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Original poster

The best kitchen worktop

31 replies

agnesrose86 · 12/02/2015 10:39

Can you tell me what is the best kitchen worktop for busy family life? I would love something very pale or white but is this madness with 3 little boys? Also thinking about wood but worried about the up keep, stains and water damage. Would love to hear if anyone has something totally beautiful but bomb proof.

OP posts:

mabelbabel · 12/02/2015 10:48

Quartz. Pricey but nice. We have pale grey Silestone, and I'd say it's pretty bombproof. Doesn't stain, doesn't scratch. Needs a bit of a polish with a microfibre cloth occassionally and it's good as new.
Get some samples and try to destroy them!
Alternatively (and for less £) a good laminate worktop would work.
Wood - I've never seen a pale wood worktop - the oiling tends to make them dark. Once they are properly seasoned they are relatively robust, but IME easy for them to go black round the sink area, and may not be ideal with kids using the kitchen.

janesaysl · 12/02/2015 10:49

Watching with interest, we're just looking at kitchens too. There was a thread recently recommending matt effect units. I'm thinking those with some sort of cream, light worktop hmmm

limesoda · 12/02/2015 10:50

Based on what you are saying, I wouldn't go for wood. Its not the total disaster that some would have you believe, but it does water stain, especially around taps. I think it looks amazing when new, and then amazing when it is properly old and beaten up, but there is a lot of in-between where it just looks grubby.

When we replace our kitchen in this renovation project (also our forever house) I'll probably go for some kind of granite/quartz/composite type worktop. Unfortunately there is no one definitive answer to what is 'best' so I'll probably go with whatever we can buy and have fitted locally at a reasonable rate.

LovingTheSunshine · 12/02/2015 10:56

Following. Are there any worktops that don't streak? We currently have laminate which is a PITA for streaking & has to be buffed with a micro cloth to look nice. What about brown/beige granite?

VeryPunny · 12/02/2015 11:33

To be honest, the best bang for buck is laminate (although it would never occur to me not to use a trivet, or chop on it). Loads of options and cheap. Our old laminate was trivial to clean and never stained or streaked.

That said, our new kitchen has quartz, 'cos I got a bit snobby about laminate!

Original poster

agnesrose86 · 12/02/2015 11:38

I really love the look of silestone - does it really not stain?

Has any one got stone work tops from ikea? Was wondering what the quality was like.

Obviously the cheaper the better but I do want something that will last.

OP posts:

Meltingbutter · 12/02/2015 12:17

Milestone really doesn't stain.
I had a sample and left spots of coffee, tomato & olive oil, lemon juice, red wine and turmeric on for 48hours.
Most of it came off with an e cloth and the last bit came off with cream Cif.

Mine's very pale grey & white.

Meltingbutter · 12/02/2015 12:17

Silestone even

MissAMinton · 12/02/2015 12:42

I love my Iroko (work tops direct iirc) I coat it once a year with an oil/wax product that you paint on and it's brilliant.

Water beads on it so I can wipe round easily and even with x3 small children it looks great.

Marmitelover55 · 12/02/2015 12:51

I have ivory fantasy granite which is cream with some amazing grey swirls in it - Even better is that you can't even see when it is dirty/covered in crumbs . The only downside is that I have smashed most of my wine glasses on it as it is so hard.

Apatite1 · 12/02/2015 12:54

Nice marmite! Stick with the tumblers though

White fantasy granite is my forerunner. Do you find granite stains? Can you put a hot pan on it? How's the upkeep?

Marmitelover55 · 12/02/2015 13:03

Thanks apatite We have only had it 6 months but no stains so far. I haven't really dared to put a hot pan on it though...

123rd · 12/02/2015 13:07

I keep eyeing up polished concrete on Pinterest. Looks amazing but I have no idea how practical it would be. Any one got experience of it?

MonkeySeeMonkeyDooo · 12/02/2015 13:08

We've gone for laminate as if in a few years we want to change it it'll cost £600, rather than spending £2k on silestone. Look at Duropal, ours is so similar to silestone, it's not plasticky like some.

Original poster

agnesrose86 · 12/02/2015 13:54

I'm interested in polished concrete too 123. I will certainly get quote for silestone as I think it looks amazing but may well stretch our budget too far.

OP posts:

Original poster

agnesrose86 · 12/02/2015 13:55

I have never heard of Duropal. What is it? Is it widely available?

OP posts:

Original poster

agnesrose86 · 12/02/2015 13:57

Marmite, your kitchen looks lovely. Can I be cheeky and ask how much you spent on your worktops? I think I would need roughly the same quantity if not slightly less.

OP posts:

mandy214 · 12/02/2015 14:30

Duropal is widely recognised as one of the best laminates you can get. If you google it, you will find their website, and then a list of suppliers.

We have a mix of Duropal and quartz. I have duropal (in Wenge - a dark brown which I have to say I was unsure about but which I absolutely love now - no smears / marks / issues) on my "working" worktops and then I have quartz for my island unit (a very, very pale grey). I really love that (am slightly obsessed with it ).

I had wood in my previous house - I wasn't particularly careful with it - had it on worktops and on big island unit and it looked lovely, but it did discolour around the sink and taps.

TalkinPeace · 12/02/2015 14:58

I love my bamboo - pic on my profile.

Marmitelover55 · 12/02/2015 15:56

Thanks. My granite worktops cost £2,500 in total including upstands, templating and fitting.

AesopsMables · 13/02/2015 17:46

Having lived with laminate for the last 14 years I can completely recommend it for both durability and looks. I catch visitors touching it to see if it is granite or not! Saying that we are re-doing our kitchen at long last and have decided on either White North or Mont Blanc by Silestone.

Quartz is very pricey and I would say that if you are intending to stay put for some time in your home then splash out (they are going to carry me out of this place in a coffin) If you are only intending on living there for a few more years though and have 3 young children then do look at laminate as it really is very hard wearing and quite deceptive!

Lemondrizzletwunt · 13/02/2015 17:51

What's Corian like?

lalalonglegs · 13/02/2015 18:48

I've just had stainless steel which is fantastic.

BananaPie · 13/02/2015 18:55

Another vote for duropal laminate here. Practical, looks good and although expensive for laminate is much cheaper than granite etc.

TalkinPeace · 13/02/2015 19:14

lala
how many years have you had it?

Just that I've had my bamboo for 6 years now and still love it.

A client is thinking of ripping out her polished granite after 3 because of the scratches ....

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