What's your kitchen worktop made out of? And do you like it?

[motleymop]

I am sure this subject has been done to death but please humour me!
I am buying a new kitchen and am just do not know what to do about the worktop - every time I run a search I become even more confused about durability and price etc.
It will be a white-ish worktop - what is best - Corian, Quartz, Silestone? Or wot? Obviously I should go with laminate for price but I am not sure I can bear to....
There are also these Bushboard Encore acrylic worktops - anyone got them?

We have laminate and I love it. There is so much choice now, ours has a dead straight profile which makes it look v smart. I was told by that it's the most durable. Granite can mark and chip. Same for corian or silestone. And they need maintaining. Whereas laminate can withstand practically everything. And obviously it's miles cheaper.

Corian
Yes
It is heatproof and cleans up well.

Laminate.

ummed and ahhed for weeks/months over it but am SO glad we got it now -you can put anything on it, it didn't cost more than the rest of the kitchen, and if I hate it in 10 years I can change it, which there's no way I could with slate/granite/corian.

I have granite - it came from the monumental masons down the road (not my doing - the person we bought the house from was very proud of this). I quite like it, but wouldn't have chosen such a dark colour myself.

In the flat we own it is oiled solid oak put in by the developer. It has stained. At home we have granite. Much, much better. Corian or Silestone would be equally as good. Laminates are more prone to wear and tear and can be damaged by hot dishes and water ingress. You need to take more care of them.

Thanks everyone! My last 2 kitchens I was inherited had laminate and I thought they were pretty bombproof however maybe I didn't notice marks too much as the kitchens themselves had seen better days, plus the laminate was fairly dark and had that mottled look. What do the people with laminate think about having a white laminate though
I really love the look of Corian but know zero about it apart from it it is fairly £££

Sorry about the 'I was inherited' bit!! Don't know how that happened.

Silstone is a brand of quartz.

Solid oak and I love it

I have solid oak worktops that I love, still look like new 4 years later so hoping they will.last well. I've had granite in the past and got on well, although a few wine glasses and an oven dish were lost over the years..
If I could afford Corian though I would definitely have it, especially in the lighter colours. It's extremely durable, warmer to the touch and less likely to break crockery/glassware than granite and virtually invisible joins.

There is a great 'Mistral' product that is similar to the Bushboard Encore, but less likely to scratch badly that may be worth looking at too?

Not sure about a white laminate, would worry me about marking. Not based on experience though so may be totally wrong!

Iroko on the main run, I hate it; black circles where wet cans have been left for recycling and definitely duller by the sink from the water. I'm lazy about oiling it though.
Black speckled granite on the island, looks like new but a bit dated now.

I'm moving soon & having a new kitchen. I'd really like this
www.themarblestore.co.uk/Compac/Carrara/717

Granite-yes, but it is black and looking dated now. I wish I'd gone lighter.

Just had gloss laminate installed and love it!

Granite here too, I love it!!

Hi pickles - how do you keep your solid oak looking so good???

We've just had Duropal laminate and it's fab from my pov - easy to clean and am not worried about kids staining it or dropping things on it. Yes, it does look like laminate but I'm really pleased with the way it works with the units and didn't want to spend my life cleaning and oiling!

Calacatta marble. White with grey veins.

New, so don't know about wear yet, but is gorgeous.

Pure white silestone. It's fantastic had it 4 years and looks like new. Can put hot stuff, satiny stuff, whatever on it.

Stainy not satiny.

Oh and I don't know where the info comes from that silestone chips and needs maintaining, not my experience at all. I am supremely clumsy and it is good as new.

Thankfully I can discount Calacatta marble from the equation as am having that in the bathroom. Oh dear, I am none the wiser except I know I want everything I can't really afford! It's an investment right....

Laminate. I love it. Looks good easy to keep clean. My neighbour liked it so much she copied me!

solid beech. Looks fine. Never oiled it (since it was installed). Made a couple of erros of leaving wet tin cans on it which have left a mark but that's fine, I like the lived-in look!

Quartz stuff - pale grey. I love it, because it's indestructible and I'm a total slattern. It does magnetically attract dropped plates/glasses/mugs etc though.

Which is more exensive - quartz, silestone or corian?
Am pleased there are some takers for laminate- maybe it's not so bad