Take Heed: Choosing the Best Worktop Material for Your Modern Kitchen

Sam Street
 | September 15, 2021

Deciding on a kitchen worktop material that would highlight and finalise the design of your modern kitchen is never easy. But, that would mean that you’ve already had your cabinets designed, colours of your walls picked out, and a slight idea of what look you want for your kitchen worktop and island.

But it’s not easy to choose which worktop material would beautify the overall appearance of your modern kitchen. Because there are varieties of materials to choose from, homeowners also tend to forget about the functionality and the entirety of a kitchen worktop.

Thus, you should keep in mind that each material also has different specifications apart from the difference in their appearance. Here are a few tips about the commonly used worktop materials that’ll help meet your needs to beautify your modern kitchen.

HOW TO CHOOSE THE BEST TYPE OF KITCHEN WORKTOP

The primary purpose of your kitchen worktop is for you to prepare and serve food, possibly, dining which will need to withstand intensive, daily cleaning. Further, they’re also the focal point of the entire modern kitchen, serving as a finishing touch to your flooring, cabinets and possibly your kitchen island.

Despite the kitchen worktops being an essential part of the design process, you also have to remember that you’ll be using it a lot in a day. Moreover, it’s necessary for you to choose a suitable kitchen worktop material or materials that would best fit your lifestyle.

Apart from focusing on appearance, you should also look into the following:

  • Do you want a maintenance-free material or do you prefer to have worktops such as marble and wood that needs maintaining?
  • Do you regularly use a potholder before placing a hot pan or do you tend to put them directly on to the surface?
  • Does a matte finish for your surface meet you and your family’s needs or would you prefer to have a high gloss work surface that needs preserving?

You can also consult a professional designer or contractor to help you plan and lay out the materials you’ll need for designing your kitchen worktops. Home improvement companies such as a kitchen renovations company in Melbourne are most willing to help you with your needs to achieve the best looking and functioning kitchen worktop.

SELECTING A SUITABLE KITCHEN WORKTOP MATERIAL

Choosing the best type of kitchen worktop is only the first step, but it all comes down to the kind of material you will be using. The most commonly used types of materials are granite, quartz, hardwood, laminate, glass, composite, and stainless steel.

However, each type of materials has different advantages, which makes it essential for you to do research about their factors and unique properties. For example, you could have concrete, stainless steel or zinc to get that on-trend industrial look.

Natural wood and stone would look stunning if used in a traditional themed kitchen because of their varied colours and markings. But, both materials are prone to stains and scratches and needs regular maintenance and sealing.

You could even choose a fuss-free alternative which is a human-made composite such as Corian or quartz, are natural materials blended with resin. As a result, they create a highly durable surface that’s not only non-porous but are also easy to clean. The downside of this fuss-free alternative is that it requires a specialist’s fitting.

Also, if you’re tight on budget, having laminates for a kitchen worktops are your best choice. Laminate worktops comprise of a human-made board that is bonded with a plastic overlay and design layer. One advantage of this type of worktop is that it can mimic hundreds of finishes such as weather wood or veined marble, and it’s also water resistant.

GRANITE KITCHEN WORKTOPS

One of the most popular materials for kitchen worktops is granite. Granite is considered a beauty of natural stone which consists of unique veining and colouring to each slab. As a result, it’s used by many because of its stylish, beautiful, and luxurious look.

Advantages:

  • Heat resistant
  • Easy to clean
  • Hard-wearing
  • Antibacterial

Disadvantages:

  • Expensive
  • Extremely heavy

Granite is a heat and scratch resistant type of rock that was the result of cooling pressurised magma over millions of years. In addition, it can also be stain resistant if properly sealed, and the best feature is that it requires no maintenance whatsoever.

The only thing you should keep mind of is that it limits your choice of splashbacks. A coved granite splashback is impossible, which means you’ll need to have a full-height panel splashback as an alternative.

QUARTZ COMPOSITE KITCHEN WORKTOPS

Slightly different from granite, quartz composite worktops are made from 95 percent natural quartz crystals and 5 percent polymer resins. A lot of homeowners prefer to use this type of material because of its appearance.

Also, it’s a human-made alternative to natural rocks like granite and marble, natural quartz and polymer resins are fortified using industrial techniques. As a result, you’ll have an environment-friendly material that is superior in quality and durability.

Advantages:

  • Antibacterial
  • Easy to clean
  • Unrestricted range of colour
  • Hard-wearing

Disadvantages:

  • Expensive
  • Very heavy

Quartz has the appearance of stone, but it can also be redesigned. You won’t have any difficulty matching this to the colour scheme of your modern kitchen, because unlike granite, there’s no variation in veining as well as colour shading.

HARDWOOD KITCHEN WORKTOPS

Hardwood is commonly made from oak, iroko, and walnut. A great feature of it is the natural warmth and character that appears over time. Hardwood is an excellent solution for traditional or contemporary kitchen design, that is if you’re willing to put up with the maintenance of it.

Advantages:

  • Antibacterial if properly maintained
  • Looks great with age
  • Cheaper than stone materials
  • Variety of colours and wood grains

Disadvantages:

  • Can be scratched
  • Can be stained
  • Requires bi-annual maintenance

Hardwood worktops will last for a long time if properly sealed and maintained. But, it can be scorched if you directly place a hot pan onto the surface, and even become damaged if used as a chopping board.

GLASS KITCHEN WORKTOPS

Glass is fairly new to the worksurface market. It works perfectly in a contemporary design because it’s stylish, versatile and has a reflective sheen which boosts light levels. Further, glass can also withstand moisture, spills, and splashes that can be easily wiped clean since it’s a non-porous material.

Advantages:

  • Easy to clean and hygienic
  • Extremely Durable
  • Heat resistant
  • Looks modern, sleek, and stylish
  • Limitless range of colours
  • Can be made in any shape or size

Disadvantages:

  • Needs to be cleaned frequently
  • Expensive

Glass is toughened to increase durability when used as a work surface, making it head, water, and acid resistant. Although it is prone to scratches, it can easily be polished smooth.

TAKEAWAY

You have to remember than kitchen worktops are a big investment. In addition, you have to keep in mind that they need to be taken care of no matter what material is used. The four types of materials presented above are your best choice to achieve not just a beautiful worktop, but also a quality worktop that is worth your money.

Sam Street

Sam Street

Construction Manager

Sam is a qualified carpenter that has been working in the construction industry for the past thirteen years, both in Australia and abroad. With over a decade of experience, Sam has gained an extensive knowledge of the residential construction space.

GIA-Renovations-Logo

I'm ready to renovate!

I would like a in-home consultation and renovation budget.

"*" indicates required fields

I want to renovate my...*
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Where should we send the guide?

renovation guide on ipad on wood table

"*" indicates required fields

I want to renovate my...*
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Not sure where to start on renovating your bathroom or kitchen?

Get GIA’s FREE 37 page Bathroom & Kitchen Renovation Guide.