Once you have decided on the kitchen cabinet style, the most important thing is to choose which benchtop you will use. Imagining that you make cook preparation on the benchtop, you need to take cost, aesthetics, and maintenance into consideration. So, of course, you need to get this choice right. This article will introduce the kitchen cabinet benchtops in detail.
Benchtop materials
Different benchtop materials have their advantages and disadvantages. We need to know those features first, then make the decision.
1. Engineered stone benchtops( quartz stone)
Quartz stone is the most popular choice of benchtop materials. The material is quartz ( or sometimes granite) granules, marble dust, or glass chips mixed with a resin or polyester base. It is a hard-wearing, beautiful material and is available in various colors and patterns.
The prons
Bacteria resistant:Lower water absorption than granite(0.03% VS 1%), less moisture allows for fewer bacteria to infiltrate the stone, giving you a nice, clean kitchen counter.
Stain-resistant:Low absorption rate resists staining: coffee, wine, fruits, and other liquids.
Fading resistant:High quartz content( 90%-92%). It does not react chemically with alkaline, acids-juices, colas, vinegars-as marble and granites often do.
Scratch-resistant:Hardness is similar to most granites and much harder than marble and limestone. Quality and safety are always our top priorities.
The cons
It can be prone to chipping. The costs are different from colors from pure white to imitations of natural marble.
2. Laminate benchtops
Laminate is layers of paper over chipboard, plywood, or MDF. For the laminate board, always use the Formica brand here
The pros: Laminate has the widest range of colors and designs. It can imitate expensive materials such as timber, stone, and even concrete. It is staining resistant and easy to keep clean. Laminate is the most wallet-friendly benchtop option.
The cons: Laminate is slightly porous, so maybe leave a stain. Laminate can also chip if something heavy drops on it. And if the melamine coating layer broke, water can seep in, causing the chipboard underneath to expand.
3. Garanite benchtops
Granite is a relatively coarse-grained type of igneous rock. It is widely applied to construction, and it is particularly prized in its polished form as a benchtop surface. Granite is the second most expensive benchtop surface behind marble and is arguably the most attractive.
The pros:
Hard and Strong: Granite is hard and strong. Despite this, it is still highly unlikely to sustain damage during normal usage as a benchtop.
Heat and Fire Resistant :Granite resists heat and shouldn’t discolor when a hot pan is placed on it.
Low Porosity When Sealed :Granite should resist absorbing liquids once be sealed.
Wide Range of Finishes : Granite comes in many different shades and patterns, although these are limited to naturally occurring colors.
The cons:
Regular Sealing : Granite is naturally porous. So it will need to be sealed to resist staining and have to repeat every so often. It is far more resistant to chipping and scratching. And it needs a significant budget.
4. Marble
Marble is a gorgeous, natural stone. And it
is widely applied to kitchens as a benchtop and splashback material.
The pros: It’s really beautiful and unique. Being a natural material, the patterns of the stone will make your kitchen feel one of a kind.
The cons: It is a natural stone, so the cost is much higher. Marble is usually even more expensive than granite. Marble lacks the durability of granite and has a tendency to stain, chip, crack, and scratch. It is sensitive to acidic foods and spills need to be wiped up quickly.
5. Solid surface benchtops
Solid surface benchtops are acrylic options that offer the visual appeal of natural stone, without the seams. Hygienic, non-porous and renewable, they are also great for people who want an environmentally friendly kitchen.
The Pros: It looks seamless and clean. A solid surface is easy to clean and remove the staining easily. Benchtops can be repaired by a professional if you manage to scratch or dint it. They’re also UV resistant, which can be an outdoor cabinet. You can repair marks, stains, cigarette burns, or scratches easily. Corian is the best known amongst the makers of acrylic surfaces.
The Cons: The downsides are that it is not as heat resistant as stone. You can not put anything hot down directly onto any surface.
6. Timber benchtop
If using a wood benchtop, it will make the kitchen look softer. It looks in both modern and traditional kitchens.
The Pros: There are wood options, from mid to high-end exotic timber. You can refinish the surface with oil or polyurethane. Timber is often an environmentally friendly material. And the beauty of the timber can also improve with life and age.
