Rubio Monocoat Wood Stain & Finish 175 ft² - Citrine | Oil Plus 2C | Quick-Dry, Eco-Friendly Linseed Wood Oil for Indoor Use, Includes Accelerator (Part B) | Protector | 350 ml

I would highly recommend this item. I have been doing many of the improvements and renovations in my home since I bought it a few years ago in the kitchen has been an ongoing project. We ended up doing butcher block countertops because of cost and ease of installation. We left them unprotected for a while and definitely encountered food and water stains but with a light sanding it was back to normal. We wanted lasting protection though and I came across this product that seemed like the best solution over any alternatives. I bought it and it sat around for a long time before I finally got around to applying it today. I have learned a lot up until then and have learned things that I did incorrectly and cannot change but I hope that this product still holds up well.What I didn’t do: apply the product to every side of the butcher block. (I installed the countertops before I realize this)I know it is highly recommended to apply to all sides of your project or there is a chance of warping but I am hoping that we do not have this issue.Besides that, I love the color. I used the color pure just to enhance the color and grain of the butcher block.The first picture is the before and the second picture is the after.I watched numerous videos before applying it to ensure that I use the correct technique and then followed along with a video while I was applying it and it overall went pretty well. I did have to have my husband help me and besides a small spill (lol) we got it applied quickly and now will wait for it to fully cure!

If you're looking for the best wood finish ignoring the price, this would be it. It does go a long way, so the small amount is definitely enough for most projects. Square footage is about accurate. It is not impervious to water marks, but supposedly it is very repairable. It is an oil based finish, so there is no added thickness. Its similar to Danish oil but it cures much better. It has a scent but the scent is not unpleasant. If you have any uncured product that you throw in the trash, your shop might smell like the finish for a couple days. Cleanup is pretty easy because it doesn't really make that much of a mess. I wish it was cheaper and or there was an affordable alternative, but for the VERY BEST finish, sometimes the price is justified. I used this on a walnut live edge desk and it turned out beautiful and has held up well for 4-5 years now with little visible damage besides a few water marks. It leaves a slight yellow tint to your wood, but nothing that would ruin your project, just a warm overtone.

We've done several kitchen remodels in the past and have always used IKEA's Behandla on our butcherblock countertops. Sadly that product has been discontinued and its replacement, Stockaryd, is not the same thing at all. It is just Tung oil, which sinks into the wood but provides no barrier whatsoever - the second you use even just a damp cloth on it, the wood grain rises up and becomes rough again. With Behandla I could empty a bottle of food coloring on my butcherblock and it would wipe right off, leaving no stains at all! So disappointed.Next I tried a butchblock conditioning cream which added beeswax into the finish, supposedly for enhanced water resistance and durability. That was a fail too, so then I added a layer of the same company's Wax It All, hoping that the extra wax would be deal clincher. I didn't wash it for a week, and the first time I took a damp cloth to it, not only did the grain rise up immediately but it left a huge white patch in the finish. There wasn't even any cleaner on the cloth, just water.In desperation I searched the web for a better solution and came across Rubio Monocoat. As a cake decorator who works from home, I need a product that has food safety certification, but I didn't want to use a polyurethane because of the risk of flaking and the lack of ability to do spot repairs, not to mention the horrible chemicals. Rubio Monocoat sounded almost too good to be true but after reading lots of reviews and educating myself on their website about how it actually works, I was ready to give it a go.The biggest part of the job for me was prepping the countertops, as I had to sand them right back down to bare wood. If you have new, untreated butcherblock, you will breeze through this process!The packaging truly sucks (how are you meant to separate the two tins?!) and the instructions are printed so small that I couldn't read them even with glasses on! However the website is very informative and tells you everything you need to know.As promised, the butcherblock was touch-dry at the end of the buffing process and the smell from the linseed oil was very minor and not unpleasant - no VOCs!. The next day we started to put plates etc on the counter but did no food prep or anything that would require cleaning on it, as you have to keep it dry for five days in order for the oil to cure. At the end of five days, I cleaned it down with a damp cloth and was thrilled that it stayed smooth as glass. I put it to the ultimate test, slapping dough on to it and making pizza last night, and it came through with flying colors. Scraped up the excess dough, washed it down, and the countertop is still good as new. Thank God - have finally found a replacement for Behandla!Don't waste your time on oils - they might work for a butcherblock chopping board or a wooden salad bowl, but they don't work for a countertop that needs cleaning daily. This product is natural, food safe and actually does what it says on the tin!Their customer service is also very good. They have a chat on the website which is actually a human being and not a bot. They answered a couple of questions I had and were very honest, clarifying which of their maintenance products had food safety certification and which didn't - it would have been very easy for them to just say they all did, but they were very specific, which I really appreciated. All in all, five stars!

While the stain is a little pricey, it provides a simple application prices which saves on labor. No sanding in between. Just one step for a beautiful flat sheen.