kitchen countertop- concrete, Corian, other?

[FLATHEAD]

Granite.

 

[KenLee]

Laminate. Cheap. Lasts forever with zero upkeep. Anything else is a waste of gun $.

 

[Yoder]

Oh also if you are selecting your countertop color off of a 12”x12” square sample of a shelf at a store be very cautious as that sample was probably cut a year ago and the lot it was cut from is long gone so that sample will more then likely be a different shade and have different veining.

We went to a local place that specialized in Granite. We picked the actual slab they used for our counter. They were cheaper than Lowes or Home Depot.

 

[CHWine]

We did a full house remodel a couple years ago and went with quartz. It's spendy, but I had no issues with it.

Built a new house here in AZ and used granite. Cheaper than quartz and more interesting looking.

 

[Zdub02]

We have granite in our kitchen and love it. Hot pans go directly on it. Easy to clean. Haven't had any issues with chipping or staining. My parents have granite in their house as well and have 0 complaints or issues with theirs over the years. I would highly recommend it.

 

[justin davis]

We are getting some Quartz in a few days. From my research it seems quartz is No maintenance compared to some of the other ones.

 

[ramsdude47]

I miss my quartz countertops from my previous house.

We redid the hideous laminate ones here with butcher block, and they look great but are kind of a PITA.

 

[Btaylor]

I did t&g stained pine right over the formica for ours and topped with a bartop epoxy. Cant set hot stuff on it but we like it.

 

[dylanvb]

We went to a local place that specialized in Granite. We picked the actual slab they used for our counter. They were cheaper than Lowes or Home Depot.

That’s the way to do it. Most people just see what Home Depot and Lowe’s have and buy from them not knowing that once you lock in that contract you can’t go around them. I wish more people knew to avoid them.

 

[7mm-08]

We did a whole-house remodel in 2019. My wife and daughter wanted quartz in the kitchen and that's the direction we went. Our island is a full slab of quartz that matches our counters and we love it. You and your wife really have to decide on the look you want. Granite is an awesome kitchen surface and as a natural stone, has greater character than quartz (in my opinion). Exotics (marble and soapstone) were not in our lane out of maintenance/staining considerations. Good luck with your decision.

 

[shader112]

If you want to save some $ look into epoxy coatings. I had a guy come and refinish a countertop in a rental of mine and it turned out great for about $900

 

[journeyman713]

I'd stay away from the manmade products in the kitchen (Quartz, Corian), they wear, and a hot pan will burn them.
I'd also stay away from Marble, it too soft for this application and will scratch (good for walls only).

Granite and Quartzite are natural stones and a good choice, both are tough as nails, you could cut a pizza, or put a hot pan directly on them. I'd recommend them both.
Quartzite tends to have lighter color combinations, this is what I went with in my indoor kitchen for that reason. Granite is just as good and I put them in my bathrooms, and outdoor kitchen/pub area.

When making your selection, work with an installer that tells you who their wholesaler is. Go there, and pick out the slabs you want, tell them work with your installer on shipment. Every slab is different.

You can give a rough measurement for an estimate, but for a big kitchen, a good installer will come out and laser measure the exact profile. This accounts for any corners that aren't exactly 90*, and long wall lengths that may vary in straightness. The granite is cut on a water-jet machine to the laser measurements, and will fit perfectly, like a puzzle piece.

 

[Marbles]

If you get butcher block, find a true hardwood block. The stuff at Lowe's and Home Depot is soft garbage. By soft, I can dig wood out with my fingernail.

I did a polyurethane seal rather than oil.

As I got mine at Home Depot, I will probably be redoing them in a few years.

The single basin stainless steel sink is awesome though, I highly recommend them.

 

[displacedtexan]

I'd stay away from the manmade products in the kitchen (Quartz, Corian), they wear, and a hot pan will burn them.
I'd also stay away from Marble, it too soft for this application and will scratch (good for walls only).

Granite and Quartzite are natural stones and a good choice, both are tough as nails, you could cut a pizza, or put a hot pan directly on them. I'd recommend them both.
Quartzite tends to have lighter color combinations, this is what I went with in my indoor kitchen for that reason. Granite is just as good and I put them in my bathrooms, and outdoor kitchen/pub area.

When making your selection, work with an installer that tells you who their wholesaler is. Go there, and pick out the slabs you want, tell them work with your installer on shipment. Every slab is different.

You can give a rough measurement for an estimate, but for a big kitchen, a good installer will come out and laser measure the exact profile. This accounts for any corners that aren't exactly 90*, and long wall lengths that may vary in straightness. The granite is cut on a water-jet machine to the laser measurements, and will fit perfectly, like a puzzle piece.

The only thing I'd add is to not immediately be suspicious of people who aren't laser measuring, or confident in someone who is.

The lasers are great, but there's still some old school shops doing great work making templates. And we have a local shop that loves their laser, but it's clear that none of their employees know how to use it. They have more mistakes than any other shop I've seen, by a large margin.

But they definitely need to be making a template, not just measuring.

 

[SuperDUECE22]

I love my granite countertops and would recommend them to anybody.

 

[Weldor]

I did .187 308 stainless steel, pricey but with a grained finish does well. Small kitchen though.

 

[MallardSX2]

Quartz.

Its high as hell but its durable and SUPER easy to clean.

 

[sahunter06]

Granite
16 years in home
14 years in basement bar
No issues at all.

 

[hh76]

Based on advice from my father, who was a custom home builder, we went cheaper with laminate. 9 years old now, and I am so happy we didn't spend more for anything else.

 

[grfox92]

Based on advice from my father, who was a custom home builder, we went cheaper with laminate. 9 years old now, and I am so happy we didn't spend more for anything else.

Custom home builder here. Granite has been close to or more expensive then entire cabinet packages lately. Custom locally built cabinets too.

I've personally done concrete countertops a few times and love how they turn out. Most important thin with concrete is to mix it as dry and thick as you can to prevent shrinking and cracking.

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