The Cons: The surface porous is not quite as hygienic as other materials. It will need some regular maintenance to preserve its appearance. You reapply oil to remain effective.
7. Stainless steel benchtop
Stainless steel may be the choice of a professional chef in a commercial environment. If you are a true home cook or prefer the industrial look, stainless steel can be a good solution.
The Prons:It is stain-resistant, cool to the touch, durable, and heat resistant. And it is a hygienic option. The sinks can be fully integrated, so there will be no small cracks or seams for grime to get stuck in.
The Cons: The visible scratches and fingerprints on the surface may make you crazy. It’s not resistant to scratching if a big hit on the surface.
8. Porcelain benchtop( sintered stone)
It is known as sintered compact surfaces and is very new to the kitchen markets
The Pros: The porcelain benchtop can imitate natural materials, such as timber, concrete, marble, etc. The surface is easy to clean, scratch-resistant, and able to use indoors or outdoor.
The Cons: The porcelain benchtop is brittle, and is pronto cracking and chipping. Also, the cost is expensive, even though the cost is higher than marble and granite.
What should you look for in a benchtop?
You need to take the cost, material, and aesthetics into consideration. Here we will discuss those factors in detail.
1. Budget
Firstly, we need to know your budget before looking at benchtop materials. Knowing how much you spend will help you to narrow your options. Otherwise, we will waste much time looking for a benchtop that is not within our cost range. Once we get an idea of the budget, we also need to think about the benchtop materials and their performance.
2. Material
If we always cook. Maybe the marble is not a good choice because it is porous and easy to stain if not clean in time. The laminate, timber, and marble also can not bear that. So if we use laminate, timber, or marble, you need to buy pot rests. We need to combine our cooking style and habits with different benchtop material performance. Then choose a suitable benchtop material.
3. Aesthetic
Once we chose the benchtop material, then we need to confirm the benchtop pattern. Neutrals in both cool and warm tones will suit most kitchens. Benchtops can either provide a strong color change or the same color with cabinets. The white face pattern is very popular are gives us a timeless, classic look. Also, one different benchtop color can give the kitchen a nice lift. Cosyhome is able to provide 3D drawings to help clients to get a rough idea of their cabinets. It would make the clients’ kitchen to be more imaginable and vivid.
Some details need to pay attention to
1. Customized benchtop production
Cosyhome can provide customized benchtop CAD drawings for production.
The benchtop CAD drawing marked the detail measurement, like the exposed side, sinkhole measurement, etc. The benchtop production drawing will mark all details. Then we will send this to the client to double-check before the final production.
2. Sink open measurement
Firstly, we need to decide on the sink
installation way( top-mounted or under-mounted). Then if we provide the sink,
the sinkhole will open based on the real thing. If clients get the sink by
themself, the client only needs to advise the installation way and share the
detailed sink measurement with us. That’s all, easy for
clients.
3. Front edge thickness of benchtop
Take the quartz stone benchtop, for example, Cosyhome provides 20mm thickness quartz stone, and for the front edge thickness, we do 40mm in normal. Here Cosyhome shares the pictures for reference. Also, Cosyhome can provide a thicker front edge, like 80mm, 100mm, etc.
4 .Joint of the front edge and waterfall benchtop
Cosyhome can provide a different joint way, a most common way is mitred joint, which makes it more jointless. Here are the detailed pictures for checking. Also,
5 .Benchtop package
If stone benchtops, Cosyhome will provide a very stable plywood package to protect them. And inside the foam to protect them carefully. Currently, Cosyhome has finished thousands of projects, and no clients feedback that there is a broken benchtop.
6 .Double checking before delivery
After production, our QC will inspect all the measurements and details based on the final benchtop production CAD drawing. If any issue, we will solve it as quickly at the factory, never let this problem arrive at the clients’ job site. After making sure all the benchtops are good and put into plywood package.
7 .The benchtop pattern samples
Cosyhome will provide the benchtop catalog for choosing the pattern. Then we will share more detailed pictures( other clients’ finished project feedback, whole slab pictures), to make the client know more about the benchtop they will use. If needed a benchtop sample, we can send it to you by international express.
