When I built my workbench around 6 years ago, I bought two 1 1/2" maple counter tops from Lumber Liquidators and laminated them together to form a 3" top. I do mostly hand tool woodworking, so I needed something heavy that would not flex. I don't abuse the workbench, but I'm not careful with it either. It has held up surprisingly well. Even the part of the bench where I have chopped many hundreds of mortises looks just as good as the rest of the bench.
Before you decide to use wood for a counter top, you need to think about the finish. Without finish, the wood will absorb any liquid spilled on it. You basically have two choices, oil or film finish. Oils would be mineral oil or boiled linseed oil. Mineral oil is often sold as salad bowl or butcher block oil, but is more expensive when labeled as such. Some people say you can use vegetable or olive oil, but there is some controversy with those going rancid. Film finishes are usually shellac or polyurethane. Both are food safe when fully cured. Shellac is often used to make candy shiny and prevent the dye from getting on your fingers.
Film finishes will show scratches, especially in the higher gloss sheens. Oils won't show scratches much, unless they are deep. Film finishes don't require ongoing maintenance, unless it gets damaged. Oil will dry out, absorb deeper, wear off, and needs to be reapplied. Film finishes offer much more protection against spills.