When we redid our kitchen, we got Ikea counters. Solid wood, thickest we could get. they were nicely priced, and we could size/cut them ourselves in the garage. We also put in an undermount sink, so we customized them to our liking. Had enough countertop left over that I got 2 cutting boards and a customized under-cabinet storage/pull-out baking cart. We sealed the countertop with Waterlox (I believe you can stain them too, if you want, but we didn't), but the cutting boards I treat with a custom blend I made of beeswax and mineral oil. Been working wonderfully well for almost 4 years now.