Which one is the right choice for you? Pros and cons of most used benchtop materials! There are so many options, which one to choose - eco-friendly / budget-friendly / heat resistant / scratch impervious ...
Marble
Marble is definitely the most gorgeous material that immediately puts your kitchen in a high end category
Price - $$$$
Maintenance - Requires annual sealing
Heat + Heatproof (put your pots on it without worries)
Scratches - Can be scratched and repairs are difficult (no cutting on the countertop)
Stains - It's a porous material so it stains easily unless sealed properly and consistently
Eco-friendly - Sealing chemicals and shipment are not eco- friendly
Installation/seams - Has to be installed by professionals / Seams are nearly invisible
Quartz (Engineered Stone)
Quartz is a manmade material that consists of quartz particles, minerals and resins. More durable than marble and has larger variety of colours than granite. In the past few years manufacturers created lots of collections copying natural veining of all sorts of marble.
Price - $$$
Maintenance + Easy to maintain, doesn't require sealing
Heat + Heatproof (put your pots on it without worries)
Scratches + Scratch resistant
Stains + Stain resistant
Eco-friendly - Resins are not eco-friendly
Installation/seams + DIY installation possible / Can be customized to any size and shape
Porcelain slabs
Made of clay, which contains a high percentage of a mineral known as kaolinite along with silica, feldspar and other mineral oxides. Porcelain benchtops come in different shades and patterns with especially wide range mimicking marble and natural stones.
Price - $$$
Maintenance + Easy to maintain, doesn't require sealing
Heat + Heatproof (put your pots on it without worries)
Scratches +/- Only ceramic knives can sometimes scratch porcelain. Still chips and cracks are possible
Stains + Stain resistant
Eco-friendly + Porcelain is made of 100% natural, raw, and clay-based materials. It doesn't contain any harmful chemicals or resins like quartz or other man-made surfaces
Installation/seams - Has to be installed by professionals / 320cm X 160cm and seams are nearly invisible
Corian (Solid-surface material)
Corian is also a man-made material which consists of acrylic polymers, minerals and stone-derived materials. It comes in a variety of over a hundred colours and the pattern looks similar to granite.
Price + $$
Maintenance + Easy to maintain, doesn't require sealing
Heat - Does not handle heat (hot pan will burn it)
Scratches - Can scratched and dented (repairable)
Stains - Can be stained or discoloured by some cleaners and chemicals
Eco-friendly - Acrylic polymers are not eco-friendly
Installation/seams - DIY installation possible / Seams are nearly invisible
Butcher Block (Wood countertop)
Price + $$
Maintenance - Must be treated often with food-safe mineral oil to protect against water damage
Heat - Low resistance to heat, can cause dryness and cracking
Scratches - Can be scratched (easy to sand out)
Stains - Can be stained
Eco-friendly + Environmentally friendly
Installation/seams - DIY installation possible / Seams are nearly invisible
Concrete
The biggest advantage is that the customization options are virtually endless. You can have custom features cast into your counters including drainboards, trivets or cutting boards. Most contractors reinforce the mix by adding glass fibers, making the counter both exceptionally strong and lightweight. Reinforcement allows for long, seamless spans and even daring overhangs not possible with granite or other materials.
Price - $$$
Maintenance - Requires sealing
Heat - Sealers are vulnerable to heat damage
Scratches - Can be scratched (easy to repair)
Stains - Can be stained
Eco-friendly + Environmentally friendly
Installation/seams + Has to be installed by professionals / Can be customized to any size and shape
Stainless Steel
Stainless steel has a non-porous surface, which means that no type of liquid or substances can penetrate into the material at all. Bacteria, mold and other common household germs don’t stand a chance with stainless. You are being given the opportunity to enjoy a completely hygienic surface for preparing meals as long as you practice regular cleaning habits. You can have a counter that is made complete with sink attached. This makes cleanup a breeze since there doesn’t have to be any edges between the sink and the counter.
Price - $$$$
Maintenance + Easy to maintain though it shows smudge marks and fingerprints
Heat + Heat resistant
Scratches - Can be scratched and dented
Stains + Stain resistant
Eco-friendly + 100 percent recyclable, keeps your carbon footprint minimal
Installation/seams - DIY installation possible / Seams are nearly invisible
Granite
Granite is naturally resistant to stains, heat and scratches, making it a popular choice for kitchens. When properly sealed, it’s stain- and bacteria-resistant, meaning it’s the ideal surface for food prep.
Price - $$$$
Maintenance - Requires annual sealing, susceptible to fractures, may be difficult to repair
Heat + Heat resistant
Scratches + Scratch resistant
Stains + Stain resistant
Eco-friendly - Mining, cutting, and transporting the stone uses extensive resources and fossil fuel
Installation/seams - Has to be installed by professionals / Seams are visible
Laminate
Laminate countertops stylish and affordable option, easy to update. Plus, there are so many patterns and colors to match your home decor. You can even get laminate that looks like natural stone.
Price - $
Maintenance + Easy to maintain
Heat - Susceptible to burns
Scratches + Scratch resistant
Stains + Stain resistant
Eco-friendly - Materials are not environmentally friendly but can be recycable
Installation/seams - DIY installation possible / Seams are visible
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