Kitchen worktops

I shall watch this thread with interest.

I have black granite with sparkly bits. It looks great but is hard work! It shows all the crumbs and smears and calls for lots of polishing.

I wouldn't have wood again!

WE bought a house with black granite everywhere too. All very smart but needed upkeep and was far too masculine for me.

In this house I chose a 'corian' like surface that is cut to fit when installed, in a pale creamy white with subtle light speckling. It has a slight matt look so does not need to be polished just kept clean as usual and then surface treated once a month or so to condition it. Am very happy with it. However I never EVER slice or chop on it but have two very large Ikea chopping boards permanently in place either side of the cooker almost as if that part of the surface is wood.

I'm following too as thinking of changing mine to granite.......

I am also joining the followers for the same reason.

Friends of mine have a huge kitchen and the wooden surface is very high maintenance so I would not have that or granite it would appear. I did not realise that granite needed to be maintained to that degree.

I'm watching too!

Our work tops are wood effect with a sort of dresser effect on one side of the kitchen which is still looking good as it's not the business bit of the kitchen and only house bottles, fruit bowl, radio etc. However, the L shaped bit that includes the cooker, sink and the working area is definitely showing signs of wear.

We'd like to keep the 'dresser' bit but cannot decide what to do with the other area. Our kitchen is square (ish) so the two areas are not very far apart.

We stayed in a cottage this summer with granite worktops - they were very unforgiving.

I have laminate surfaces in a wood block look. They are 10 years old and still in excellent condition. Four large glass cutting boards provide plenty of protected surface for chopping etc. And they only need a wipe with Flash.

We changed our kitchen just over a year ago and considered granite or corian worktops until we took the cost into account. It came to a toss up between having four expensive curved end cabinets, or granite worktops, and the cabinets won out. We have wood effect worktops which are very hard wearing, easy to keep clean and look smart. Granite would have looked better, but hey ho. Something had to give. DD has a huge kitchen with solid wood worktops and they look lovely, but are a bit high maintenance.

Like coolgran I also use glass cutting boards.

We had a new kitchen a couple of years ago, we were advised against granite worktops as apparently they mark easily as far as hot pans are concerned. As an alternative silestone, a quartz, was suggested by the kitchen company. I love it, it's so easy to wipe down, I would recommend it and if I move house and have a new kitchen I would definitely have a quartz surface again.

I also have the wood effect laminate. I did use glass cutting boards until a heavy canister fell out of a cabinet and shattered it into a thousand pieces. The other one is now used only as a worktop protector under the kettle and toaster.

I have mottled black laminate and it is looking very tired.In the utility room I have wood block effect laminate and that looks really good but it doesn't get the wear that the kitchen worktops do. They will have to last as I couldn't go through all the hassle of a new kitchen again.

I hate cutting onto glass, it makes me go all funny!

I think I would hate it too.
Surely cutting onto glass blunts the knives??

Another one watching here. We have moved and are planning new kitchen but I am so indecisive.

I always use wooden boards and never put anything hot directly onto the surfaces so after almost three years our worktops are still in good nick. They cost a lot and the installation was a work of art but when polished up they look fab. I should have known though when the chap installing the kitchen cabinets did that sharp intake of breath/shaking head thing and said he'd had the same surfaces but they drove his wife spare and he had to change them within a year! They never tell you things like that in the brochures, do they!

watching too- one day we may be able to replace the kitchen (lol- one day- at the exchange reate as it is could be a long wait)- sil has black granite and says never again- she has broken so many beautiful glasses since her new ktichen was installed, she says she would go back to good quality formica type. No wood either! Ah well, plenty of time at least to decide ;)

I always use wooden boards and put pans on mats but after 15 years of feeding people mine are starting to lift on the joins and chip a bit. I love my kitchen but that definitely needs doing.

DH is in the process of fitting a solid oak worktop in our new kitchen. It looks lovely and I know I will have to do all the sanding and oiling but I don't mind that as I love working with wood.

I did think of laminate but there was such a good deal on eBay I couldn't resist wood.

Mine's grey laminate, very tatty and boring. The kitchen was here when we moved in 19 years ago so I guess it's heading for replacing. The cupboard backs have all warped outwards giving Borrowers, mice (and I hate to think what else) free access.

It's going to be very hard work convincing DH.....I fancy Coriander or granite but £££ is a huge factor.

DD has got solid wood in her fairly new kitchen. It is so beautiful it is hard not to be envious! She did mark it once with something hot, but it doesn't seem to show now. Son-in-law does the oiling. He does keep it looking lovely.

Coriander???
Corian thank you autocorrect [grrhh]