Honestly....wood is beautiful but not terribly durable. It requires some babying. And no, you can't really put hot pots on your countertops if they are wood. They will burn!

Hi, wood is no good for placing hot pans straight out of the oven/hob, you would need to use a trivet. But for every day liquids it is absolutely fine, also hot coffee cups etc is fine. We use an oil called OSMO oil which is brilliant. I have wooden tops in my kitchen and re-oil them once a year, no problem at all. Hope that helps :)