Tell me about your kitchen worktops please

[Charlie01234]

We are getting a new kitchen - Howdens, Burford Grey, High Gloss. I really want solid Oak worktops but everyone keeps trying to put me off saying that they are really difficult to look after.
If you have them, please be honest - do you love them? How hard are they to maintain? Do you stress about them getting ruined by water, stains, hot pans etc? Would you chose them again?
If you wouldnt have real wood worktops, tell me what I should have instead ....... thanks!

[Creamycoolerwithcream]

In my last house I had howden cream Burford units with the chopping trays and baskets etc and solid oak worktops. Yes they were hard work. I couldn't put anything on it umless it was on a mat or chopping board. So know i wouldnt pick oak again, although they looked lovel. In my new house I have granite which is fab. Really shiny and I can put anything on it.
I was however very happy with the Howden kitchen.

[PartyConfused]

I wanted wood when we put our new kitchen in last year, but I too was put off. We went with quartz in the end and it is brilliant.

A friend has a laminate wood top and tbh it looks brilliant and loads cheaper. You can get them with a nice chunky straight edge iyswim.

Or go for granite etc round the sink and wood elsewhere?

[Charlie01234]

Thanks for your replies - The thing I like about the oak is it softens the grey units. I want a homely kitchen and dont want it looking too clinical (I think thats why I dont want granite because I think of the black shiny granite and think it would be too industrial looking) What colour is your granite Creamy? Is Quartz really expensive Party? Might have to go and look at a few options ......

[Creamycoolerwithcream]

It's called Baltic Brown. It's brown with bits in it, very warm and classy looking but I don't think it would go with grey. Try googling granite and see what options there are. I really love it and it's so easy to look after, we have cream shiny units framed with oak. My neighbour has white units with black granite and it dies look a bit cold for my taste.

[MrsJamin]

How about iroko wood? Seems more hardy than oak, but it's a deeper brown colour. That's what i am considering with more modern units to soften the look a bit.

[dontcallmemam]

I've got Iroko & it's fairly trashed; black lines where wet cans have sat, marks from pan lids, dark lines near the sink. But, to be far, I'm very lax at oiling it regularly.
I've also got granite (dark & dated now) which looks brand new 10 years later.
In my next kitchen I'm having a whitish quartz.

[Charlie01234]

Is quartz more expensive than granite/oak dontcallme?

[dontcallmemam]

I think it's about the same as granite.

[Charlie01234]

Thanks - Need to do some more research I think!

[Charlie01234]

We looked at Iroko wood MrsJ but it was much more expensive than the Oak! AArrrgh, really dont want laminate but have 3 messy careless boys living here who wont use boards and mats!!

[PanicMode]

We were put off having wood when we had our kitchen done last year - it looks lovely but needs a lot of maintenance. We have pale blue-grey units and a sparkly quartz in a slightly 'whiter' grey and it looks great, is so easy to maintain and I'm so glad we were talked out of wood.

[InsertUsernameHere]

Have had two kitchens with wooden worktops (installed before we bought) - trashed both of the round the sink. Having silestone installed shortly. If you are desperate for wood - maybe just have a wee bit of quartz or granite round the sink.

[HandMini]

We've got oak and although it is some work (oiling / waxing / sanding stains every six months) I think it's more than worth it for the look, feel and warmth. We don't have a huge work top area.

[MissCardew]

We have bamboo worktops - we inherited them with the house and neither of us realised they needed to be treated. After a few years they are pretty ruined - lots of black areas from water and lots of fading/rings from hot pans. It wouldn't necessarily put me off getting wooden worktops again but I would definitely research how to look after them properly first!

[SoulJacker]

We have oak, persuaded by the OH as initially I was worried about the maintenance. We've re-treated once after 2 years and they look as good as when we bought them. Turned out to be no hassle at all and with slate floor and white units the wooden worktops really warm the room.

I'd never put hot pans or cut directly on any worktop so those considerations were never an issue.

Correct treatment at the start makes a world of difference though, we had a rental house where the wooden worktops were really badly marked but I don't think they had ever been treated properly initially.

[ThoughSheBeButLittle]

We had beech in our last place and it was very sturdy and hardwearing. I did oil it every 6m and was careful about wiping spills though.

This time I'm having posh laminate as my boys are older now and will be using the kitchen to gets drinks and things soon. I didn't think they'd be quite so caring of the worktops and just don't want to babysit the kitchen all the time.

[Charlie01234]

Thanks for all your replies. That's how I feel thoughshe - don't want to be grump and always policeing the kitchen. Think I'm gonna research warmer looking granites and quartz. Can't afford to get this wrong.

[Ilovebagsandbruuuce]

We have Silestone, definitely worth a google and LOADS of different colours to choose from. Its hard and shiny like granite but not porus. Also the colour is more 'uniform' - great if you dont like the pattern of granite so much. £ about the same as granite.

[Charlie01234]

I'll google it thanks ilovebags

[Elizadoesdolittle]

I had my new kitchen installed in 2011, we have cream gloss with wooden work tops. I love them. We are moving next week and the house we are moving to needs a new kitchen. I would go for wooden again. I don't like dark work surfaces as it's open planned and I think light work tops make the room seem warmer and brighter. I haven't found a light coloured quartz or granite that I like so I think I'll get wooden again.
What I would do differently though is get a bigger sink, or at least a bigger drainage area around the sink as we do have black bits round it. It's not a hard task to sand and oil it every 6 months (although we've probably only done it once a year) but I'd buy a small electric sander as that will make it a lot easier.
My wooden tops still look good but then it's not that old. I do wonder what it will look like in 20 yrs time, but would any work surface look good that far on?
I've never heard of silestone so I'll take a peak at that.

[dimsum123]

I've got vanilla quartz. It's gorgeous and very easy to clean. Only had it for 3 months but looks perfect.

[Theironfistofarkus]

Someone here recommended Maia, a high end laminate. Have samples which look good!

[Charlie01234]

Thanks everyone - still undecided. Will check out Maia too. Really really want oak though ..... Wish you'd all said it was marvellous and SO easy to look after!

[Purpleknickers]

Bit late to this thread but I recently had maia installed and they are beautiful, the added bonus is if you are unlucky enough to mark them they can be sanded back to perfect. I haven't marked mine but one got knocked during install and you would never know once it was sanded

[LottieTee]

We have Silestone too. Cheaper than granite, but still pretty hardy.