Most heat resistant counter top?

[Don Wiss]

I like white Corian counters to work on. Corian doesn't win the heat resistance award. The cabinet box that will be alongside the range is

12-1/4" wide. I could give that section a stone countertop, and somehow have it meet nicely with the Corian. That box could have a lower height to match the surface with the 1/2" thick Corian.

It seems that granite is the most heat resistant. Or is there some rare stone or other material known for its heat resistance? I would think that the thicker the more resistant. Are there thicker countertop thickness options?

Don.

(e-mail link at home page bottom).

[Pete C.]

Stainless steel?

[Don Wiss]

Could be. You wouldn't see the wood underneath being scorched. As long as it doesn't get odoriferous when the wood heats up. Too bad I can't put a layer of asbestos under the stainless. Or is there something else that goes in between?

Having Corian and stainless steel join together...

Don.

(e-mail link at home page bottom).

[Don Wiss]

Maybe the answer is tile? Porcelain or ceramic?

Don.

(e-mail link at home page bottom).

[Pete C.]

Stainless usually doesn't have a backer. You could back it with regular cement board if you wanted.

[Pete C.]

Grout lines - bad, a pain to clean and seal, tile isn't generally flat so stuff doesn't always sit on them well, and it's also very much out of style for kitchen counters.

[krw]

Trivet? Just lay a hunk of tile or stone on top of the Corian, if you like it better than all stone. SWMBO would never have anything other than granite, or perhaps quartz, again. Corian for the bathroom, maybe, but not the kitchen.

[Don Wiss]

On this page the unglazed porcelain tile comes in 14" squares:

That countertop would be 28" x 12-1/4", so only a single grout line. And only one place for unevenness.

I don't care what is in style. If I did, I wouldn't be installing Designer White Corian.

Don.

(e-mail link at home page bottom).

[missingchild]

Silestone (engineered quartz) is very heat-resistant.

[nestork]

Stainless steel is probably the most practical counter top. Virtually all commercial kitchens use stainless steel food preparation surfaces.

Granite is an igneous rock, and as such is extremely heat resistant.

Everyone wants a ceramic tile counter top until they have one. The problem is that dirt collects in the grout lines, and so they're harder to keep clean than any counter top that offers a continuous smooth flat surface.

Probably the most durable and attractive counter top would be granite.

Probably the most practical counter top would be stainless steel.

[micky]

Diamond. Make the counter out of diamond.

[micky]

I'd want to see a stainless counter that was 10 years old. For deocratoin and surfaces that don't get used, it's great, but wouldn't it get beat up. in use. The bottom of my sink doesn't look so good, afaicr.

[clare]

Comercial stainless steel counter tops do not have anything underneath them except air.. And they are EXTREMELY heat resistant..

If you need to put it over wood, put some ceramic heat blanket like used on aircraft firewalls - One brand is Fiberfax.- between the wood and the stainless.

[clare]

Make that Fiberfrax.

[clare]

Virtually every commercial kitchen has stainless steel counter tops. Not necessarilly pretty, but very durable.

[krw]

Granite, or other similar stone, is best for a kitchen. The high thermal mass makes them great for baking and things like candy. Stainless, not so much.

[krw]

There are stainless cleaners that will keep a stainless sink looking new.

[gregz]

Unfortunately, the heat would be transferred to the substrate. Diamond is many times better conductor than copper.

Greg

[WW]

Could be. You wouldn't see the wood underneath being scorched. As long as it doesn't get odoriferous when the wood heats up. Too bad I can't put a layer of asbestos under the stainless. Or is there something else that goes in between?

Having Corian and stainless steel join together...

Don.

(e-mail link at home page bottom).

Don... Air space between the steel and the cabinet. Have the steel folded around the 4 sides with a flange folded in. Screw in place by going up from inside the cabinet and into the flanges..WW

[Don Wiss]

There is no one best for the kitchen. Granite has plenty of negatives.

This thread is not on what is best for the kitchen. It is on what is the most heat resistant counter. This because my counters will be Corian and that isn't very heat resistant. Since I can put 12-1/4" of something else alongside the stove I'd like to do it. Just what else at this spot is the question.

Don.

(e-mail link at home page bottom).