Best budget worktop

[Thingsthatgo]

We are doing a largish kitchen on a budget. We have bought secondhand solid oak cupboards, which are gorgeous. With cast iron hardware. It has a ‘country kitchen’ vibe. We don’t want wood worktops.
What would you recommend for worktops? It’s been such a long time since I bought a kitchen, I don’t know the best options. I am imagining a dark grey/black probably, but option to suggestions. Is laminate better than it used to be? Are there composites now that are any good? I’d like something hardwearing and easy to maintain.

I honestly think for ease you can't beat laminate. We have black granite style laminate in our kitchen, its been there for 10-12 years and had hot pans and food chopped on it and there's barely a mark on it (and the dark colour disguises the occasional mark really well).
I love the cold feel of real granite, but other than that I really can't see any other benefit.
We are installing a new kitchen in the next few months and are going for real wood this time, but did consider laminate again as it's lasted so well in our current kitchen. If you're on a budget there really isnt a better option.
Lucky you finding second hand oak cupboards to fit, sounds like you'll have a fantastic kitchen for a fraction of the price!

I agree that laminate is excellent, at least the good quality ones are.

There's a bit of snobbery about laminate I think, but that doesn't bother me!

we have duropal laminate and its been there just over 12 months now and looks like it did when it was put in, cleans very easily i just spray and wipe it and have a couple of glass worktop protectors for hot pan spots is hard wearing and cost was £142 a length of 3 metres so very economical

Laminate

It looks nice, is very cheap and is totally indestructible if you get one of the upper end laminates

They even come in slim and square profiles now so look more modern

Another vote for Duropal. Ex husband still lives in the marital home where we fitted them over 25 years ago. They are pristine aside from a small chip where I dropped the blade from an electric slicer.

Depends on your budget but with that style I’d go for reclaimed quartz / quartze offcuts or polished cement.

Thank you all! I shall go and check out some Laminate. It seems fairly unanimous.