It’s a huge decision, choosing a material for your kitchen countertops. Huge both in terms of cost and in their impact on the aesthetics and practical function of your kitchen. Top-end, premium kitchen countertop materials are a significant part of a kitchen remodeling budget. A well-chosen countertop makes your kitchen more useful and easier to maintain, and it can also serve as an important design element of your kitchen.

The range of materials that can be used for kitchen countertops is amazingly diverse, and some materials on the list may be surprising to you. Each material has its advantages and disadvantages, all of which need to be weighed when choosing. The more esoteric materials, such as bamboo, zinc, and stainless steel, may prove to be too expensive and hard to maintain for most people. For most homeowners, the more practical options will include materials such as slab granite, engineered stone (quartz), solid surface material, as well as traditional laminates and ceramic tile.

However, rule nothing out until you learn a little more about each option.

Laminate

Laminate countertops are formed from a thin layer of plastic laminate material bonded to a core of particleboard of MDF (medium-density fiberboard). Laminates are made by many manufacturers, including Formica and Wilsonart, and hundreds of color and style options exist.

Pros

• Most affordable.
• Installation is an easy DIY project when you install pre-fabricated (post-form) countertop sections.
• Great variety is possible if you build a countertop from scratch using designer laminates. Thousands of colors and patterns are available.

Cons

• Laminates are considered “cheap” by some home buyers; they may be a drawback when you try to sell your home.
• Laminates can peel up, chip, and scorch easily.
• They can feel hollow and lightweight compared to other materials.

Bottom Line

Although once considered the black sheep of the countertop industry, laminates are now available in such diversity that they are making a big comeback. Don’t overlook laminates until you see what is available.

Ceramic Tile

Ceramic tile countertops are made from individual clay-based tiles adhered over a cement-board core using thin-set mortar adhesives. For kitchen countertops, grout seams make tile a less-than-ideal countertop material, but newer ceramic and porcelain tiles are available in large sizes that can help minimize the number of seams and make for easier upkeep.

Pros

• Tile is second only to laminate as an inexpensive countertop material.
• Ceramic tile is relatively easy for a DIYer to install.
• Modern porcelain types offer diverse design options – porcelain tiles can look like natural wood, real stone, and many other materials.

Cons

• Grout seams are easily stained and are hard to clean.
• Ceramic tile is brittle and prone to cracking. Repair is difficult, requiring full replacement of damaged tiles.

Bottom Line 

Ceramic tile countertops are a good option for DIYers seeking to save money, and newer porcelain and glass tiles give a much wider range of design options than ever before. But tile in any form requires a lot of maintenance, and the many grout seams can be a headache to keep clean.

Granite Slab

Many types of natural stone are popular choices for kitchen countertops, and of these, the most popular option in a countertop made from a solid slab of granite. Beginning life as a quarried slab natural stone, granite countertops are fabricated to specification and installed by professional crews.

Pros

• Solid granite slabs make very heavy and durable countertops.
• No two pieces of granite are alike, making each countertop entirely unique.
• Considered a premium building material, granite countertops tend to improve home real estate values.
• No-seam countertops are usually possible.

Cons

• Granite is a fairly expensive material.
• Like many other types of natural stone, granite requires periodic sealing in order to protect it from stains.
• Granite is not a DIY-friendly material – it must be installed by pros.

Bottom Line

Of the natural stone options, granite slabs are the most popular, and for good reason. Solid granite slabs make very heavy and durable countertops and improve home values. Slabs are a better choice than the other granite options – modular granite and granite tile.

Modular Granite

A less expensive option for homeowners who want granite, or those you want the cost savings of installing granite themselves, is modular granite. Modular granite occupies a niche halfway between solid slabs and granite tiles. Modular granite can be described as large tile pieced together to form a countertop. Although still weighty, modular pieces are lighter than slabs, making them a decent DIY option.

Pros

• Possible to install by a homeowner. The hardest part is hefting the slabs around.
• Inexpensive by granite countertop standards.

Cons

• These countertops will still have some seams and will not look like solid slabs.
• Modular slabs are considerably thinner than solid slabs, and they can be cracked or broken.
• Like solid granite, period sealing is necessary to protect against stains.

Bottom Line 

While modular granite does offer DIYers an opportunity to install granite countertops, they are somewhat inferior in look and performance to solid slabs. Further, DIY installation is harder than it first appears.

Marble

Another natural stone option that is in high demand for countertops is marble, although it has limitations that should be recognized in the kitchen applications. Marble’s unique appearance and veined patterns make it one of the most attractive of all natural stone that MUST be carefully and repeatedly sealed if used for kitchen countertops. Like granite, marble is available in three forms – Solid slabs, modular marble, and marble tiles. As with granite, solid slabs are the best choice for countertops.

Pros

• Marble has a natural veining that makes it the most beautiful of all natural stone.
• Because each slab has slightly different veining, each marble countertop will be entirely unique.

Cons

• Marble is porous and can be easily stained unless it is regularly sealed with a top-quality sealing product.
• A relatively soft stone, marble is easily scratched by knives and other kitchen utensils.
• Like most natural stone, marble is a rather expensive material for large expanses.

Bottom Line

Although a uniquely beautiful choice, marble is a relatively soft and porous stone that has drawbacks when used in kitchens. A better choice might be granite, and engineered stone, or solid-surface material that resembles marble.

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