The Kitchen Counter Top is What You Might Call as the Backbone of the Kitchen

Popular kitchen counter-top materials

The kitchen countertop is what you might call as the backbone of your kitchen. The one that takes on the entire burden, from hot pans to piles of flour to chopping and cutting. Your countertop must be inviting, giving you a nice clean slate upon which to work that culinary magic, but it’s also got to be extremely strong, willing and capable of taking on all the heat, grease and chopping that magic needs.

So, if you’re making a new home or remodeling your kitchen, make sure that you choose the right base for it. But given the many choices in the market today, choosing the material for your countertop can be a bit of a challenge. While you contemplate, we have a list ready for you already! So, here are the top 6 materials that you can definitely vouch for:

1.Granite

There’s a reason why this is the most popular choice when it comes to Indian cooking. For one, the price is very reasonable. Secondly, granite can take on everything from hot pans to hotter spills. It’s not very likely to get scratched and chipped, and quick wipe-down can leave it looking almost as good as new. Make sure your granite is sealed to avoid stains, and keep the weight in mind – your cabinet supports need to withstand a considerable load. While the traditional black is a favorite with most but you can try a different color for variation or choose between polished and non-polished version.

2. Solid Surface

For those who are a little less traditionalist in their outlook, and would like their kitchens to reflect it, the solid surface is a contemporary innovation that might support their style. Made from polyester and acrylic, a solid surface can give you those popping colors and bright surfaces to match your eclectic tastes. It’s easy to maintain but might not turn out to be the most practical option in the long run, as it’s susceptible to cuts and heat. Indian cooking might not accommodate such delicacy. Also, you might find yourself missing that natural touch.

3.Stainless Steel

If you’ve gazed enviously at those cooking shows where white-clad chefs work in those spotless stainless steel countertops, you might want to consider having one in your own kitchen. Keep in mind that for this to look good, your interiors have to match. Make your designs modern, angular, minimalist. As for durability, you can’t get much stronger than stainless steel. However, keep in mind, the cost factor is relatively high and you might get a little tired sometimes of all that clanging and banging sounds

4. Marble

There’s no denying of marble’s aesthetic value. So, if granite isn’t good for you and your budget expands to cover it, marble is another option. The subtlety of the patterns & those delicate whites, combined with the cool solid durability of stone, makes marble not only one of the sturdy choices for kitchen countertop materials but also stylish. The only hitch is that marble is susceptible to stains. It might not be so pretty when it’s discolored and hence its maintenance is high.

5. Tiles

If quirky is your style, then maybe you’d like a touch of the unusual and bring tiles into your kitchen countertop. They come in bright colours, they can prove quite reasonable when it comes to price and they have a distinctive, country-cottage charm. However, you might find the uneven surface a little hard to work with and cleaning up might not prove so charming.

6. Laminates

Laminated countertops can give you both the contemporary oddity of style, or simply replicate a more classic wood or stone finish. Either way, you can be sure that you’ll cut down hugely on your costs by choosing a laminated surface. It’s easy to clean and lightweight, reducing the load on the cabinet supports. A word of caution though- laminates can stain, scratch and get burn marks from hot pans. The upper layer can peel off due to wear and tear and moisture build-up. Again, factor in some heavy-duty Indian cooking and you might not find this as the most viable option.

And now that you are armed with the right knowledge about kitchen countertop, choose it wisely and in style. The trick with counter tops, perhaps, is to find what you can work with first, and then figure out how to make it look good.