Oak vs Beech worktops - is Oak worth the Premium?

[MrDavidRoberts]

I wanted to get 2 oak worktops ( about £150/each unfinished for a bit better quality 40mm wide staves),
however I got offered 2 beech worktops now for £62/each which seems like a bargain.
This is for rather low budget kitchen refurb and I'm making everything myself but wanted to get better worktops which will last and look better.

It sounds tempting and they obviously look almost the same when finished, however.. have never worked with beech so not sure how good wood it is?
What are the main differences really? Is it as or nearly as durable as oak? Does it ages well?

 

[Beau]

IMO beech is better for kitchen worktops. Closer grain so more hygienic also you don't have the problem with tannins that oak has that can taint foods.

 

[AndyT]

I'd have said beech was a better choice for worktops than oak. It's got tighter grain and is not ring-porous, so will be easier to seal against water ingress. It doesn't have the tannin content of oak so won't make black stains if ever in direct contact with steel.
It's not as inherently durable when wet, but I'm hoping your design and use would keep the wood itself dry. Not sure about the effect of sunlight. I think the oak will fade but the beech will darken a little.

 

[deema]

If it's European oak work tops are great, if it's American oak you need to check whether it's white or red. One of them and I can't remember which wicks fluid in seconds and is hopeless for a kitchen work top. I'd personally go for Beech which is easier to maintain IMO if you want it to keep looking 'like new'

 

[MrDavidRoberts]

hmm really beech is more durable for worktops? I was under the impression that it isn't as stable and doesn't ages as good as oak from my quick research.
however just went to few stores to have a look at the beech.. and.. In my opinion it looks like a gnarly plywood when compared to oak worktop nearby
Weird... as in the online pictures it looks quite nice and almost identical to oak, maybe it's just the pictures to sell more of it

Can you possibly stain beech somehow so it looks a bit better/similar to oak? The wood quality looked almost the same as of oak but just the look of it put me off...

 

[sunnybob]

I use beech a lot for my boxes and other small stuff. Its easy to work, takes stain or varnish well, and hasnt faded yet. My kitchen is beech veneered. Its 9 years old now and still looks good.
I've only used a few pieces of oak in my hobby, but i have a solid oak dining table, sideboard, and chairs set which look much more faded than the beech.
I would choose beech every time.

 

[MrDavidRoberts]

I guess I will go to some other stores to see some more beech in that case
I was in local B&Q where they had scratched up stuff on display which just didn't looked good and the salesperson were absolutely clueless about everything in that store..maybe the oiled finish wasn't that good either on the display.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

http://www.worktop-express.co.uk/solid-wood-worktops

 

[Ttrees]

I quite like the look of beech, well most of the small pieces I have...
Very uniform colour and grain.
I really really like it without any varnish/coating on it.
I might try using it sometime for furniture (not countertops) with a traditional soap finish like Chris Schwarz has in a recent video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NiJ3qsdPTUo
I can't say, I've seen examples where it was as nice, or close to it with finish on though.

I think you won't be sure what what you will like, unless you see the actual countertop in your hand.
Be it whatever wood it is.
Pictures on the internet are almost always prime examples.
There's no mention on grain pattern or orientation on the link Phil gave.
I would take a guess most places would have the same jargon on their websites, and be very vague.
Likewise for any sales folk in B&Q type places.
Hope you find what your looking for
Tom

 

[BearTricks]

I have no experience with beech, but my mum had oak worktops in her old house, and they were a pain in the buttocks to maintain. Constant re-oiling and the grain looking mucky after a while.

All in all, it depends on what kind of look you're going for. I think beech looks nice in a more minimalistic, light, airy kitchen personally. I do think oak can look old and frumpy. I've lived in two houses with oak veneered kitchens that were apparently going for a farmhouse style at the time. Maybe they looked stylish when the landlords had them fitted, but they hadn't aged well.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

There's no mention on grain pattern or orientation on the link Phil gave ...

Tom

I doubt short of going somewhere that stocked them by the score you are going to find one with any particular grain pattern or orientation - no one is going to be standing sorting stave by stave. It's mass production. I had a 900mm wide island in my last house, it was wenge and it was beautiful - but there was one single flash of yellow sapwood in the middle of it which was absent from the rest of the kitchen. If there were any sort of human intervention that piece would have been discarded, and that stuff is a sight more expensive than beech or oak.

 

[bugbear]

Having visited and used a wide variety of kitchen worktops, I wouldn't have wood or stone. To many problems, including cost.

Either very good laminate (famous brand:Formica), or what the industry call "solid surface" (famous brand: Corian).

Given modern processes, either of these can look however the factory chooses.

BugBear

 

[doctor Bob]

Having visited and used a wide variety of kitchen worktops, I wouldn't have wood or stone. To many problems, including cost.

Either very good laminate (famous brand:Formica), or what the industry call "solid surface" (famous brand: Corian).

Given modern processes, either of these can look however the factory chooses.

BugBear

As a bespoke kitchen company I only supply stone or wooden tops

 

[Beau]

We dithered about all the options for worktops and went for wood. Never regretted it for a second. 7 years in and could do with a light sanding and fresh oiling but hardly touched it up to now and we are not exactly careful.

 

[bugbear]

Having visited and used a wide variety of kitchen worktops, I wouldn't have wood or stone. To many problems, including cost.

Either very good laminate (famous brand:Formica), or what the industry call "solid surface" (famous brand: Corian).

Given modern processes, either of these can look however the factory chooses.

BugBear

As a bespoke kitchen company I only supply stone or wooden tops

But the Customer is always right!

BugBear

 

[RobinBHM]

Oak and beech look completely different, I would think the style and colour of the kitchen is what would be the deciding factor.

 

[sploo]

Oak and beech look completely different, I would think the style and colour of the kitchen is what would be the deciding factor.

Indeed.

Beech is nice, though I tend to find it a little dull.

Oak will go quite orange once oiled; though Osmo's "natural" TopOil contains a pigment that keeps it very true to its original colour.

Oak + IKEA's Behandla oil works well, though needs maintenance around sinks. Oak + Osmo Wood Protector + Clear Matt Top Oil looks superb, and seems to reject water very well.

 

[doctor Bob]

Having visited and used a wide variety of kitchen worktops, I wouldn't have wood or stone. To many problems, including cost.

Either very good laminate (famous brand:Formica), or what the industry call "solid surface" (famous brand: Corian).

Given modern processes, either of these can look however the factory chooses.

BugBear

As a bespoke kitchen company I only supply stone or wooden tops

But the Customer is always right!

BugBear

I'm afraid I don't agree with that as well, I have turned down jobs before where I felt the customer was designing a terrible looking kitchen. I did a kitchen in Westminster many years ago, the customer kept changing the design and I kept emailing back saying the design was all wrong............... we made it to her requirements, numerous changes whilst being installed but eventually got it finished and got paid in full.
3 weeks later we got a solicitors letter, saying she had got the builders to remove the kitchen, wanted us to take it away and remake to a kitchen which functioned better :shock: :shock:
My mates a solicitor and he wrote me a reply. Very civilized but to the point, reference to an email trail .......... never heard from her again. Still the worst customer we ever had

 

[Marineboy]

I have walnut treated with Osmo. Very pleased with them.

 

[AJB Temple]

You seem to prefer oak but are trying to talk yourself into beech in order to save £176. In the context of a kitchen refurb it is better to get what you want rather than compromise over such a sum. Kitchens last for years.