Formica scratches and burns just fine.

While stone or slate might not show damage, just about
anything else will if subjected to intense heat. The
idea is to keep people from doing things like that in the
first place.

Frank Arthur wrote:
A "Worktop" should be a surface to work on not a surface subject to
scratches or burnmarks. You might consider using Formica or even Stone.
If you go through the expense of reworking the Oak and varnishing it it will
still be subject to abrasion or heat.
Hardly a worktop.