Guide To Kitchen Worktops | More Kitchens
Published: 20 May 2021
One of the standout aspects that will showcase your kitchen's personality and preferred style is your choice of kitchen worktop. But with a range of options, all of which present different features and benefits with regards to levels of maintenance, durability, and cost, it can be difficult to decide which kitchen worktop to choose.
Part of our full kitchen design and fitted kitchen service is to help guide, inform and educate our customers, ensuring that the design choices they make meet their functional needs and aspirational requirements when installed.
However, we understand that not all customers want to work with a full-service provider and would prefer to manage the project themselves.
With years of industry knowledge and experience, we feel it our duty of care to still share our wisdom, so we’ve put together a comprehensive kitchen worktop guide which will outline the different types of kitchen worktop, highlighting what kitchen worktops are best in relation to the hardest wearing, lowest maintenance, and most heat resistant while providing an indication of cost.
What Are The Different Types Of Kitchen Worktop?
When it comes to the different types of kitchen worktop you typically have six options:
> Laminate Kitchen Worktops
> Granite Kitchen Worktops
> Wood Kitchen Worktops
> Corian Kitchen Worktops
> Quartz Kitchen Worktops
> Composite Kitchen Worktops
With the key differentiator being the main material used, each of the different types of kitchen worktop provides various features, benefits and degrees of durability, sustainability and maintenance requirements, all of which can influence cost.
Laminate Kitchen Worktops:
Densely compacted chipboard wrapped in a layer of resin, laminate kitchen worktops are a popular choice amongst customers due to the variety of available styles and finishes, from wood effect to natural slate.
Furthermore, laminate kitchen worktops are relatively low maintenance, highly durable, easy to clean and an affordable option for busy kitchen environments.
Granite Kitchen Worktops:
Aesthetically pleasing and remarkably durable thanks to its solid qualities, granite is formed using polished sheets of natural stone. As a result, each piece of granite is 100% unique, with differing thickness, colour and grain, making each granite kitchen worktop one of a kind.
Wood Kitchen Worktops:
A true natural beauty, a wood kitchen worktop can be created from oak, maple, beech and even bamboo.
Completely transforming your kitchen design, adding a sense of warmth while complimenting a timeless traditional or classic kitchen concept, a wood kitchen worktop is 100% unique and organically hygienic, thanks to its natural properties.
Although extremely durable, wood kitchen worktops are more demanding than most as it’s recommended that you treat the surface with oil every 6 months or so to reseal it.
Corian Kitchen Worktops:
Formed using a combination of hardwearing materials (acrylic resin and natural minerals), Corian is a highly versatile kitchen worktop that is incredibly low maintenance and a cheaper alternative to granite and quartz. Although strong and durable, Corian can be damaged by overly hot appliances touching the surface, which can also be prone to scratches.
Quartz Kitchen Worktops:
Quartz kitchen worktops are man-made from stone, making them extremely durable, although still susceptible to heat damage. and incredibly low maintenance because of its excellent non scratch, non-chip, non-stain properties that require minimal upkeep.
Highly versatile, with a wide range of colours and textures available, whatever your chosen kitchen design, whether contemporary or traditional, there is a quartz kitchen worktop to compliment your style.
Composite Kitchen Worktops:
Composite kitchen worktops, as the name suggests, are worktops that are made from two or more materials combined to provide you with all the benefits in one.
Durable, versatile, and low maintenance, a composite kitchen worktop typically consists of quartz crystals, acrylic materials, polymer resin and bonding agents.
Which Kitchen Worktops Are Best?
The functionality of your kitchen, your individual requirements, and the design preferences of those who use it will ultimately determine what kitchen worktops are best for you and your family.
However, understanding other factors like what the hardest wearing kitchen worktop is, and whether your preferred kitchen worktop is heat resistant ,will help you make a more informed decision - or at least narrow down your selection depending on what you’re wanting to achieve.
What Is The Hardest Wearing Kitchen Worktop?
Dekton, a type of kitchen worktop we’ve not yet addressed in this article, is by far the hardest wearing. But it’s also the most exclusive, which is why we’ve left it out.
A hybrid of the most sought-after materials, Dekton is comprised of quartz, porcelain, and glass, making it the hardest-wearing worktop material available in the industry today.
Second to Dekton, and more readily available, granite is the second most hard-wearing kitchen worktop.
What Is The Best Low Maintenance Kitchen Worktop?
Either laminate or composite are the best low maintenance kitchen worktops. Both affordable options for the modern-day home, they are durable, versatile, easy to clean and require little to no upkeep with regards to ongoing treatment and maintenance.
Are Kitchen Worktops Heat Resistant?
The majority of kitchen worktops are 'heat resistant' however, depending on surface material, the amount of heat your kitchen worktop can withstand does vary.
In either instance, we strongly advised that you do not put high-temperature pans / dishes directly onto the kitchen surface, especially if you are wanting to prolong its durability. Instead, we always recommend that you protect your kitchen worktop from source of heat by using a serving mat or surface protector.
How Much Does A New Kitchen Worktop Cost?
The cost of a new kitchen worktop depends on several influencing factors, from chosen material to required measurements and overall size.
Typically speaking, the average cost per square meter for kitchen worktops are as follows:
> Laminate and Composite £20-£50
> Solid Wood £50-£150
> Granite, Quartz, Corian £300-£600
Further to the above, it’s important to be mindful of additional costs that are associated with replacing your kitchen worktop which are often overlooked but contribute significantly to the overall cost. These include:
> Any labour costs, such as the removal of existing worktop and installation of new
> Upstands and Splashbacks
> Edging Strips and Joint Trims.
Offering a full kitchen design and fitted kitchen service we have a wide range of kitchen worktops that our expert team of senior designers would be happy to talk you through as part of your kitchen renovation project.
To find out more and to start your kitchen design journey, you can book a design appointment online or call a friendly member of our team to discuss your requirements in more detail.
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