I’m taking a poll. I need to figure out what kind of counter tops I’m going to have in this brand-spankin’ new kitchen of mine, and I’m flummoxed by all the choices. Here are just a few of the multifarious options with which I am confronted when I meander helplessly through the home design stores (click the links for lots more images):
- Stainless
- Concrete
- Formica
- Granite
- Marble
- Corian
- Silestone
- Wilsonart
- Pionite
- Nevmar
- Gibraltar
- Avonite
- Staron
- Quartz
Help me narrow it down! Cast your vote in the comments, and please, if you know anything about any of these surfaces, such as care and wear, (or, if you know of something not listed above that I should check out) I’d love to be educated.
Let me also say that I’m pretty sure anything expensive will be off the table, so to speak! 😀 I haven’t been told what is and what isn’t in my counter top budget yet. So, right now I’m just gathering info, and your help is appreciated!
UPDATE:
- Soapstone
Wowza, that’s pretty.
Laurent Heidmann
29 Aug 2011I think Gibraltar, because it is a really pretty dark color which I think would look very good with the cupboards. 🙂
nettie
29 Aug 2011I’ve seen some dark countertops that look very pretty with the medium reddish cabinets such as we will have.
Kamilla
29 Aug 2011I hate to increase your stress, but you’re missing one. It may not be easily available in your area and that may be why, but can I suggest:
Soapstone? That is what those black countertops in the lab are made of. It seems virtually indestructible. I’ve seen marble and granite and they seem cold, but if you make a reasonable amount of bread, pastry and pastas at home, marble would be excellent. I like the idea of the custom concrete and have seen it done on television with a sink that is all one piece with the countertop.
I think it depends on the “feel” you want and your color scheme – that should help you narrow down choices.
I can’t give you a positive vote, but I’ll give you a negative one – stainless steel. If you want me to ruin that possibility for you forever, message me on FB and I’ll come back and answer here.
Kamilla
nettie
29 Aug 2011I had to add a link for soapstone after your comment, it’s quite dramatic! Thanks for the tip!!
Pauline Holston
29 Aug 2011I like the Staron, Pionite, and Corian….don’t know about other colors…but something in a beige/ neutral shade…preferably with a “marbelized” textured look.
nettie
29 Aug 2011The lighter color might very well set off the warm reddish woods in the cupboards… good point.
Kamilla
29 Aug 2011OK – have you ever noticed how stainless steel refrigerators and garbage cans always have fingerprints on them? I HATE my stainless steel sink and periodically contemplate punching a hole in it with a sledgehammer so I *have* to get a new one, which would be porcelain.
I’m sorry to do this to you – but when I think of stainless steel counters, a picture of a prison cell always flashes in my mind – you know those all-in-one toilet-and-sink affairs with no lid on the toilet? They look even worse in real life than they do on television or in film (I used to work in a Psych hospital).
That’s why I couldn’t consider it for my kitchen.
nettie
29 Aug 2011Lol — Ok, I understand your antipathy now that you have shared some of those mental images! 😀 I have to say though that I feel exactly the opposite about my stainless steel sinks, because I love being able to scrub them till they shine. I know, it’s a neurosis, and I may have to be treated someday. I hear you on the fingerprints though… countertops might be trickier than sinks in that regard. So thankyou! I am taking your caution seriously and under advisement!!
nettie
29 Aug 2011Just to update – I now also have e-mail votes for:
Stainless
Concrete
Formica
Pionite
and Quartz.
Sigh. I was hoping to build a consensus, and we’re nowhere near one yet… am I seriously going to have to make this decision myself?? 😀
Mitzi
29 Aug 2011I absolutely vote for a quartz composite (which is what Silestone, Chroma, Caeserstone, etc. are.) I have this in my kitchen and love love love love love it. You can get it in virtually any color. It’s pretty much indestructible–you can put a hot pan on it, it doesn’t scratch or stain. It’s fabulous. I personally love that it’s a more solid look than a granite (I don’t like all the veins in granite) but not totally solid–it has small specs of other colors so it’s interesting without being busy. I think the price is comparable to granite or possibly cheaper. I had originally wanted concrete countertops but heard too many bad stories (they almost inevitably get cracks and stains after a few years) but my countertop has a concrete feel (it’s the Clay Pebble color from Chroma by Pental) and looks amazing with my cherry cabinets. If I were doing a kitchen again, I wouldn’t even look at anything else but go straight to a quartz composite.
nettie
29 Aug 2011THANK you — that is what I call a ringing endorsement! I love to hear when somebody really loves something based on their positive experiences. I was unaware that concrete can develop cracks… not good. I’m adding quartz composites to my short list!
Linda Burklin
29 Aug 2011I would vote NO on stainless steel because of the difficulty in keeping it looking nice and because steel is a heat conductor. Almost any kind of stone would be durable and attractive. I have a friend with granite countertops and they still look really good after fifteen years. Polished concrete would probably be cheaper–just don’t know how they hold up over time. The appeal of Corian is that you can sand or smooth out blemishes. And that you can get it in lots of colors.
nettie
29 Aug 2011Very helpful – thank you for your vote. Added to yet another “NO” on the Stainless I received via email (from my M.I.L.), I am beginning to build some consensus on one point at least! 🙂
Interestingly, all the positive votes I’ve received on stainless have come from men. I’m not sure how to interpret that… but there it is.