Howdens cream gloss kitchen - Alternatives to solid oak worktop

[milkyman]

we are buying a cream gloss kitchen. the solid oak worktop looks the best but we are worried about maintenance? are there any alternatives?

We got grey gloss with oak worktop. I was worried about maintenance but I got a few boards and a worktop saver and its been fine. I always wipe up spills and keep it quite clean but it's worth it cos they look so nice.

We have the cream gloss kitchen with black/greeny/grey luminescent worktop (essentially black) in formica (from Howdens) and although it looks good and is very hardwearing, I wish we had had the solid oak worktop which we had in our old kitchen despite the lack of heatproofing. I miss that warm shabby glow! Black looks smart but it is always a bit lifeless perhaps? We choose black because it went with our range cooker top. We have a limed oak finish floor (warm greyish white) Our kitchen faces east. Creamy shiny brick tiles with a red line of tiles through them and a splashback behind cooker with patterned Iznik tiles.

We have the cream gloss unitsbwith a black marbled laminate worktop, and dark grey tiles. We lighten the look with oak coloured (laminate) flooring, otherwise it may have looked harsh. I don't LOVE it but it looks pretty good, and is very practical.

I had cream gloss units in a previous house with oak effect laminate worktops and everyone thought it was real wood.
I now have real oak worktops and the maintenance isn't as bad as you'd think. A coat of wax oil once a year and a bit more care when cooking/washing up is all it takes.

I would just go for oak! I think with shiny cabinets you don't necessarily need shiny worktops. And black, although smart, makes it look more industrial and less furniture like. We had a lot of wooden surfaces in our room as well as the formica (which was quite a small area) - I certainly think any more worktops in black would have been a bit overpowering and too fitted looking.

The cream gloss btw is wonderful, always fresh and light and no problems with streaks or smears. Very glad not to have matt or distressed finish.

Cream/gold granite