Are you feeling like you’re stuck in a design dilemma and can’t choose which material you should use for your kitchen worktops? Kitchen renovations can be daunting with all the decision-making, installations, and costs. Don’t worry – we have all been there. We wouldn’t have written this blog if we hadn’t! If you want to learn more about the characteristics and benefits of different worktops, continue reading… Let us help you to choose the material of your dreams.

What About Quartz?

Quartz is an engineered stone made up of around 95% natural quartz granules and 5% resins and colourants. Because of this makeup, the material can be produced in almost any colour, pattern, and texture. Our brand of Silkstone Quartz features large slabs of uncanny imitations of Marble, Concrete, or Granite. If you choose the right Quartz for your kitchen worktops, your dinner party guests are sure to be dazzled!

If truth be told, Quartz is one of those all-rounders. Not only is the material blessed with good looks, but it also has indisputable practical qualities. It is super-strong and scratch, stain, and heat resistant, and although it’s not everyone’s favourite worktop material, you can’t deny that Quartz is about as functional as you can get!

Smokestack by Silkstone Quartz

Maybe Marble Worktops…

We all wish we could say we have Marble installed in our kitchens! This luxurious stone is formed naturally from Limestone under the heat and pressure in the Earth’s crust. During this process, impurities react and create different variations, resulting in the many incredible displays of colour and unique veining across extra-large slabs, where no two are the same. It’s really no wonder why Marble is so desirable!

However, don’t be disillusioned by Marble’s natural beauty. In reality, this stone does lack functionality. With a naturally porous surface that can easily absorb liquids, the stone is sensitive to stains if not treated properly. Despite that downfall, the material is heat resistant and is the perfect choice for fireplaces and bathrooms rather than kitchens. So, if you are set in stone (pardon the pun) about using Marble in your home, you aren’t limited to kitchen worktops – get creative!

Carrara Marble Quarry

Is Porcelain The Perfect Choice? 

Porcelain is the new kid on the block. Leading brands like Atlas Plan have manufactured large-scale Porcelain slabs that imitate the appearance of materials including, but not limited to, Marble, stone, and even metal. You will seriously be amazed at the stunning replicas Atlas Plan has designed and created, particularly with the state-of-the-art Natura Technology that creates aesthetic continuity across, and within, the body of the slab. Atlas Plan also supplies matching tiles and large-sized cladding ideal for outdoor spaces as well as interiors. See? The possibilities are endless!

Alongside Porcelain’s aesthetics, there are countless practical benefits to this material. Manufactured of natural materials, Porcelain is a strong contender for kitchen worktops due to its indisputable technical performance. The material boasts scratch and stain resistance, and its compactness champions hygiene. So, if you are looking for a durable material that looks the part, Porcelain could be the perfect worktop material for you!

Calacatta Antique by Atlas Plan

Or Is It Good Old Granite?

Lastly, we can’t ignore the characteristics and benefits of Granite for kitchen worktops. The stone is naturally formed from cooling magma, creating that beautiful crystalised appearance that we are all so familiar with. Did you know that the colours and patterns in the material indicate the region and geological conditions that created it? If you choose Granite as your worktop material, you are sure to have a one-of-a-kind statement feature for your kitchen!

Not only is Granite beautiful in nature, but it is also one of the toughest materials known, making it great for outdoor spaces as well as kitchen worktops! Providing the surface is sealed and maintained, its consistently scratch, stain, and heat resistant. Granite is a seriously strong contender for kitchen worktops, but of course, the decision of which material to use for your kitchen worktops is yours to make.

Cosmic Black Granite

The Takeaway

So, back to the question of “what material should I use for my kitchen worktops?”. Well, now you know the various characteristics and benefits of different materials, the last thing to do is consider your needs. What do you want from your kitchen worktops? How do you want it to look? How easy is it to care for? All these questions are crucial in your decision-making process and will help you select the surface of your dreams. 

Until then, don’t be shy! Get in touch and speak to a member of our team for more advice. Of course, the decision is always yours to make. We are just here to help you on your journey.