Cutting on wood is nasty. Think of all the food substances it might absorb - runoff from uncooked meat is the deal breaker for me. I cut on a granite cutting board on top of a granite counter top.

My granite counter tops seem easy enough to care for. Just don't get them wet, like Gremlins. And don't get oil on them. So my soaps and sponges are all in little dishes, and my cooking oils live on a decorative tile on the stove top.

No more water-soaking pressboard covered with laminate for me.