Popular Kitchen Countertop Options | A Quick Guide

hi I'm Michael from kitchensider Welcome to the channel in this video I'm going to give a quick overview guide to some of the most popular kitchen countertop options [Music] so I've picked some of the most popular kitchen countertop materials and I'm briefly going to explain what they are give a bit of info some pros and cons and a bit of a price guide for each and just to say pricing some of these can be very difficult as they can vary wildly on a whole number of different factors right kicking things off with the laminate probably one of the most common and most cost effective types of kitchen countertop laminate countertops are made by combining layers of paper and resin to form semi-rigid sheets a decorative sheet that has the color or pattern goes in the middle and then clear sheets go on top of it these are then compressed and heated so the layers Bond and form one sheet that is the outer layer this is then bonded to a substrate usually a particle board of some description which then creates the sheets of laminate countertop that we recognize so some popular brands of laminates got durapel Axiom and four Mica there's a wide range of choice available with laminate countertops from sort of stone looking ones or marble effect ones to solid colors there's all sorts there really is a wide range there's no ceiling required like there is with some sort of natural stones can you have an undermount sink and drainage grooves cut into it unfortunately not as it's not a solid surface all the way through you can't really do these sorts of things as standard at least and it is non-porous that top laminate layer won't absorb any liquids and costs I've given this a one to two out of ten is probably the most cost effective kitchen countertop but I've given it a one to two because if you do go for some of the bigger Brands and you do go for a slightly nicer or different edging type or any curves it will bring up the price a little bit more so some quick pros and cons budget friendly it really is one of the more cost effective kitchen countertop options and it is good value for money considering what you're getting for the price easier to install when compared to Stone count stops you don't need professional templating and Fabrication a good fit it can just be able to do this there's a good amount of choice and options when it comes to colors and styles and textures it has pretty good stain resistance as I said that top layer is non-porous so it's pretty good although it's not stain proof If you leave things on there it will stain it will start to eat at it and it's easy to maintain and look after doesn't need oiling and it doesn't need sealing and you can just wipe it down with any regular cleaner nothing special you're good to go and some of the cons it's not heat resistant although it can withstand a little bit if you put something hot on it it is going to Scorch and it is going to burn that laminate it's not scratch resistant although tough if you're chopping directly on it you are going to scratch it and if you go really hard you can Pierce that laminate layer which can be dangerous because if water or anything gets inside you are in trouble and as I just said it's also vulnerable to water so any joints usually in the corner if any water gets in and underneath that laminate layer gets into the particle board it's going to bubble and warp and come apart so they're the real problem areas that you need to be careful of and it's not a solid surface so as I said usually you won't be able to have undermount sinks and you won't be able to cut drainage grooves or anything like that into the material itself moving on we've got wooden countertops quite an obvious one here it's real wood all natural from a tree it's then milled machined and glued together to create the countertop lens and when it comes to wooden countertops there are a few options with how it looks and this is to do with the staves or the planks when gluing them together to create the lens one of the most common ones here at least is using 40 mil staves and this creates a kind of block work pattern to the countertop and then you move up to what's called full staves or full planks and these are usually 80 to 120 millimeters wide and longer lengths this style is often considered a little bit more luxurious and you guessed it more expensive so some popular types of wooden countertop you've got Oak then things like a Rocco Walnut or Beach Choice available there is a limited choice there's only kind of so many wood types ceiling required yes you do have to seal your woodwork tops you're going to need to oil them to protect them can you have an underbound sink and do any grooves yep no problem it's a solid surface so you can cut these into the worktop but it is porous so you will need to seal it you will need to oil it to protect it and cost I've given it a one to three sort of out of ten it can be quite cost effective a standard Beach worktop can be very cost effective but then you can pay quite a lot especially if you're going for a more premium words like a an American Warner with full Stave planks that can actually bring the price up quite a lot so some quick pros and cons relatively cost effective so as I said depending on which type of wood that you go for it can be