol. As for the length of the answer, as my mom use to say, knowledge is power and you can never have too much of it!

You are welcome. If I had it to do over, I would definitely get the butcherblock again. I love it. I would have just gone with the waterlox first and applied it before installing the counters. Let me say one more thing about the waterlox. If you want a satin finish, you will have to buy two products. I purchased a quart of the satin finish and on the can it states to use it only after first applying the original sealer, which has a gloss finish. Not sure why that is, but I wanted to make sure I was doing it right this time. I purchased the VOC compliant formula thinking the odor would be minimal. I was wrong. It is still really stinky, but the odor doesn't hang around once it dries.