How to choose the best kitchen worktop for you

The best kitchen worktop is one that will be practical, functional and use the entire look and theme of one's kitchen so it's worth considering what'll look great in your kitchen design early on.

In addition to the functional aspect, budget will of course enter into play when choosing the very best kitchen worktop for your space. And with plenty of kitchen worktop materials available on the market it can be quite a tiny minefield picking the right one. Kitchen worktops can be quite a real focal point, plus you'll be considering it every day so you'll would like to get it right!

From pocket-friendly laminate to warm, rich wood; from industrial steel to top end marble, we've pulled together the pros and cons of the greatest kitchen overlay worktops available.

When finding the most effective kitchen worktop for your room it's recommended to start by asking yourself a couple of questions about how you employ your kitchen. It'll help you gauge which form of worktop materials to take into account that'll complement both how you employ your kitchen and the type of it.

How often do you cook and prepare food?
Do you employ lots of pans when cooking and need a worktop that'll cope with hot pans?
Who uses the kitchen? Is it a household space? Can you entertain a great deal?
Do you want easy to clean materials, with little upkeep?
Wooden kitchen worktops do need a lot more looking after (particularly after installation), for example, so make maintenance a vital consideration.

And, if you like to pop your hot pans straight on your kitchen worktops as opposed to the hob or perhaps a trivet you then might choose for a temperature resistant, natural material like granite for your kitchen worktop (although care should still be studied to avoid thermal shock).

Glossy materials will highlight grubby marks so if you've little hands making their mark throughout the house know that you could be wiping the surface down a fair bit.

What are the various kinds of worktop material?
While we haven't listed each form of worktop material below, we've highlighted the most frequent you will find in modern kitchens, so you may make an informed decision on the most effective ones to consider for your kitchen.

Hardwood – Hardwood is really a beautiful kitchen worktop material that's less costly to purchase than natural stone and some acrylic. You will find wood worktops in all kinds of striking colours and grain styles, and no two pieces are ever the same. The largest downside is that natural wood stains and scratches easily. In addition, it requires maintenance at the least twice a year to help keep it in a great condition.

Laminate – That is essentially the most versatile worktop material, as it can certainly be manufactured to appear like other materials but doesn't cost as much. Laminate can also be easy to maintain and clean and is antibacterial, provided that it's not badly damaged. The key downside is that the buying price of laminate can vary. The less you spend, the less natural your worktop will look. Moreover, laminate never quite feels exactly like a natural or composite worktop.

Composite/quartz/acrylic – Man-made composite materials are crafted from natural ground minerals which are combined with resin or acrylic for a tough, non-porous finish. The very best composite and acrylic worktops offer all of the charm and unique appearance of natural material with no maintenance. Acrylic worktops, sometimes called by the brand name Fenix or Corian, may not at all times be as expensive as quartz blends, so are a better choice if you're looking to spend less.