Kitchen countertop - which one would you buy again?

[cabbageandbeans]

We are buying a new kitchen and I am really confused about which type of countertop to buy.....

1)Laminate - Have had in the past and I reckon I will chip this easily.

2)Granite - tempted but not black because I reckon I'll have to shine it up ALL the time!

3)Corian - I know very little about this but I was thinking about a light colour and worried about stains, tea etc - on my current light laminate - I always use bleach for stains but have no idea if I can do this with corian.

If I do go for Granite - I guess it would be a lighter colour (maybe oatmeal shade - but have no idea how easy this is to keep looking good. But really don't know because I would like to get a white kitchen (am I crazy with 2 kids?)

I am after low maintenance as REALLY do not want to spend my life trying to make it look bloody perfect!

What have you got and would you buy it again?

Hi, I'm new to Mumsnet and not sure I know how to use it :) Can anyone suggest good quality laminate sparkly white with curved front edge rather than squre. Much appreciate any suggestions.

We inherited a black granite worktop. It is the best thing ever. And doesn't show dirt. Always looks good. Even crumbs blend in! Sometimes I forget to wipe because I don't see the dirt!

We have just had a new kitchen installed and chose Apollo Magna for the worktop, idiots that we are.

Made by a company called Sheridans and sold by Wickes or Benchmarx. Please don't buy it. It is truly awful. Look at it the wrong way and it discolours, scratches etc.

We were going to go with wood but worried about the damp around sink and the fact that we are not conscientious enough to maintain it. Well, it's like the sink God was laughing at us! Worktop and island covered in tea towels and silicone mats. Builder nearly had a breakdown fitting the island part and took it home at the weekend. Was worried he was going to return on Monday with axe marks on it!

Just walk away from it if you ever come across it. Link below:

www.sheridan-uk.com/worktops/apollo-magna/

Hi iggity, very worried by your posts! We've just had Apollo slab tech fitted (can't quite work out the difference between slab tech and Magna other than the thickness?) and are worried at how it will last.
The kitchen fitters found it easy to fit and one said he was tempted to install it in his kitchen. We haven't started using it yet so don't know how it will wear.
Have you complained to Sheridans in light of the warranty?

My kitchen is very ancient but the laminate worktop has never chipped in all that time.
People can be very snobby about laminate now, but if your budget is limited then I think it can be a very good, practical choice.

We put a Howdens wood block laminate into the kitchen of our rental flat and it still looks like new and is undamaged after nearly 4 years of tenants.
Incidentally that kitchen was a cream Howdens and it it looks so nice that if I could BA to change mine, I'd probably choose it again.