a good budget option as a warm and soft texture this is a natural product so not only does it bring in that warmth and feel to your kitchen it can also be a little bit more forgiving when it comes to your glassware easier to install again compared to Stone there's no fabrication and templating costs so a good fish are assuming they've got the jig to do it can install it themselves and it can be repaired relatively easily so if you do scratch or stain it you can sand it down and then Retreat it reorder it they'll give it a new lease of life and some of the cons it does require a decent amount of care and maintenance do have to keep on top of it got to keep it dry and you will have to regularly oil it and re-oil it to protect it it's particularly vulnerable to water it is a porous material so it will absorb that water and stain and especially around the sink you do get these kind of like black moldy looking areas so you've got to stay on top of that it's not heat resistant so if you put a really hot pan on it it is going to Scorch the surface and create that burn mark to always use a trivet or something to help protect the worktop and it's not scratch resistant in fact wooden countertops are quite soft and quite easily scratched however as I said before you can repair it you can sand out these scratches and refinish it but you know do you really want to be doing that next up is granite probably the material people think of most when they think of a luxurious and hard wearing kitchen countertop granite countertops have been around for a long time and for a good reason a natural stone quarried out of the Earth make Granite both very tough and completely unique but there's no denying that granite and most natural stones have a definite charm and depth to them that can't be replicated which is one of the reasons why it's been a favorite for so long for so many people so some popular types of granite you've got things like Star galaxy blue pearl Nero absoluto ice white just to name a few there is a good range a good choice available with granite you will have to seal it and just be aware of this you need to kind of regular really update your ceiling usually once a year or so depending on how much use it gets can you have and about six and draining grooves yes again solid surface so you can cut these in no problem it is a porous material as I said you will have to seal it and cost quite a tricky one here I've given it a three to six out of ten sort of price range you can get some more cost effective ones that are more popular that are on the lower end certain types can really be quite expensive so the pros of granite it's a unique pattern it's a one-of-a-kind slab you're not going to get a copy cap down the road this is your slab and your unique looking kitchen it has good heat and scratch resistance it's very durable especially for a natural stone but saying that you do still need to be a little bit careful and I've never chopped directly on your granite countertop I always use a chopping board it's a natural material as I keep saying it has that depth and charm to it it's not an imitation there's nothing man-made about it and the cons it needs sealing it's a naturally porous material so it will absorb liquids there is a limited choice although there's a good amount of choice it is a natural material and there is a only what there is available you can't just create new colors and patterns like you can with a man-made material and sort of following on from that because it's so unique picking from a small sample won't give you an accurate view of the whole countertop ideally you really need to go and look at that whole slab because if you have a sample from one corner of it it can look very different to another section or the whole slab as a whole and lastly it's going to require expert template and installation this is a solid Stone product it's not the sort of thing your average kitchen fitter can cut and fit and install themselves it's going to need an expert to do so and this process of templating and installation fabrication involved usually takes sort of one to two weeks from template to installation so keep that in mind with your kitchen fit moving on I've got quartz the countertop I get asked for the most and depending on the budget probably the countertop that I recommend the most as well there are many brands of quartz offering hundreds of different colors and textures depending on the brand quartz is approximately between 85 to 95-ish percent natural quartz stone and the rest is made up of the dyes or pigments to create the different colors and patterns and then resin which is used to combine everything when it's compressed and cured so some popular brands of quartz you've got things like sourstone Caesar Stone and Cambria the choice available there's a huge Choice a very wide range available ceiling required nope you don't need to oil or seal quartz worktops they're already completely sealed can you have an undermount sink and drain the grooves yes absolutely it's a solid surface it's quite popular to have undermount sinks in quartz and cut in those drainer grooves it's a non-porous material so as I said no ceiling required it's not going to absorb those liquids and cost similar to Granite really I've given it a three to six out of ten so depending on the brand