Kitchen Countertops Material

Kitchen countertops come in many materials – which one you choose depends on your requirements and your taste. This guide gives you an overview of the most common materials like granite.

Requirements for the kitchen countertops material

Your kitchen countertop is one of the most heavily used items in your home. When cooking, splashes and stains, scratches and nicks are inevitable over the long term. In the latter in particular, dirt particles settle. The higher quality the countertop in your kitchen, the better it repels dirt. Worktops made of natural materials such as natural stone or wood are particularly easy to care for.

Countertops made of granite or other stone are particularly insensitive and robust. They are break-proof, easy to care for, durable and insensitive to scratches, stains and heat.

Stone Kitchen Countertops

With countertops made of quartz or natural stone, you can achieve a particularly elegant look in your kitchen. Stone slabs are usually also particularly break-proof, hard, and hard-wearing. They are insensitive to heat and scratches, easy to care for, and durable. Natural stone countertops and quartz stone countertops differ somewhat in their properties.

Quartz composites are mixed with additional materials such as glass during production. This creates a wide range of decorations – and the non-porous surfaces of the material are particularly smooth and shiny compared to natural stone.

Natural stone such as granite, marble, and slate has an unmistakable pattern. Natural stone slabs are available in numerous colors and structures. Granite is particularly robust, it can withstand temperatures of up to 600 ° C. All natural stones are comparatively sensitive to acids.

Solid wood kitchen countertops

Solid wood countertops are very popular and fit in with a natural interior style. Just like panels with a laminate surface, the material is not scratch and cut resistant and not very heat resistant. In the case of open-pored solid wood, there is also the fact that it quickly stains and can draw in water vapor if it is not waxed regularly.

To do this, you can sand the surface of your solid wood panel with sandpaper if it is no longer attractive. The easy-care rule of thumb applies to daily cleaning: less is more. You wipe wooden worktops with a little neutral detergent damp – not wet.

Countertops with melamine resin coating

Melamine resin is particularly popular as a coating for chipboard. This layer is made up of several layers of paper that are impregnated with synthetic resin and then pressed or glued to the carrier plate.

The range of countertops with a melamine resin coating is diverse. The manufacturers use the coating for numerous colors and decors: Among other things, there are reproductions of natural materials such as wood or stone. Plain-colored models or worktops with imaginative patterns are also available.

Kitchen countertops with a melamine resin coating require some indulgence in the daily work in the kitchen. They are not as robust and heat-resistant as countertops made from natural materials. If you choose such a coated worktop, you should use cutting boards and trivets at best.

Countertops made of this material are 40 mm thick as standard, the slim-line version is 16 mm thick.