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Need help with counter top material

4 years ago

Hello All - please help! Remodeling is completely new to us and we definitely need to give our 30-yr old kitchen a facelift! Today we started with choosing the counter top to replace our formica one (which is basically maintenace free). We have frequent guests who would stay at lengths at our house and would use freely the kitchen as they please. I don't want to have to tell them to be careful when they use our new kitchen counter top. The kitchen is rather small so we want it in very light color or white and with light patterns - low maintenance - not getting stained easily - not chipping easily - With our situation - Which materials do you recommend? Many thanks.

Comments (7)

  • 4 years ago

    I would go with quarts if you want low or no maintenance, it comes in a wide variety of colors and patterns.

  • 4 years ago
    last modified: 4 years ago

    I agree with @functionthenlook - with so many others using your kitchen maybe Formica is the one! It’s served you well & you may be pleasantly surprised at what today’s Formica looks like vs 30 years ago. That said, there are advantages to man made materials. The one constant caution is do not take pans from oven or stove top & set them on the surfaces but that’s same for Formica. The resins in Corian & quartz may yellow or burn. Corian is repairable, Quartz is not. Both are non porous. Granite is tough & won’t discolor from heat but not advisable to set hot stuff on it either - thermal shock. Bottom line is trivets should always be used no matter the surface & knife cutting should never be done on any counter surface. Not good for counter will /may cut & certainly not good for the knife


    ETA - all of the counter materials come in light colors & white.. Maybe price should factor in your decision.

  • 4 years ago

    Laminate again. Anything else, no matter how durable will clearly give you too much anxiety. Keep cutting boards handy.

  • PRO
    4 years ago

    Glacier White Corian is an excellent choice for this application. Engineered stone (quartz) and natural stone can stain; Corian does not. Virtually chip free compared to the alternatives (including plastic laminate) and much more repairable if it does. You've got to use trivets with all of them, but a burn in Corian is inconspicuously repairable, unlike the alternatives.

  • 4 years ago

    I had my kitchens and bathrooms renovated a few years ago. I chose engineered quartz countertops. The kitchen is Silestone color soapstone. In my bathroom/ laundry room is Thassos pental quartz in white. Easy cleanup with dishsoap and water. No staining, chipping or scratching. My countertops look as good today as the day of installation. I also cook from scratch, so my kitchen countertops are put to their test. I always use silicone trivets for anything hot, but previously on any type of counter, I have always used silicone trivets. I did lots of research on countertop materials too, and I am quite happy with my quartz.

  • 4 years ago

    This looks great!