Another vote for Dekton and Sileston Quartz worktops, use them all the time in our projects as so much more forgiving and low maintenance than granite or marble. Agree that Corian is a good option if you have a large island to prevent visible joins, whilst it has other benefits you do need to be very careful when it comes to heat. Vast range of colours and textures in all types nowadays so the type of material shouldn't limit the effect you want to achieve - be that traditional or contemporary. I am always a big advocate that a worktop is an investment, there is no point spending a large sum on a beautiful quality kitchen and then finishing it off with a worktop that won't stand up to time as well as the rest of the room or cheapen the look - I always recommend to go for the best you can afford.

Love your kitchen, you’ve done a great job, not only does the kitchen look good, it’s totally practical, drawers are the way forward, even if they are more expensive than cupboards. I’ve just redone a kitchen in a house we rent out, the old one was finally falling apart. I was going to go to Howdens and use the joiner etc we knew, but in the end we used a small local company, which cost us £300 more, but the quality of their interior cabinets and doors was so outstanding, plus they could do everything, including tiling, we went with them. We didn’t change the floor, but did everything necessary, I’m hoping it lasts well and our tenants look after it!

Quartz if you can afford it. No sealing, no heat sensitivity although I use trivets just a quick wipe and it looks new. I've had white Silestone in three houses. Can't fault it. It always looks clean and bright.

What is the material of the actual worktop? It sounds like laminate from your description. You could try and paint it but its a heavily used and cleaned item so there are no guarantee's that it will stand up to constant use even with the correct primer. I think its a waste of time and money but if you are aware that it is unlikely to work then its your choice. I would just live with it until you can afford to change it.