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Original poster

Kitchen worktop - granite or other?

20 replies

NotGoodNotBad · 28/02/2013 21:00

Advice needed please!

We have a small, cold kitchen. Cooking only, too small to sit in with a friend and a glass of wine, so none of that "heart of the kitchen" and showing off your gadgets rubbish.

Kitchen is getting redone and I can't decide on worktops. We have wood and I said I didn't want wood again due to the mould round the sink - not as bad as some I've seen, but it would be nice to try something else. Can't have off-the-shelf laminate due to needing custom shapes. We have ruled out composites, quartz and most granite due to cost, so it was looking like wood again.

However, we have now found a local granite fitter with a much better price on the cheaper granites.

So, we have, for supply and fit:

wood - probably around £500
cheap granite - around £1800
composites - £2000-3500
expensive granite/quartz - £3200 upwards

Is it worth the extra? Will it make my cold kitchen feel even colder? Will I get condensation on it? Is it noisy? Will I break all my dishes on it (I am very clumsy!) Is it horribly ecologically unsound?

OP posts:

hermioneweasley · 28/02/2013 21:02

I love my granite as it's zero maintenance. Wn't make the kitchen colder ando don't get any condensation on it.

wiltingfast · 28/02/2013 21:10

My mum has granite and while it is beautiful it is ultimately cold cold stone. She doesn't get any condensation on it, not sure why that might be a problem?! Hers is v black and a bit of a pain as it shows every mark and needs a bit of elbow grease to get it shiny.

I personally not keen on stone as it is cold, esp if you will be eating at the counter but yours sounds like a working kitchen and so prob fine?

Up to you really!

Original poster

NotGoodNotBad · 01/03/2013 07:52

Thanks. Wouldn't have thought about condensation but I've seen people mention it as a negative in blogs etc., i.e. condensation under mugs etc. rather than random condensation.

Zero maintenance sounds good though...

"Up to you really!" Can't decide! If cost were no object I think I'd have one of the composites, but I really can't justify spending around 3k on a worktop.

OP posts:

Original poster

NotGoodNotBad · 01/03/2013 07:57

Actually, choosing anything in a kitchen is problematic. I'm starting to think I'll just put in a beaten earth floor, have a little open fire in one corner, and crouch in front of it with my single big pan and single wooden spoon.

OP posts:

staverton · 01/03/2013 08:07

Where are you based? I know a great granite place near Oxford/reading that does quartz cheaply as well. No need to get the expensive quartz/ granite the cheaper stuff is the same product just less marketing.
I love quartz but I don't like the speckly effect of granite.

Original poster

NotGoodNotBad · 01/03/2013 08:18

Scotland...

If I get something that's not wood I want a local supplier really, who will come out, measure up, assess any problems (e.g. weight of worktop), supply and fit. I would be terrified to order something from the internet that I'd measured myself, then find I'd spent 2k on the wrong thing!

OP posts:

DorsetLass · 01/03/2013 08:22

Got wood and although it looks beautiful I would have had granite if we could afford it - go for a lighter colour if you're worried about small space. Wood does require maintenance - not had mould problem with sink though - am a bit OCD about oiling it around sink though.

Original poster

NotGoodNotBad · 01/03/2013 08:57

"go for a lighter colour if you're worried about small space"

I fancied the white ones - had one of these priced up at 3600!!! while a darker one came in at 1800. They were cagey about prices though, none on display. I said I wanted a cheap one and they kept saying, "Well which do you like?" I said, "I like them all, which are the some cheap ones!"

I'm not so worried about the kitchen looking small, it's just that we won't be sitting in there admiring it IYSWIM.

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claracluck71 · 01/03/2013 09:02

What about recycled glass worktops? I've been looking round trying to make up my mind too - although I'm choosing for a house we haven't even moved in to yet!

Original poster

NotGoodNotBad · 01/03/2013 09:20

Recycled glass look lovely but I've only seen them online.

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Mrsladybirdface · 01/03/2013 11:06

What about maia? It's a posh laminate, I was quite taken with it, would be about the same as wood and can be custom made

staverton · 01/03/2013 11:35

Look at lunastone and unistone which is composite quartz. Looks the same, and is the same, as silestone but half the price.
Our big kitchen - 5 m of worktop- was £2000.
We've got white which is lovely. You need barkeepers friend or astonish paste to get rid of marks left by coffee cups etc.

Original poster

NotGoodNotBad · 01/03/2013 12:29

We looked at Maia in John Lewis. I rather liked it, but materials alone came in at around £2000 - so much more expensive - and they wouldn't fit it, only supply, I think they only do whole kitchens - as I said, if it's something custom made I want someone else to measure, supply and fit. I think the fitting is more difficult than a normal laminate too, so if we picked a random fitter and they did a poor job it would be gutting after all that money. I found it a bit cheaper on the internet but we'd still have the measure/fit problem.

Haven't seen lunastone or unistone - there are so many! Most (silestone etc.) seem to be a lot more, as you say staverton - we also need around 5m.

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Original poster

NotGoodNotBad · 01/03/2013 12:37

We saw Apollo somewhere too (similar to Maia) and thought that would be the answer. But, again, the shop where we saw it wouldn't do worktops only. Can't afford a kitchen from that shop unless we save for the next 20 years!

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annalouiseh · 01/03/2013 12:38

Silestone is only more due to branding and the antibac built into, not needed on a none porous top.
Maia you will need a great fitter but it does scratch and mark easy.
other more cost effective quartz are cimstone and technistone.
The thing about quartz and granite that make it expensive is not the material.
Its more the, labour time, sink cuts, drainer grooves & polished edges etc
20mm will also work out a little less

Original poster

NotGoodNotBad · 01/03/2013 12:49

"Maia you will need a great fitter but it does scratch and mark easy"

See that's another thing - when you start looking into these worktops, you find that after spendign 2k+ it isn't as hardwearing as you might think. In fact, the Apollo website says not to use dark colours in high traffic areas. One of them (think it was Apollo or Maia, but can't find the page now) said if you pick a dark colour you have to sign a disclaimer. Doesn't really inspire confidence!

Will have a look for the others - could go back to the granite supplier actually, they had a few other things in stock but we didn't get prices. I will need to put the thumbscrews on them and get them to tell us the price of everything on show!

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annalouiseh · 01/03/2013 12:55

It shouldnt cost 2k for maia depending where you get it.
but its the same core as a laminate with an acrylic overlay 3mm or something.
same material as corian, also sold with a repair kit (smile)
My dh doesn't rec them but if a customer is adamant he would want a disclaimer also.
Look on moneysavingexpert, loads on there about these tops

Original poster

NotGoodNotBad · 01/03/2013 18:55

annalouiseh, I think John Lewis said about 1800 for the worktop (maybe including cutouts, can't remember), another 200 or so for jointing compounds, and another 400 if we wanted upstands. I found it a bit cheaper online but like I said, I don't really want to buy online.

Is your DH a fitter then? What does he recommend?

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Original poster

NotGoodNotBad · 01/03/2013 21:47

Hmm, just said to DH, "I'm leaning towards the granite." He just said, "OK."

Strange, when a couple of days ago, he said, "Do we really want to pay so much extra not to have mouldy bits round the sink."

(I'm thinking it's because he wants to buy a violin for DD that I don't think is necessary and maybe some toys for himself. )

OP posts:

annalouiseh · 01/03/2013 21:54

No hes' not a fitter, although can. Hes been in the industry over 10yrs.
Depending on your budget and style of kitchen you are going for, quartz is the most durable available but there are a few places supplying china quartz and giving it there own name, there not to the standards of the Spanish, European stuff we have but is still good

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