What worktop do you have and would you recommend it?

[MerryMarigold]

Only ever had laminate, which has been pretty low maintenance if I'm honest, but thinking of giving something else a go which looks a bit nicer.

Wood - high maintenance
Granite - apparently high maintenance (was shocked! Mum just got one and then bought loads of glass chopping boards to cover it)
Concrete - love it, but too expensive

Stainless steel - anyone got one? Opinions. Does it mark with limescale v easily - can't be buffing it every day
Composites?
Any others I've missed?

I'd actually like to start with the worktop and move onto cabinets that would go with it, as I don't have anything in mind (hey are mostly white, cream or wood - so really the worktop is the piece de resistance, I reckon).

I have sparkly black granite. Looks nice when it is polished & buffed. Probably wouldn't have it again. When I'm tired I want to just spray something & whoosh over with a cloth.
In some ways I miss my old laminate that was really easy to clean.

I have cream Silestone which is a natural product like granite but also has micro-bacterial properties. I've had it for 8+ years and do not take care of it at all and it still looks new. I recently posted a picture of my kitchen on another thread so if you AS you should be able to find it.

Had stainless steel in a rental flat, never again. Impossible to keep mark-free, and stained in a non-cleanable way near drawer handles etc.

We went for laminate last year for practicality but went for a decent one (ultramatt finish from Bushboard) and I love it - no hassle but it looks great IMO.

Wooden - NEVER again. We haven't looked after it as well as we should and it looks awful around the sink.

Corian, love it - really easy to clean. But had black shiny granite before - hated it as it would get terrible lime stains from the water and streaky when you wiped it.

Wood effect laminate. Everyone thinks it's real wood. Love it. (But is only a year old so don't know how it will last.)

Silestone, I love it. I really wanted marble but the kitchen designer dissuaded me so I've got a lookalike.
I had Iroko in my last kitchen & although it was pretty the maintains was a PITA & eventually we got black marks by the sink.

Quartz in a colour called concrete and it looks fab, really easy to clean and no upkeep at all!

Wood: it really isn't allthat high meintenance, as long as you remeber to do it at all and are brave about the amount you sand off, if needed.

We inherited a poorly maintained one (I dream of the perfectly kept one we left at the last house). I sanded it last year and oiled it to keep it going. I have just sanded one side back really hard, it had some staining and a dark scorch mark, I have already and oiled it up and the marks are all gone. It looks like new.

I was physically doing something for about 15 minutes, 3 hours in between 2 thin coats of oil. I will do the other side next week. That will be it for 6 months... then a lighter sand and 1 coat of oil.

It should then only need light sanding oiling 2 -3 times a year forever after.

DM liked stone/granite but kept breaking things, and the granite always looked streaky.

Granite, comes up lovely and shiny when I steam clean it, other than that I don't do anything, and can chop directly on it or put hot pans on it. It's been in 11 years now

SOunds like OP will be a long time deciding... if only here was one surface that was indisputably better than the rest

Wood here. I love the look and feel. The downside is that it needs oiling every 3 months but on the plus side any marks can be sanded off so it looks as good as new. Oiling only takes about 10 mins but need to allow overnight to dry. I am happy to do that to keep it looking good. Have to be careful with hot pans and any tins to avoid marks. Had it for 3.5 years and it still looks lovely.

Wood - I love it and would have it again.

You'll never believe what we have at the moment. It is tiled! Actually tiled, with disgusting grout in between. I can't wait to have something else. There seem to be a few front runners here. Thanks for the heads up on Stainless Steel. Whilst I do love wood, I KNOW I will not oil and sand every 3 months, and my parents' wood was terrible around the sink. Silestone or Corian sounds good or Quartz concrete. Any bad reviews on those?

And maybe will go for laminate again. I had a dark brown leather-look one before which I liked, and love being able to put things straight down on it. Would do something different this time though, maybe a bright colour.

When looking at laminates came across a firm called Duropal. In fact it was a
Duropal w/t on a display kitchen that made me go into the shop.
They will send you samples

I have had 2 previous wooden work surfaces, and just installed a new one in my new kitchen. My top tips are to absolutely soak it with oil to start with- put on a thick layer that takes at least a day to soak in, to treat around the sink with wood hardener to start with, and to consider getting a dark coloured wood. My new surface is American Walnut and I think a few dark marks will hardly be noticeable.