Best Countertops to Install in Your Kitchen

Choosing the ideal countertops for your kitchen renovation or new construction project is an exciting endeavor. With so many options to consider from natural stone to engineered quartz to eco-friendly recycled materials, it can also feel overwhelming to select the perfect surface to suit your home and lifestyle.

Understandably, most homeowners want to end up with countertops that are durable, easy to clean, add beauty to the kitchen, and even increase resale value.

Granite Countertops

Prized for its natural beauty, richness, and timeless appeal, granite reigns supreme as one of the most preferred kitchen countertops today. As an extremely hard stone formed over millions of years under immense heat and pressure, granite brings unmatched surface hardness into the kitchen.

Pros and Cons of Granite

Granite looks stunning and makes an instant style statement in any kitchen. Available in a diverse array of colors from bold blacks and vibrant greens to warm tans and cooler grays, granite offers immense design flexibility. Busy patterns with dramatic veining or subtle earth tones suit both traditional and contemporary spaces.

As one of the most durable options, granite stands up beautifully to decades of use. Nonporous and highly resistant to chips, cracks, heat, and scratches, granite countertops rarely need replacements. Moderately priced compared to some materials, granite adds excellent value by boosting aesthetics and functionality.

On the downside, granite requires yearly sealing to prevent stains from oils and acidic liquids. Patterns and color variations mean replacing a damaged section poses challenges. Granite also needs careful installation to avoid cracking and may harbor bacteria without meticulous cleaning.

Cost of Granite Countertops

A bargain compared to some premium surfaces, expect to budget $60-$150 per square foot installed for granite. Unique designer granites run higher. Edge treatments, cutouts, and other customizations also increase costs. While more affordable than quartz or natural marble, granite costs exceed laminates.

Granite Colors and Finishes

From sophisticated grays like Absolute Black and Ubatuba to vivid emeralds in Green Guatemala or Verde Butterfly, granite looks incredible in every hue. Whites, tans, browns, vibrant red, steely blues, warm beiges, and rich creams guarantee a granite to coordinate with any color scheme.

Both polished and honed finishes work beautifully on granite. Polished offers maximum sparkle and shine while honed provides a soft matte texture. Consider a leathered finish for added luxury. Match the edges to your cabinets for a streamlined look.

Quartz Countertops

If you love the look of natural stone but not the required upkeep, engineered quartz, offers an outstanding alternative. Consisting of ground quartz stone combined with polyester resins, pigments, and binders, quartz makes an exceptionally functional and versatile surface.

Benefits of Quartz

Quartz flaunts the aesthetics of stone coupled with excellent durability and resistance to moisture, impact, heat, scratches and stains. Unlike natural stone, quartz rarely needs resealing and stays looking pristine for years.

With molded manufacturing, quartz installs seamlessly even in large expanses. Attractive patterns mimic luxury marbles and granites but without annoying maintenance issues. Bacteria resistant and nonporous, quartz also suits hygiene-driven kitchens.

While not totally maintenance-free, quartz needs little care. Simply cleaning with soap and water keeps these surfaces sparkling. Quartz also costs less than natural stone surfaces of equivalent quality.

Quartz Pricing

Prices for quartz start around $70 per square foot but may exceed $100 for exotic varieties. In general, expect quartz to cost 20% to 50% higher than quality granite but with fewer long term care requirements.

Semi-precious Kafka Quartz with crushed agate and mother of pearl costs over $300 per square foot installed! Budget brands offer decent quality for less than $50 per square foot plus professional installation.

Quartz Styles and Patterns

With technology advancing quartz realism, numerous patterns convincingly emulate Carrara marble, vivid gemstones, brick and wood looks. Shimmering metallics, bold geometrics and abstract stone shapes feature too.

Most quartz lines offer a spectrum ranging from whites to blacks with every color in between. Neutral creams, grays and tans interspersed with greens, blues and reddish-browns resemble natural granite and marble.

From subtle Agglomerate Quartz resembling concrete to glass-flecked gems like Blue Macaubus, exciting options exist. Even mirrored glass, seashell and mother of pearl finishes shine.

Solid Surface Countertops

Offering seamless installations across large surface areas, solid surface materials like Corian make smart choices for modern kitchens. Consisting of acrylic, minerals, and pigments, solid surfaces suit demanding environments.

Acrylic Solid Surface Overview

As exceptionally durable, nonporous materials with resistance to stains, solid surfaces need minimal maintenance. Integrated sinks and custom contours install beautifully. Although vulnerable to cuts and scratches, damaged areas sand down and refinish easily.

Moderately priced in the mid-range, solid surfaces cost more than laminates but less than premium natural stone. With deep integral colors and patterns mimicking stone and wood, choices like Avonite and Swanstone suit transitional to contemporary designs.

Cost of Solid Surface Countertops

Prices range widely for solid acrylic and polyester surfaces. Affordable brands cost $40-$60 per square foot. High-end options with unique colors and patterns run $70-$100 installed. Custom edges, built-in sinks, and special shapes increase price.

Although durable, drops and accidents happen. Keep extra sheets for repairs. DIY installation cuts costs but hire experts for a flawless, seamless look.

Solid Surface Durability

Dense nonporous construction makes most solid surface countertops highly resistant to stains, mold, mildew, and moisture damage. Antibacterial options like DuPont Corian inhibit bacterial growth.

Prone to cuts, scratches, and scorches without proper care, solid surface counters need chopping boards and hot pads. Regular cleaning with soap, water, and mild abrasives restores the finish.

Avoid exposing solid surfacing to harsh chemicals and solvents that can damage the material Despite vulnerabilities, Corian, Meganite, and Avonite still last over 15 years with basic care.

Laminate Countertops

As affordable kitchen countertop options, versatile laminates now offer remarkable realism and durability. Melamine resins fuse decorative papers and substrates under intense heat and pressure to form laminate sheets.

Laminate Countertop Advantages

Available in every color and pattern imaginable, laminates cost just a fraction of stone, quartz, or solid surface options. Easy installation makes do-it-yourself projects viable for many homeowners.

Laminates feel surprisingly luxe and mimic stone, metal, and wood beautifully thanks to high definition imaging technology. Scratches and scorches sand out easily using fine grit abrasives while finish renewers restore luster.

Antibacterial laminates inhibit dangerous pathogens between cleanings. Although not heatproof, modern laminates hold up better than traditional options giving homeowners value for money.

Affordable Laminate Options

With big box brands like Formica, Wilsonart, and Nevamar alongside small batch boutique designers, attractive choices start under $10 per square foot. Including professional fabrication and installation, nice laminates cost just $25-$35 per square foot.

For exceptional impact resistance compared to standard laminates, opt for melamine sheets reinforced with aluminum or stainless steel. These cost slightly more but provide unrivaled durability in demanding kitchens.