and how popular it is it can really influence the price as well as the amount of fabrication work you're having on your countertop so your edge profile how many cutouts are you having are you having it polished Etc there are lots of things that go into the price so some pros to quartz it has a good scratch and stain resistance to it it is a very tough material and it will stand up to most daily tasks in a busy family kitchen but as with any countertop really you shouldn't cut directly on it you should always use a chopping board there's a huge range of choice available it really is one of its biggest selling points and sort of following on from that the slabs will have a consistent pattern or color to them you look at a sample or bring a sample home you know that the color you see on it is going to be the same color for the final product and they're pretty easy to look after and maintain you don't have to oil it or seal it wipe it down regularly each day you're good to go and now some of the cons while very tough and durable it can still burn or Scorch because there is a little amount of resin in the quartz countertop if you put a hot pan on it it can burn and Scorch that and mark the surface and it can sort of stain some of the Heavy Hitters that turmeric or beetroot or red wine can sort of eat away at that top layer usually you can get rid of it with a lot of elbow grease and use Bar Keepers friends that's always my go-to so while it is tough it's not completely stain-free and following on from this although it is very tough and it is quite rare it can crack from thermal shock gain it's very rare but this might happen if the room is quite cold the worktop's quite cold and you put a very hot pan straight on it that rapid change in temperature can cause thermal shock so it could crack the countertop you might not see it it might be internally but it could cause this another reason to just use a triplet and again with any sort of stone it will require professional templating and installation so this adds to your cost and the time for your kitchen project next up I've got acrylic made from a mix of acrylic resins minerals and colorings it can be molded into almost any shape this creates endless design opportunities to really go wild and create some fantastic shapes you could have your sink and up stands all molded together to create one flowing countertop piece so some popular brands of acrylic countertops you've got Corian High Max star on there's a very wide range of choice available all kinds of colors and patterns you don't need to seal it and as it's a solid surface you can have your underbound sinks and drain your grooves cutting if you want and it's non-porous so it's not going to be absorbing all those spills and water like a wooden worktop would be and cost again similar to quartz I've given it a three to six out of ten depending on the brand you pick and the finish that you pick that will influence the price and as well as what you're actually doing with the countertop in terms of fabrication so some pros you can create some really unique shapes and kitchen designs by molding these pieces together to give that seamless look it's pretty easy to care for you won't need to be oiling it or sealing it and you can use most regular cleaners on a daily basis there are no visible joint lines probably one of the biggest selling points for acrylic is that you won't see any joint lines although the countertop will be made up of different slabs it'll be put together and where they join it'll be filled and then buffed out so it becomes completely invisible and it can be repaired so if you do end up with any scrap is any countertop these can be buffed out and repaired and some of the cons it can discolor I have seen these kind of countertops almost sort of fade and discover a little bit normally around the sink and especially in hard water areas it scratches very easily this is probably my biggest gripe with acrylic countertops is that they're quite soft and they will scratch very easily now as I said you can repair them you can buff these scratches out but really do you want to be doing that they can burn and Scorch because there is such a large amount of resin in these countertops if you put a hot pan directly on it it can leave that Scorch or bird mark on the countertop and lastly they can look a little bit plasticky really this is down to personal preference if you like that look then great but sometimes they can look quite plasticky and a little bit fake moving on I've got porcelain Composites or Ultra compact surfaces or scented stones and putting these all together for this one the relatively newer kid on the block for kitchen countertops porcelain Composites are branded as being almost indestructible almost being the key word there as nothing is ever indestructible these are fabricated by putting the raw materials found in porcelain glass and quartz under extreme pressure and heat to create a very durable countertop a pattern is then printed on the top layer of the slab to create your different color options so some popular brands you've got decton neolith and lapitec there is a good amount of choice available don't need to seal them as they are solid surfaces you can have the undermount sinks in and any drainer grooves cut in they're completely non-porous so they're