What Are the Most Popular & Basic Kitchen Countertop Materials?
When it comes to the kitchen, choosing the appropriate material for your countertop is a vital decision.
Besides helping to create a wonderful space with a clean finish and sleek lines, your countertop should be suitable enough for food preparation.
Therefore, your best choice is to buy something easy to maintain, sophisticated, and functional.
In this post, we discuss popular and basic countertop options for your kitchen.
Let’s get started.
Popular and Basic Countertops for Your Kitchen
Below are the popular and basic countertop options for your kitchen.
Marble Countertops
No two slabs of marble look the same thanks to a few factors like colour, place of origin, patterns, impurities, and veining.
This stone is durable but requires some maintenance. It is preferred by pastry chefs and bakers because its surface stays cool, making it perfect for rolling out pastry. Moreover, it is heat-resistant, although it is wise to use trivets and hot pads when placing hot pots or pans on it to safeguard the finish.
This kind of countertop is expensive, although its cost depends on the thickness of the slab and the kind of marble you select. For instance, Calacatta marble is an expensive white marble with dark and thick vein patterns. Obviously, the thicker the slab is, the higher the price.
Granite Countertops
These countertops have gained in popularity because of their low maintenance and durability. The latter means you do not need to be anxious about chips or scratches ruining the surface. However, granite needs to be sealed in order to extend its life and withstand stains.
Granite is environmentally-friendly and maintains its original appearance throughout its lifetime. It is also available in marbled, grained, and speckled patterns, thereby providing multiple style options.
Quartz Countertops
Quartz is an engineered stone that combines nearly 90% ground quartz with 10% pigments and resins. This mixture makes it a low-maintenance and durable option. Quartz countertops are non-porous so withstand staining better than other countertop materials like concrete, marble or granite. Plus, it resists various types of stains such as from oil, tomato, coffee and wine spills.
Quartzite Countertops
No, quartzite is not the same as quartz. The latter is made when sand is under huge pressure and heat inside the earth. Quartzite is an engineered stone made by using raw quartz mixed up with resin and epoxy.
When looking at these countertops, you may select from a wide array of colours, with the most prominent shades being red and blue. Because quartz is a natural stone, you only have limited colour choices. Most quartzite slabs have a cream, white or beige base colour along with tones of red and blue.
Undoubtedly, quartzite is one of the most popular and hardest countertops available in recent times. It does not chip, break or scratch. It is non-porous so it does not etch or harbour bacteria. It is also easy to maintain so does not need harsh commercial cleaners which can damage its sealant; all you need to do is wipe it regularly.
These are some of the most basic and popular countertop choices for your kitchen. Although this post has highlighted a few common and popular countertops, it is entirely up to you to select the one that caters to your requirements. Spend some time considering your options before you decide which one best suits your home.
