There are so many materials available for kitchen benchtops nowadays that it can get quite confusing to choose one over the other when you are renovating or building a new pantry. You can always get a recommendation from your kitchen renovation company about the materials that are best suited for your home.
Make sure that you do some research regarding materials for your new kitchen benchtops so that you understand what fits your work method the best. Engineered stone is a popular kitchen benchtop material and this is also called engineered quartz. This is not a natural material. It is a composite material that is artificially produced by bonding crushed quartz with polymer resin. There are different styles such as natural stone colours and flat colours. There are mid and high-priced engineered stone options. It is a material that is very easy to maintain because it is resistant to scratches and is non-porous. However, when it comes to large surfaces, you will be able to see the visible grout joints and sometimes the exposed edges can chip. Make sure you go for polished or gloss surfaces as matt surfaces are very hard to clean.
Granite is another common material used for benchtops and it is a very dense material that alludes to its durability. There are many different types of granite and you will see differences in the grain patterns, colours, and hues. This is a natural igneous rock. It is very easy to maintain the granite and you don’t need to worry about it getting scratched, stained, or damaged by heat. There is a wide range of prices when it comes to this. Because it is a natural material, you will not be able to find similar-looking slabs for a large surface area.
Marble is a classic material for benchtops and it is a natural stone. This means you can’t replicate the design of one marble in another and the slabs will always be unique. However, marble is a porous material and therefore quite difficult to maintain unless you are very diligent. You can seal the surface from time to time but there will always be some imperfections. Marble is quite expensive and it has an elegant aesthetic. Because it is quite a soft material it can chip easily.
Solid surface is an acrylic-based material and this is a material that is known for its high level of hygiene. You can find these in commercial kitchens as well. The benefit of using a solid surface is that the edges between two slabs will not be noticeable as you can join them seamlessly. You can even create a seamless kitchen sink out of the same material so that the benchtop can flow into the sink without any boundary. They are easy to maintain and will not stain easily. They can be scratched but you can easily re-polish the material to achieve the original finish. There are different colours and patterns available for this material and it is in the mid and high range market.