Replacing a scraped, sweltered, discolored, or simply plain unsightly kitchens counters can transform any kind of cooking area. Gladly, there are great deals of options in a variety of rates. A new laminate kitchen counter can set you back just $5 per square foot. Or you can easily invest 10 times that on quartz, granite, or recycled glass.
Consumer Information checked more than a dozen prominent kinds of countertops to see how well they withstood discolorations, heat damage, cuts, abrasion, and impact, and located 7 that satisfied requirements. Right here is the information.
In our kitchen counter examinations, performance varied from one material to the following yet there was little distinction amongst competing brands of each kind, so make sure to shop around for the very best deal on your kitchen counter material of option. The rates listed below are per square foot. For the pros and cons of each kind, see the numbered access below.
7 of the most effective countertop products
Countertop Intelligence
1.Quartz
Pros: It mimics the look of rock yet needs much less maintenance. Warm pots, serrated blades, abrasive pads, and most stains were no suit for quartz, which is a mix of mineral, shade, as well as material. It comes in lively colors along with patterns that look like granite and marble.
Cons: Edges and corners can chip, and you’ll need a professional to fix them. Spherical sides help.
2.Granite
Pros: Each piece of this all-natural material is distinct; rare colors and veining expense much more. Heat, cuts, and scrapes didn’t harm granite in our tests. Refined as well as matte finishes stood up to most discolorations when appropriately sealed, so select the look you favor.
Cons: Routine resealing is needed to fend off stains. Like quartz, edges as well as corners can chip and should be skillfully fixed.
3.Soapstone, Sedimentary Rock, and Marble
Pros: Soapstone isn’t as usual as granite, and it’s excellent at withstanding warmth damage. Tiny scratches can be repaired by sanding carefully and applying mineral oil. Limestone (imagined) and marble are timeless products. Sedimentary rock additionally has a natural-stone appearance without heavy veining or graining, and it withstands warmth.
Cons: Soapstone nicks, cuts, as well as scratches quickly, and some spots are also challenging to be washed away. Sedimentary rock and marble additionally have those drawbacks, and warmth damaged our marble.
4.Laminate
Pros: Cost-effective, very easy to install, therefore much good-looking than you most likely keep in mind, thanks to brand-new printing innovation and ornamental edges. Stains and warm didn’t harm the laminates we evaluated.
Disadvantages: Cutting straight on it quickly and permanently harms laminate, so make use of a cutting board.
5.Solid Emerging
Pros: Available in a variety of colors as well as patterns, it can be made use of for the counters, sink, as well as backsplash, creating a seamless appearance because joints are virtually unseen. And like quartz, its color will not differ a lot from the shop sample. Solid appearing is immune to a lot of stains, and small nicks, as well as scrapes, can be fixed.
Cons: It damages as well as cuts quickly, so a reducing board is a must.
6.Recycled Glass
Pros: Large fragments give it an enjoyable, contemporary look; carefully ground glass makes it much less busy. A lot of glass counters we tested stood up to discolorations, cuts, scrapes, as well as warmth.
Disadvantages: It’s the only product for which we located a difference among brands. Cosentino’s Eco counters were the only ones that developed a thin split during our heat examinations.
7.Butcher Block
Pros: It includes heat and is very easy to mount and repair, yet the finish makes a difference. Varnish improved stain resistance; however permeating oils decreased it.
Cons: Nicks, as well as scratches, can easily take place, though they can be fined sand out.