What are the best kitchen counter materials

[Luigi Zanasi]

Note the plural. For someon who is into wooddorking and cooking, I am somewhat ashame to say that I have a 30-year old completely inefficient kitchen that is now falling apart. I am designing a new one (thanks Swing for the sketch-up library) and am trying to figure out what to use for counter tops.

Note the plural. Maybe there is one best overall material, but I am not necessarily averse to using more than one.

So what would you use in an ideal kithcen:

Arborite/Formical/High pressure laminate? Solid surface a la Corian or others? Paperstone? Wood - vertical "real" butcher block or horizontal laminations? What wood if not maple? Stone (granite, marble)? Others I missed?

Right now I'm inclined towards high pressure laminate with maybe a wood section, or a separate bread/pastaboard that could slip under the counter like my father did many years ago. The Arborite has lasted 30 years in my kitchen with only a couple of ugly spots. I realize the solid surface stuff can be repaired, but how much of a real advantage is that?

Note that these are just my initial thoughts and am quite open to being convinced otherwise.

Thanks in advance for your collective wisdom.

Luigi

[FrozenNorth]

I can vouch for granite, put it in over ten years ago and still love it. Drop a hot pot or pan, no burned spots. Baking is easy, and wipes up real quick, even kneading a dough on it. Typically don't put anything down for chopping either, it still looks great.

Just a happy customer, although it may be extra expensive where you are.

[Larry Jaques]

Dig out that burned or chipped area and inlay a nice pattern to replace it. In 40 years with Formica, I've never caused more than a

1/4" chip in a countertop, and I work with tools on them all the time.

Don't be too ready. HINT: Do you wear gloves in your home in the winter?

You and I have similar tastes in laminates and wood for chopping block areas. I plan on building a rolling wooden cart instead of an insert. I prefer laminate because it's inexpensive, durable, and attractive. It's also much safer to work on and comfortable to lean against. It's cheap enough to change every few years if you get a wild hare, too. My 12' section was under $200 and I spent about $30 to build the other two 2x2' sections myself, with baltic birch ply, laminate, and solvent based contact cement. Wilsonart Western Suede color. I still like it 9 years later.

can look cool, even beautiful, but I really dislike the stuff as a countertop. I've been in people's houses who have solid surface and tile, and I have hated being in those kitchens. They're physically COLD. You can't lean your butt or hands on them without freezing them off (unless it's August in moderate climes and the windows are open). If you even let a -tiny- slip happen with glass casseroles, kiss them goodbye. Don't EVEN bump your head on one after picking up a dropped piece of paper. DAMHIKT.

The solid plastics aren't quite as bad, but laminate tops warm to the touch in seconds. I truly love that.

My choice was easy: synergistic vs. antagonistic materials.

-- An appeaser is one who feeds a crocodile, hoping it will eat him last. -- Sir Winston Churchill

[Edward Hennessey]

Luigi.

FN is right. Granite can be satisfying. But there are many kinds of granite. Some of the most beautiful have a lot of feldspar or mica. Avoid those.

Ask about how often you have to re-seal any stone you are thinking about against water or other fluid penetration. Ask what that entails in effort, time and cost. Also, many stones have areas and cracks sealed or filled with colored resin. Ask about that. Don't be surprised if salesmen don't or can't respond. Examine the polished surface by moving along a low, raking angle, looking for changes in light reflectivity. Areas of duller shine call for closer examination.

A very fine-grained sandstone would be one lapidary material to consider.

Porcelain tile with epoxy grout gives you many choices, durability and repairability. Heavy drops and burning metal objects can be problems.

Corian is great. No re-sealing necessary. Don't try to cut it. Don't put red-hot things on it.

I have a hardwood insert with a perpendicular, split fence at the border facing toward the center of the kitchen. The fence works to keep drawn cuts from escaping on to the countertop and it is a handle too.

Regards,

Edward Hennessey

[RicodJour]

Soapstone and hard maple go together well, and have complementary features. They don't have a lot of the less desirable qualities of other stones, and the only upkeep (which is optional) is a periodic wipe down with mineral oil, same as the butcher block maple. Easy peasy, and you can work the stone yourself without 'real' stone tools.

[Larry Blanchard]

Since the average American moves frequently, and the average house is not built to last for very long, I wouldn't worry too much about longevity. I like the looks of stone (or brick?) but claims that it will last forever don't do much for me. The cabinets holding it up will disintegrate a long time before the stone does :-).

