Comparing 11 countertop materials

January 20, 2013 by
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countertop

The Kitchn recently ran a review comparing the top 11 materials used for kitchen countertops: 

  • granite
  • concrete
  • butcher block
  • soapstone
  • quartz
  • marble
  • lava
  • synthetic
  • paper composite
  • stainless steel
  • ceramic

If you’re looking to replace a countertop, this is a good place to start. The article discusses each material’s origin, environmental impact, pros, cons, price, and installation difficulty and publish reviews from people who’ve used that material in their homes. Good luck in your renovation – and count us jealous.

Category: Antipasto

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  • Breadcrumbs  on  January 20, 2013

    We embarked on a kitchen reno a year ago and selecting countertops was by far and away the toughest choice we had to make. With so many materials out there and so much information (almost too much) at your fingertips on the www it really did feel like an overwhelming decision and a critical one since it is such a significant investment depending which material you select.

    In the end I found that stepping away from the laptop and getting out there to speak to folks who installed/sold/cut/fabricated the various materials was most helpful. Also, nothing beats seeing and touching the surfaces yourself.

    We narrowed it down to Quartz (a manmade composite product) and Granite. in the end we felt that granite would serve us best in our "high use" kitchen since Quartz isn't as heat tolerant and, we heard a few horror stories about quartz that cracked during shipping or the installation.

    We were able to select a granite that helps incorporate the outdoors into our kitchen. The pattern of it's grain evokes the motion of water. The pools of quartz actually look like little puddles in the counter. I spend so much time in my kitchen and I'm so glad we took the time and effort to pick something perfectly suited to us.

    We love our new kitchen but our counters are our absolute favourite part. They are like art that we never tire of looking at and the fact that they're incredibly durable is a huge plus! Well worth the investment of time…and money.

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