If you were having a new worktop, what would you choose?

[CoolShoeshine]

I’m struggling to decide upon a new stone worktop for my kitchen (painted grey shaker). My thought are:
Black granite - suits most types of kitchen and always looks nice but might make the room look dark, been around for years, have heard it shows smears.
White quartz/Corian etc - looks lovely and seems really popular at the moment but to me it looks quite cold.
Cream/beige - lols nice from the samples but on photos looks a bit meh. No wow factor?
Grey - also looks cold and bit dark
Please help me choose!

Not black granite. Looks beautiful when new and pristine, but immediately it gets water on it, it looks dreadful.

We’ve got white quartz with a few sparkly bits. I don’t think it looks cold and I love it.

Would also go with white, black would be to dark and cream is just horrendous

Why is cream horrendous? Honest question as I am looking at work tops. My cooker and fridge are cream, units are a warm off white. I was thinking of a creamy white for the work tops but does it look awful?

I've had quartz (cream and white)and white corian, which I love. I would have either again. Had black granite in a rental once, could never get it clean

My sister has black granite and also black tiles on the floor - both a horror to keep clean.

I have a grey quartz I have had it two years now no regrets.

I’d go for grey granite or quartz. Black granite bit of a nightmare to keep smear free. I’m just not a fan of white but I know that puts me at adds with most of the rest of the universe.

I have cream silestone and it's lovely, stainproof (DH has tried his best with turmeric, beetroot and black currents - he is not a tidy cook!) and 5years on looks brand new. It's got a bit of a fleck in it so it's not completely plain and goes with my kitchen very well.
I would have it again.
I would not have black granite or brown marble again as both were too dark and marked with lemon juice (DH cooking again) and had to be polished clean although they were both nice new.

Get neolith. Seriously. It’s The Bomb.

Not a plain black granite but there are amazing differences in the rocks out there. Aim for a granite that has different rock colours like cosmic black or Stromboli but with the white and silvers rather than golds. I went to several yards and just looked at the pieces of stone until I found my match.

I had black granite, one with brown and gold flecks inside. It was always shiny, didn't smear and didn't show dirt or marks.
I also had a plain black granite floor and never again. It showed every mark and smear.

So plain black is a no but there are loads of different black granites with different colours inside.

I'd go for off white and white, the grey ones are nice and there some nice blue grey ones.

I would not get the darker cream shades as they often look dingy.
Off white yes but dark cream no.

I`ve just finished cleaning a black floor again!! Would love to replace it. Ditto black granite work tops which friends had and will never repeat. I would go for a light colour.

I do wonder what will happen to all this granite as kitchens are replaced, will there be a second hand market for grave stones?

This is helpful, thank you. I’ve now killed off any remaining thoughts about black granite.
Also anything too white. Leaning towards off white/light cream if such a shade exists! How do people decide these things, it’s so expensive I’m scared of making a mistake!

Wood?

I am in the same boat, terrified of a mistake. If you find that colour let me know!

I have also been looking at Ceasarstone. They have a visualizer thing on the website.

Am just in the process of ripping out black granite and replacing with white quartz, can’t wait, years of wiping, buffing only to have dust speckles and grubby finger marks appear almost instantly gone. Am sure someone will be along to tell me the downside of white quartz but it can’t be worse than black granite.

Someone please correct me if I’m wrong but I think it’s a little bit more of a roulette with granite than quartz as granite is a natural stone and therefore you either have to accept that your slab may not look exactly like a sample, or spend time visiting different suppliers and choosing a specific slab. I was constrained by budget so took a gamble with sample and the whole slab itself isn’t quite what I imagined. I can live with it though (and would have to anyway!)

Quartz is man made I think so can be made to specific, er, specifications. More expensive than granite though and the cheaper quartzes in my budget didn’t float my boat.

I’d definitely go for a bit of a contrast between your unit colour and worktop though, or it could look a bit porridgey.

I have black granite with flecks in our holiday home and it’s perfectly ok. I now find it dark and wish I’d had a lighter silestone.

At home I have grey/white flecked (pix on kitchen island thread) with a mix of white and grey units.

I have wood in a flat anc it’s too high maintenance for me. I would never have again it but it was there when we bought the flat!

Stone, composite or Corian are best.

We had a quartz worktop fitted today in our new kitchen.

I've got white corian, had it 4 years and would have it again.

Mrscee - your worktop looks lovely. What’s that one called?

Mrscee, what colour are your cupboards? Lovely grey

There are also glass worktops (painted from underneath) and ones made of terrazzo. I'm getting more indecisive as I do more research.

What shade of grey are your units going to be OP?
If you could post a pic from makers website it might help visualise

We have granite with light and dark colours and love it

We have quartz - silestone lagoon, a sort of marble effect, beautiful. Have had it for 2 years now and looks as good as on day 1. I’d recommend it in a heartbeat!