Kitchen worktops

Terribull I was glad to read your post as after quite a bit of research Quartz seemed be coming out with the best results. I will look further.

That's interesting Cari, no brainer here then !

Mines a laminate in a speckled turquoise colour and goes with the tiles its been in probably 10yrs but I have a thick teak breadboard and many cutting boards which I always use , the only tiny mark is by the sink where I stupidly put a hot pan instead of on the draining board. Its worn very well with no cracks or lifting . It looks great when its just wiped down with flash and buffed up with a dry cloth.

I like the sound of speckled turquoise tanith, I've got very dark grey porcelain floor tiles (and simply hideous green and gold wall tiles inherited not chosen!) so.......
<wanders off to Google new kitchens>

No idea what corian is! our last house had wood, which marked and needed oiling, I think we have some kind of laminate here ( just been to check) in a tabby cat fur kind of colours, it hasn't marked in the eight years we have been here, and I just wipe it over.Brilliant.

The cupboards are all a rich cream shaker style, so the tabby cat colours contrast well.

Watching with interest as we have JUST ordered a new kitchen with wood effect laminate - seems I have chosen well !

Very interesting thread. I am in the process of choosing a new kitchen for the property I will be moving into early next year, and am totally baffled by all the various options available. Interesting and helpful to hear your ideas on work tops, I shall bear them in mind.

A friend who had a lovely new kitchen fitted a couple of years ago has something called Duropal fitted. Didn't like to ask the cost, but have sent for a few samples.

While our house is sorted we're living in rented accommodation and the big-standard laminate fitted here is so easy to clean and looks pretty good

Any I over thinking this?

For me it is laminate every time, easy clean, no maintenance. I have had mine nearly 20 years and they are still in perfect condition.

I would not have granite or marble for environmental reasons. As I understand most of the granite and marble used in worktops is imported from India. This means huge quarries and few health or safety rules to protect the health and safety of workers. Sooner or later granite or marble work surfaces will go out of fashion and what will happen to them? How can they be recycled or re-used? Will this natural irreplaceable resource just be put into landfill sites?

PS are we missing some phot opportunitues here?

big standard bog standard.

This is mine, after eight or so years it still scrubs up well.

Work on the new kitchen came to a grinding (literally) halt this afternoon because the router DH borrowed from a friend to cut out the bit where the Belfast sink will go, turned out to be old and not up to the job.

Off to hire one tomorrow.

#shouldhavedonethatinthefirstplace

Juliette what kind is it?

Like coolgran I also use glass cutting boards.
I was told that they would blunt the knives, so I use wooden ones (and scrub them well afterwards). I just use the glass ones for putting hot dishes on.

I would definitely have a quartz surface again.
I suppose I should!

I would love a new kitchen but it is such a good solid one that we couldn't afford to replace it with anything of similar quality.
My friend has just had a lovely new kitchen with wooden work surfaces but, after reading this thread, I really don't think I want the upkeep of them or granite.

We have laminate iroko wood block effect. Needs a bit of a buff up with tea towel after cleaning but that's all. Goes nicely with cream gloss slab doors.

There is no need to scrub wooden chopping boards - wood is naturally antibacterial!

I didn't know that!
You learn so much on GN

I do keep separate ones for veg, bread and meat.

I do keep separate ones for veg, bread and meat.

I don't

Second kitchen with black granite (we moved) and would never have anything else. It really isnt hard work to look after and we are in a very hard water area. All it needs is a wipe over with method granite spray and a glass cloth, no harder to look after than laminate and far easier than wood.

glass boards put my teeth on edge, like chalk on a blackboard. Wooden board for bread, plastic for meat. I really don't see where the high maintenance comes in with granite........but marble is not recommended for kitchens as can be porous and may stain.

I use a dishwashable red plastic board for meat but don't use separate board for anything else.

I have a wooden work top (light oak) and I love it. Its the second one I've had. You do have to be careful, keep it oiled and not let too much water seep into the parts around the sink area, as it will go black with the damp! But I had this part replaced and now take much better care that its not left soaking wet. It hadn't been oiled enough, when my granddaughter put something on it that left a ring mark, but her daddy came along and simply sanded the mark off, then I re oiled. In fact I will oil it again today, this conversation has reminded me. Not a big job in the scheme of things. . So fingers crossed it'll last longer. It does look lovely.