Granite - if someone else is paying, and if the units underneath it are sturdy enough for me not to worry about the weight being too much.
What would your ideal kitchen top be made of - and why?
Someone said granite is hard to keep clean (really?)
Someone else said Corian got a stain from red wine (really?)
What is the best surface if you are lazy/forget the chopping board and slice your carrots directly on the surface?
Any other thoughts appreciated.....
Granite - if someone else is paying, and if the units underneath it are sturdy enough for me not to worry about the weight being too much.
I really like my Corian-type worktops - but they have been chipped & scratched a couple of times when we've dropped a glass on them. They do look lovely, though.
My builder has a concrete kitchen worktop. I quite like the idea of that and am going to look into having them next time I change the kitchen work tops in my house.
The builder who came to quote for our extension warned us off wood and granite worktops as being easy to damage and expensive. Corian is just plain expensive (although Wickes do a copycat product apparently that is much cheaper). He recommended the best quality laminate (we haven't made any decision yet though)
My sister had black Granite, with a hint of sparkle, which looked absolutely beautiful in her last house but it does have its drawbacks.
Apart from costing the earth, it's prone to scratching, you can't use everyday cleaning products on it, it needs special treatments every now and then and its shows every smear, so unless you don't mind being a slave to cleaning or you don't care what it looks like after a month, I'd stay clear.
I've got a good quality laminate, which I've had for a long time now and its served me very well!
The worst worktop I ever had, was when tiles were in fashion. What a stupid idea that was!
p.s. JiveLad, if this is for you place in Spain, then granite is a totally different ball game, its fairly cheap over there and there's lots of company's to choose from
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I agonised on this for ages, in the end i got a cheap B&Q Laminate, on the basis that when it does get damaged, its cheap to replace
I am looking at replacing a section with teak, for veg prep
You don't have to have the whole kitchen with same material
Hi JiveLad
I have spoken with a client who has been in the kitchen business many years. His view is;
Corian has the best finish (no joints) but you have to be careful as it has a low heat tolerance.
Granite (dark colours) or Quartz ( can get light colours) are also very smart and as long as you clean it in the right way there is not normaly a problem.
Laminates do the job but don't look as nice.
He felt that wood or concrete would not be good options as they are porous.
As people have said Granite looks amazing (blue pearl has always been my favourite) but is expensive. I've never had a problem with it scratching or any problems personally. Laminate is good too, but it does look like laminate so IMO it looks and feels like a cheaper option.
In the middle cost wise is a wooden worktop. I've had all 3 types (granite, laminate and wood) and we now have a solid oak worktop and I'm really impressed with it. You have to prepare it by oiling it a number of times and rub it down inbetween coats, but it looks beautiful and is suprisingly hard wearing and durable as the oil makes it waterproof. Ours has been in for 4 years now and it still looks as good as the day we put it in. I would never cut directly on it and you need to use a trivet to place hot pans on (our have a trivet area routed into the surface with stainless bars) so if you are prone to doing those things then it's not for you.
The other advantage of wood is that if you do scratch it you can simply rub it down and re-oil.
Another consideration is aesthetics. I personally feel that the work top and kitchen floor should match. So I've always had a granite top with a granite tiled floor, a wood top with a wooden floor and a laminate top with laminate or good quality lino or Amtico floor. Wood floors and worktops look and 'feel' warmer, less clinical and more homely but can also look contemporary too depending on the choice of units and decoration..
Finally, as everyone knows, when you are selling a house the kitchen is a key area that people look at it, so IMO it's worth spending money on - so it maybe that your budget ultimately decides which option you go for.
My sister's gone for wood in her barn and loves it...
...but
I don't necessarily agree with that!Another consideration is aesthetics. I personally feel that the work top and kitchen floor should match.
They have a stone floor (underfloor heated) and the walls are either beamed or brick and I think it compliments it perfectly!
Pic from xmas, so excuse the fancydress!
MODERATOR AT YOUR SERVICE
"If you're going to do something tonight, that you know you'll be sorry for in the morning, plan a lie in." Lorraine
Thanks everyone for sharing your thoughts and experiences - much appreciated.
Mind you, it's not that easy - and now I have visions of being in a pub talking about it with you lot - and it ending up like this................
Anyway.........at the moment concrete is riding up the charts chasing a 'granite with a wood inset' option at the top.
Interestingly I spotted Jamie Oliver with his all wood top - and chopping directly on it
Ok - next debate is hobs: is induction a no-brainer?
We've got a solid oak worktop. OK, you have to remember to use trivets etc but that's not that difficult. Cleaning/maintenance is no hassle and any marks can be sanded out and reoiled.
Modern laminates can be of lesser quality than the old ones - friends of mine ruined there's within a week of it being fitted due to it not being as scratch/heat resistant as their previous one.
However, if I had the choice again (and stronger base units) I would have gone for oak again but with a granite insert (for pastry )
As for induction hobs - no choice, get one. Having had one installed at home (we've got no gas in this village) I won't ever go back to any other type of hob. As, if not more, responsive than gas and really easy to clean up spills as they don't burn on to the hob. Just make sure you use the right type of pans and be extra vigilant with if you choose to put a roasting tin on top which can melt before your eyes (we won't be doing that again!) You also get the chance to impress (or scare) people by putting your hand on a hot hob
OMG!!
So..........may I ask how you deglaze your roasting tin to make the gravy? Or can you get special induction roasting tins which also work in the oven?
My thinking is induction with 4 'rings' plus a separate gas wok - plus a spare gas ring as well - will see what kitchenman has to say about that in a few hours......
Make sure you don't get one of the stupid cookers where they put the 5th ring in the middle of all four. If you shop around you can get the wok pan on the side as I did, that way you can actually use all 5 hobs when you need to at Xmas or birthdays.
You can do it fine but keep a close eye on it.. (we noticed in time that our cheap student roasting pan was glowing a bit too red but saved it in time - our friends managed to melt a wok that wasn't induction compatible onto theirs - doh!)
I'm not sure whether you can get induction compatible pans - we just deglaze and put the juices in a saucepan to make the gravy
And yes, as philsmove rightly asks, when are we all coming for dinner?
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