And then there's cost, which you don't mention. Hard to beat laminate there and it lasts long enough for me.

But based *only* on looks I'd go for tile or face brick.

[Markem]

Perhaps soapstone, I have been lead to believe wood working tools can be used to work it.

Mark

[FrozenNorth]

Exactly, I went to a local place that had hundreds of slabs, they were rough cut, but finished and polished on two sides. I picked the piece I wanted after having a pro come out and measure my kitchen. Couple days later got the call it was ready, with the edge profile I wanted etc. It was a good experience for me, YMMV.

[dpb]

On 5/5/2011 9:56 AM, Luigi Zanasi wrote: ...

...

Depends on how much budget is the controlling factor (as always)

If cost is a consideration, laminate is cheaper and for the general purpose counterttop works fine.

For solid material, my personal recommendation is the solid manmades a la Corian, etc. We used a less expensive one that hadn't heard of before but available at local distributor at about half the cost of Corian. After several years (going on 4 or 5 now???), it's just fine.

For specialty areas such as chopping surfaces, bread/dough areas, wood is good; end block for chopping, not for rolling. As for the latter other than maple, any of the common non-open grain are fine--cherry, birch, etc., ...

Some like the granite for the purpose, no direct experience there; I'm not that keen on the stone in general as require more maintenance and are often susceptible to damage from things like lemon juice, etc., that the manmades aren't so much. Plus, of course, they tend to be pricey so we're back to that again...

All in all, it's a personal preference thing; I think the deal w/ stone now is mostly just a current fad that "this, too, will pass" as for the big popularity.

--

[Han]

Luigi Zanasi wrote in news:fd9ba000-7728-41d9- [e-mail]:

We put in Silestone some 10-12 years ago. It has held up remarkably well. No problems with hot pans. We (actually she) use it as a cutting board as well. No problem for knives or counter. Other than wiping with soap and water there is no maintenance. Bleach should be fine too. In contrast to granite there is no sealing required.

I was informed that it was much more expensive than granite now, but don't know whether that is indeed so. Come and see it whenever you're near Newark, NJ .

[-MIKE-]

We're considering polished concrete. It can be tinted and have any aggregate you like.

[dadiOH]

Actually - and technically - all granite has them. Some with mostly plagioclase feldspar, some with orthoclase. The other "granites" are "granitic" stone. ________________

IMO, quartzite would be better.

[FrozenNorth]

Granite depending upon type and colour may not need as much sealing as you suggest, ours is a dark green/black it may be different with lighter colours. Over ten years old, still look great, seal it once every three years or so, one is due soon.

[chaniarts]

i did my own countertops for a patio bar. dead easy to do. the hard part is flipping and installing by yourself. i used tempered glass chunks for my aggregate. you can also have inserts of almost anything: i used cut slices of minerals, but i've seen machine parts, shells, and other common things.

[dadiOH]

I've never much liked them They are soft and heat can mess them up.

Hickory but I would want wood only for a cutting board, not counter tops.

Not marble...stains easily and is soft. Most of what is sold as granite isn't...it is "granitic" stone and some are better than others. IMO, they are among the best looking but I have no opinion re utility...really depends on what the stone is.

Talc (AKA soapstone) Concrete Stainless steel Tile

All of the things mentioned have their own particular merits and many of them can also be DIY.

The main merit of talc is that it is impermeable. *REALLY* impermeable. And heat proof. On the con side it is quite soft and knives will mar it; OTOH, blemishes are easily sanded out.

My personal preference is glossy tile. Many don't like though, tough :)

The paperstone you mentioned seems like a good choice. I had never heard of it, DAGS and it seems to be color through laminate that is available in verious thicknesses. Not good for hot stuff which is why there are trivets or cutting which is why there are wood cutting boards.

[Jim in Milwaukee]

With granite, stone, concrete etc., I would check the floor joists to make sure they can handle to load.

Just a thought.

Jim

[FrozenNorth]

Cancel the thought, you have a house of cards if that is an issue.

[Steve Barker]

tell me about this "swing for the sketch-up library" thing.

thanks

[RicodJour]

The slabs were polished on both sides? That's really odd. It would bump up the price of the slab appreciably and one side is hidden. I've only seen slabs polished on one side. Why would they go to all of that extra work when one side is never going to be seen?

R

[FrozenNorth]

Not sure, now you mention it, but I got to pick the show side. :-) There was a minor difference.