Choosing the right worktop material will be one of the most important decisions you’ll make while planning your kitchen. From durability and resilience to aesthetic style, there are endless elements to consider during the selection process, and it can be confusing.
As the focal point of your kitchen and the embellishment that wraps around every surface, your worktops play a central role, and because of this, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed with the range of materials available. That’s why we’ve narrowed it down to six of our preferred worktop options, highlighting the benefits and considerations of each. Here, you’ll find the perfect material that matches all your style and functionality preferences.
Benefits Of Wooden Worktops
Offering a warm and welcoming feel with easy installation and flexible design qualities, it’s easy to see why timber worktops continually prove to be so popular. With distinctive grains emanating beautiful depth and many choices of colours and thicknesses, there are so many ways it can complement your cabinetry. Constructed with strips of wood called staves, the wooden worktop can easily be cut to fit around any kitchen unit. If you already have wooden kitchen furnishings, a timber worktop is a great way to amplify the colours and textures of your existing design. Wood features time and again in the up-and-coming trends for kitchens in 2023, with warm neutral hues like light oak and soft ash ranking high in the style stakes.
Considerations
Even with its natural anti-bacterial properties, wood is porous and still needs care and maintenance, involving regular sanding and oiling to keep it in good condition. As well as this, protective kitchenware is a necessity as wood is not heat resistant and can be easily marked. In terms of cost, it can vary depending on the type of wood you wish to use, with oak surfaces costing more than pine or beech.
If you have time to look after it, the wooden worktop brings so much to your kitchen space. Suiting both modern and traditional designs, it epitomises rustic beauty with a timeless quality that has been used for centuries.
Benefits Of Composite Stone Worktops
One way to incorporate a natural finish into your kitchen is by selecting a cool and versatile composite stone worktop. Also referred to as Quartz, this man-made material combines a high percentage of stone with resin to form a resilient and stain-resistant solid surface. Customisation is one of the leading attributes of composite stone worktops, as you can choose from a vast range of finishes. With careful man-made veining, the composite stone worktop can replicate a dramatic marbling or granite effect. Even elements such as glass and mirrored chips can be added to the mixture for a speckled sparkly appearance. Innovated with natural fibres and resins, the composite stone is also an eco-friendly option for your kitchen, offering a waterproof and heat-resistant surface that can tolerate day-to-day wear and tear.
Considerations
With so much to offer, there are a few things to consider. Installing a composite stone worktop can take longer, lasting sometimes up to 2 weeks from templating to fabrication and fitting. Furthermore, despite its strength and durability, a composite stone worktop can be sensitive to harsh cleaning chemicals, therefore, it is essential to only use soap and water to clean it. Easy to clean and maintain with its solid surface, the composite stone worktop is a favourable addition to your kitchen.
Benefits Of Acrylic Worktops
One of the defining and unique characteristics of an acrylic worktop is its ability to mould seamlessly around your kitchen design. Creating statement waterfall worktops that wrap around each side of your kitchen island or extending your worktop around your sink area to produce a stylish splashback, are all possible choices when using acrylic. This material can be carefully thermoformed into all the curves and crevasses of your kitchen cabinetry producing an effortlessly soft finish. With its fluid fitting technique, acrylic worktops can be shaped to form breathtaking curves and rounded edges. Similarly, to composite stone, it can effortlessly mimic natural stone with its versatile finishes. Combining one-third acrylic, polymer-based plastic and other natural materials, the acrylic worktop creates a solid surface which is easy to care for, hygienic and long-lasting.
Considerations
The only fault lies with its lack of heat resistance as it will mark if hot kitchenware is left unattended. However, boasting high-quality material and adaptable design properties, it’s clear to see why people have been choosing acrylic since its first appearance in the 1960s.
Benefits Of A Laminate Worktop
Available in a wide variety of patterns, textures, colours and finishes, laminate worktops are a popular and affordable option for your kitchen. There are two kinds of laminate worktops- traditional and compact. Traditional laminate consists of a woodchip base bonded with laminate sheets. Whereas a compact laminate is created with many laminate sheets layered until the desired thickness is achieved. Both types of worktops can adapt aesthetically and practically to any kitchen space. Not only do they boast durable and decorative properties, but laminate worktops are also stain-resistant and easy to care for. With improved graphics, design and durability, laminate worktops are not what they once were, and have made a considerable comeback in recent years. Available in a variety of formats and textures, laminate worktops are no longer outdated or fake-looking, they are a versatile, adaptable and dynamic choice for any culinary area.
Considerations
Unlike the acrylic worktop, the laminate worktop is not as pliable when it comes to fitting and requires some skilled construction to blend conspicuous joins. Laminate worktops like so many other worktop materials are not heat resistant. Trivets should always be used to protect the kitchen surface from any heat damage.
With all the above considered, affordable and versatile, laminate worktops are a dependable option when selecting which material to choose for your kitchen project.
Benefits Of A Natural Granite Worktop
For a showstopping, dramatic impact in your kitchen, natural granite is undeniably the best option. Generated from hardened magma to form beautiful visible crystals and uniquely patterned slabs, natural granite commands the attention of any kitchen space. With its remarkable depth and glossy finishes, natural granite is not only visually stunning it is also practical with durable, scratch-resistant properties. The majestic natural flaws and detailing in the granite slabs are truly one of a kind.
Considerations
With its unique finish and distinctive striking aesthetic, undoubtedly granite is one of the more expensive options for your kitchen worktop. Also, granite needs help maintaining as it is porous and therefore prone to staining and chipping so requires annual sealing.
Regardless of this, natural granite remains unrivalled as a premium worktop material in kitchen design and with its superior strength and beauty it continues to be a desirable statement piece.
Benefits of a Corian® Worktop
Corian® is a brand of engineered stone produced by DuPont. It is made of one-third acrylic resin and two-thirds natural minerals. It is widely known for its durability, sustainability, and low-maintenance properties. Corian® also boasts a non-porous solid surface that unlike granite does not require sealing. It has the superior ability to form around any unit and create soft rounded edges without any visible joins, therefore sinks and splashbacks can be integrated seamlessly into the worktop. Alongside ‘thermoforming’, Corian® is waterproof and offers a clear solution if you want to integrate your sink and drainage area, with its spotless solid surface also preventing the build-up of bacteria. With mottled colour shading, custom colours, patterns, and the ability to mimic worktop favourites such as granite and marble, Corian® is the epitome of versatility and is available in an endless range of colours, effects, and designs. As well as all these properties, Corian® can propel your kitchen into the digital age with its unique wireless charging capability. Hidden from view and stored seamlessly underneath your worktop, you can integrate a transmitter that can charge up your devices as the energy is transferred safely through the Corian® worktop. This process known as ‘induction charging’ is another convenient characteristic of the Corian® worktop.
Considerations
Like so many of the worktops we have mentioned Corian® is not heat resistant and can be prone to scratching. Also, Corian® worktops can be susceptible to dullness and their colours can lack longevity. Furthermore, Corian® is quite a lavish choice for your kitchen and is considerably less kind to your budget compared to other options we have discussed.
With all that being said, Corian ® is a dynamic, robust, and durable worktop that is a solid choice when it comes to picking the perfect surface to meet all your requirements.
Hopefully whilst reviewing these six options, you will come away with some idea of which worktop material will suit your interior best. Understanding all the benefits and drawbacks of each material is crucial whilst planning your kitchen design. From worktops to splashbacks and with a meticulous eye for detail, our advisors at Kitchens InStyle are available to guide you in the decision-making process should you need any help. For more advice, please call our expert designers on 02381 040 013 or email [email protected]