How to choose the best kitchen worktop for you
The best kitchen worktop is one which will be practical, functional and assist the entire look and theme of one's kitchen so it's worthwhile considering what'll look great in your kitchen design early on.
As well as the functional aspect, budget will obviously come into play when selecting the very best kitchen worktop for your space. And with a lot of kitchen worktop materials available on the market it can be a tiny minefield picking the proper one. Kitchen worktops can be quite a real focal point, plus you'll be taking a look at it every day so you'll would like to get it right!
From pocket-friendly laminate to warm, rich wood; from industrial steel to high end marble, we've pulled together the pros and cons of the best KITCHEN WORKTOPS available.
When finding the most effective kitchen worktop for your room it's a good idea to begin by asking yourself a few questions about how exactly you use your kitchen. It'll help you gauge which type of worktop materials to take into account which will complement both how you use your kitchen and the type of it.
How often can you cook and prepare food?
Do you utilize lots of pans when cooking and need a worktop that'll cope with hot pans?
Who uses your kitchen? Can it be a family space? Can you entertain a whole lot?
Do you want easy to wash materials, with little upkeep?
Wooden kitchen worktops do need a lot more looking after (particularly after installation), like, so make maintenance a vital consideration.
And, if you prefer to pop your hot pans straight on your kitchen worktops as opposed to the hob or a trivet you then might go for a temperature resistant, natural material like granite for the kitchen worktop (although care should still be taken in order to avoid thermal shock).
High gloss materials will highlight grubby marks so if you've little hands making their mark around the house know that you may be wiping the top down a reasonable bit.
What're the various kinds of worktop material?
While we haven't listed every single kind of worktop material below, we've highlighted the most common you will discover in modern kitchens, so you possibly can make the best decision on the very best ones to take into account for your kitchen.
Hardwood – Hardwood is really a beautiful kitchen worktop material that's less costly to get than natural stone and some acrylic. You'll find wood worktops in a myriad of striking colours and grain styles, and no two pieces are ever the same. The greatest downside is that natural wood stains and scratches easily. In addition, it requires maintenance at the very least twice a year to help keep it in a good condition.
Laminate – That is the absolute most versatile worktop material, as it can certainly be made to appear like other materials but doesn't cost as much. Laminate can be easy to steadfastly keep up and clean and is antibacterial, as long as it's not badly damaged. The key downside is that the price tag on laminate can vary. The less you spend, the less natural your worktop will look. Moreover, laminate never quite feels just like an all-natural or composite worktop.
Composite/quartz/acrylic – Man-made composite materials are crafted from natural ground minerals that are mixed with resin or acrylic for a durable, non-porous finish. The very best composite and acrylic worktops offer all the charm and unique appearance of natural material minus the maintenance. Acrylic worktops, sometimes called by the manufacturer Fenix or Corian, may not always be as expensive as quartz blends, so can be an improved choice if you're looking to spend less.