not going to be absorbing all those liquids in cost this is quite a tricky one I've priced it between sort of three to eight out of ten there are some more cost effective colors and slabs that are quite competitive similar to quartz but there are some very expensive options out there as well and as I mentioned it all depends on the fabrication and how thick you're making these countertops and how you're creating the edge how many cutouts and joints all of these things add to the cost so some pros it is an incredibly tough and durable material probably the top toughest one out there it's very heat stain and scratch resistant so that means that you can chop and put a hot pan directly on them if you feel the need to do so it's easy to maintain as I said there's no oiling or sealing required and you can use pretty much any cleaner on it that you like and like with the other man-made materials it will have a consistent color or pattern to it so you're not guessing what the whole slab is going to look like from your sample you'll know exactly what it's going to be like and so with the cons typically it's at the higher end of the price range compared to other man-made materials although there is a lot of overlap in the prices and they can vary a lot there is a slightly limited choice at the moment there aren't nearly as many available options as there are with quartz but the choices are growing and you are getting more options all the time most will only have the pattern printed on the top it doesn't go all the way through the slab so you'll notice this on the edge and it can be a bit of a bug bear for some however some of the newer colors and ranges coming through do have the pattern run all the way through so it's just something to be aware of now although this material is very very tough they are are susceptible to cracks especially at the edges or any weak points and when in transit I know of two projects personally where the slabs have smashed in the back of the van on the way to site which was not fun once they're secured and in place they're really tough but until that point they are a little bit vulnerable to cracking and smashing and as with other Stone Surfaces they will require expert templating and installation and on top of this there also requires specialist fabrication which can take a little bit longer a lot of the projects that I've used this material on usually instead of that one to two week turnaround time it's closer to two weeks and lastly we've got marble we all know what marble is it's another Natural Stone the most observable characteristic of marble are the veins and patches that create the patterns that we see and it's these veins and patches that alternate with the various different dominant colors that make marble so attractive as a countertop and as with granite or any other Natural Stone each slab is unique probably the most popular types of marble are going to be the Carreras and calcuttas although there is a a good range available it's not all just your white marbles ceiling is required you're going to need to do this to protect your marble under mount sinks and drainage grooves things like that are available it is porous so it will absorb those liquids and cost another tricky one here I've given it between three and seven in some of the more popular and readily available marbles can be quite cost effective whereas some of these really rare marbles are going to set you back quite a lot of money so some pros it's very attractive marble can look absolutely gorgeous and there's lots of options that are really stunning it's naturally cool temperature wise which is good for food prep especially Bakers it has a good heat resistance it's a metamorphic rock so it's had its fair share of heat and pressure applied to it over time so it's going to stand out pretty well in your kitchen and I'm going to put price as a pro because as I said there are some more cost effective options for marble but it is a bit of a double-edged sword and some cons it is a porous material so it will require sealing to maintain it and it will require regularly resealing it to help maintain and protect it over the years it scratches you easily marble is quite a soft Stone and it will etch and scratch quite easily and it can stain quite easily too marble countertops need a little bit of extra care and attention to look after them you'll need to stay on top of any spills especially anything acidic like red wine you'll need to get that cleaned up quickly and I'm also putting price as a con so on the flip side there are some very expensive marbles out there as well and again like most of these Stones it's going to require an expert to come and template it and install it so there you go a quick rundown of some popular kitchen countertop options which one would you go for in your dream kitchen scenario let me know in the comments below if you enjoyed this video I'm sure you'll like this one where I talk about different kitchen backsplash options as always thank you so much for watching and I'll see you in the next one

Channel: Kitchinsider

Views: 57,852

Keywords: kitchinsider, kitchen design advice, kitchen worktops, kitchen countertops, countertops, worktops, countertop material, worktop options

Id: dFEnblmIc-4

Length: 17min 58sec (1078 seconds)

Published: Fri Sep 02 2022