White work tops - Corian or Silestone?

[ClaudiaNaughton]

Can’t decide. Has anyone done either? Is the cost pretty similar?

I've got white Corian worktop and sink which I've inherited in my new (to me) house. Having read various horror stories I was prepared to find it a nightmare. But actually it's really easy to look after and it also looks amazing. Kitchen is white Corian worktops and black gloss units with a limestone floor. So pretty neutral. It's been really great to put my own stamp on it with lots of various coloured Le Creuset and other bits and pieces. I understand it's pretty expensive but it does look lovely. Sorry I can't do the comparison with Silestone for you, but hope this insight is a bit of help.

I've seen Corian crack, and be stained by tea.

Some people say they've never seen that.

I personally much prefer quartz, Corian always looks very plasticky to me and I think it costs more than Silestone, however it is seamless and it can be repaired if you chip it.

If you're looking at Silestone, also look at Lunastone. Much cheaper and almost identical (I couldn't tell the difference when I went to the showrooms).

We bought our Lunastone direct from the manufacturer:
www.quartzworktopsdirect.com/

Thank you all most interesting. I thought Corian was supposed to be really tough. Will check out Lunastone too.

I used to have white corian and it was super tough (certainly never seen it crack) but PP is right about tea stains, I went mad at DM when she left tea bags on the side! I changed my kitchen last year and now have quartz which I much prefer (far easier to clean although it isn't seamless which I quite liked).

roses2 thanks I’ve just ordered a Lunastone sample.

I have a quartz worktop in the kitchen it has been there for 15 years it is still perfect no stain worries etc

Recently I had work done in my futility room and had a corian worktop it is a very plasticky feel, it is easily marked and I have to be careful where I put the iron when waiting fo it cool down.

Good quality quartz is definitely the way to go.

We had Corian previously and something about it never felt quite clean. Have quartz now and it's great. Avoid any of the big brands of quartz as you pay for the name. Our initial quote for a big brand was £7.5 k so we shopped around local stockists and paid £3.5k for equally good product just less well known.

Ok Corian off the list!

I love my corian
I have stainless steel sink bottoms, to prevent staining and to protect from boiling water tap

Tea stains and all other stains i have encountered come off corian using bar keepers friend powder

I have white silestone and it can stain, weirdly redbush tea seems to stain if left, it can be wiped away so it's barely noticeable but I know it's there if you really look! I'm planning to bar keepers friend it at some point but read that it does damage the surface so I'm waiting until it all looks more shabby in a few years.

Also found that lily stamens badly stained it and I had to bleach those areas.

We’ve got white Corian, it was already here when we moved in, so not a choice we made.
I thought it was going to be high effort to keep white, but it’s really easy. Any stains come off straight away with barkeepers friend, and it’s less hard, cold and noisy than quartz etc.