Why use torrefied wood for kitchen counters?

Real wood color board for kitchen counter tops

...because it's the only way to get very dark, real wood counter top WITHOUT using a stain on which food can be prepared. If you look at the color board on the right from Concept Giroux, a high-end custom kitchen counter top and butcher block manufacturer, you can see that there are two very dark color blocks on his palette; those wood grains are torrefied birch (upper left) and torrefied ash (lower right).

Finding wood grains that are dark for kitchen counter-tops is very difficult and very expensive.  What choices do hardwood kitchen counter-top manufacturers have in order to obtain very dark tops?  Ebony? Very expensive and rare exotic woods?

Torrefying wood at very high temperatures can allow you to take maple, birch, ash, or any other light colored wood and make them darker: chocolate colored, charcoal colored or even black! Without the use of stain.

Dark torrefied ash

The sample board on the left is a sample of darkly torrefied ash. We are working on a line of other medium dark and very dark wood grains and should have some more photos shortly.  Stay tuned.

Meanwhile, if you're interested in rich dark wood grains - let me know.