Kitchen work tops and sinks

[patstar]

So planning a kitchen extension and stuck on what sink and worktops to go for - any advice out there.
Are those dark resin sinks easy to clean - do they show up lime scale??
Is a granite work top easy to keep clean.
Would you have an oak/birch work top near hob??

Any advice welcome

Just did our kitchen a few months ago!

Worktops:
Granite maintenance and cleaning depends on what you get. I had polished dark granite in my last house and will never have it again as it always looked dirty! You could see every little wipe mark and crumb. I have a friend with the leathered effect stuff though and she loves it as the finish is more forgiving. Says it’s easy to clean even though it’s not a smooth surface. The light/white granite is pretty but it’s pourus (read: will stain with, say, red wine) and more brittle than the dark which makes it a lot less practical for family life. We’re loving our quartz worktop as it’s non-porous and super strong and soooo easy to keep clean. It’s white with grey veining like marble and hides everything. The main quibble I have with it is that it theoretically can scorch (unlike granite). I haven’t tested the limits of mine though (obviously), I just use racks/pot holders/etc underneath anything fresh out of the oven. Other good options to look into could be other engineered materials like the ceramic surfaces or things like Caesarstone and Silestone.

In terms of sinks, I am on my second house with composite granite sinks and thoroughly recommend them. Absolutely brilliant for durability, not quite as unforgiving as porcelain, super easy to keep looking smart, no lime scale buildup. So much easier to keep looking nice than a farmhouse sink or stainless, both of which I’ve lived with and had to keep clean.

I’ve never had a butcher block worktop myself (though I think they’re beautiful!), but from friends who have have had them, I know they require some maintenance. They need to be treated and occasionally refinished, can stain and scorch, and if you have an undermount sink, the wood around the edge can begin to rot with constant water exposure.

Thank you so much Linguaphile.

Your advice has really helped - I will show this thread to my husband later - enjoy your new kitchen

I have black granite and it's fantastic, I can't understand those who have problems with it. I can only assume they used the wrong products. I use method daily granite cleaner, and it's always shiny and finger print free. Just spray on, wipe off, job done.

I'd have it again in a heart beat.

Thanks Blunt

I have white quartz with silver speckly bits and it's super easy to clean. I do know what the PP was talking about with black. I had plain black quartz and it stained like an absolute bastard. Literally every single watermark showed up. I finally discovered Lakeland's Worktop Wonder which was a godsend and the only thing I found to keep them looking clean and sparkly. So my advice would be to avoid plain black - if it's patterned it would probably be ok.