What is the best kitchen worktop please?

[GnomeDePlume]

We are planning to replace our kitchen worktops soon. What is the best material?

We cook & preserve regularly so are looking for something which will take the rigours of that. Also the kitchen has a return so will need something which will joint neatly.

Any thoughts gratefully received.

Quartz is pretty indestructible. It's non porous like marble so shouldn't stain. Just keep on top of those fruit spills. Can take heat too.

Agree with pp, I'd go with quartz (not to be confused with quartzite, which is different).

We recently had a new kitchen and went for a Denton worktop. So far I’ve been really impressed - it is heatproof, unlike quartz, and non-porous so only needs a quick wipe down for any liquids.

Thank you very much. Exactly what I wanted to know.

Corian. Molded upstand so no sealant to go mouldy.

Should have written Dekton. Stupid autocorrect.

I have solid oak (not butchers block) and I wouldn’t recommend it as easy to live with. I love it and I don’t regret it, but you do need to wipe up spills fairly quickly. It’s a habit now, so not an issue, but I don’t know how it would cope with regular spills from preserving.

I would be very nervous of wood for fear of it being permanently stained by my first batch of blackberry jam!

Very pleased with our silestone quartz. Seems pretty indestructible and easy to clean.

Worst by a mile was a wooden worktop we had in a rental for 3 years. The amount of oil to maintain it and then you still couldn't put drinks etc on it for fear of leaving marks.

Silestone. We're 5years in and it still is perfect.

Right, definitely avoiding wood. If jam gets splattery (it can when draining fruit for jelly making) the kitchen can look like I have tried to dismember a corpse. It isnt alway possible to stop part way through the process to wipe up.

So non porous is the way to go. Some level of heatproofness is good as when taking large pans out of the oven it isnt always possible to get something under them.

I'd go Dekton over quartz. Quartz can be damaged by heat, and can fade in the sun. Our kitchen has southeast facing bi-folds and veluxes so the latter point was an issue for us.

I got a sample of Dekton and tested it, before putting in my Mother’s new kitchen.

1. left good side down on an Aga hot plate for 30mins - all good, but stickiness on back from label stank 🙂
2. white Dekton left overnight with turmeric and oil, red wine, spag Bol sauce, lemon juice. All wiped away with fairy liquid.
3. Bashing edge with cast iron pan. If you really try hard you can chip it.

So after about a year of my Mother’s abuse, the white Dekton is still pristine. ……unfortunately, this shows up all the spills and splashed on the work fronts

We have lived in many rentaksover the years with wood, marble, Dekton, tile etc.

Hands down - Quartz. Beautiful to the touch, lovely to look at, excellent for baking, very easy to clean, not as needy as marble or wood.

I really love it.

@Witchlight that is impressive testing, I thank and applaud you!

Quartz does sound nice but I would be worried about heat damage especially having seen DS taking the grill pan out and putting it straight down on the counter top last night.

Dekton is starting to look like the winner.

We have granite and it is indestructible so far but I have been careful with lemon juice as have been told it can mark it and it has only been in a year. I m not at all careful with it though and often put hot things down

We have polished sealed granite. Easy to clean. Had pan rests made from the hob cut out that sit at the side of the hob. But I always put hot oven dishes on a wooden board or silicone trivet mat regardless.