Pine is lower cost but soft. Finishing with epoxy is a good option to provide a hard durable surface. Epoxy is thick and glossy and forms a very tough surface.

Maple is a good choice because it’s hard and dense grained. This wood can be finished with an oil and still perform well. Also, a poly finish or an epoxy are good.

Oak is very hard and open grained. Poly or epoxy is a good choice.

Counters can be one piece of wood or two. One piece tops provide the look of a single log with no interruptions in the grain pattern. Logs this wide, straight, and long enough for counters are harder to find and therefore more expensive. Two piece tops can eliminate hardwood which is less stable and using two narrower pieces is less costly even considering the effort in making the joint.