Granite for me every time.

wood, natural stone , always works, love them to bits, its every where , i would love to try something different ,concrete worktops/breakfast bars,kitchen islands,counter, there's not much off it

I like the warmth and richness that timber can add but it needs to be usd in the right areas to make it lasting, love Granite, such a beautiful and varied natural material, quartz is of course the more sustainable option

I am going for Lapitec, which is supposed to be indestructible - totally heat resistant, will never mark and requires no maintenance. Anyone used it? Feedback welcome as its not too late to change! It is very expensive.

Marble and/or wood are timeless classics and if I'm spending ££££s on worktops then I want to make sure they outrun any trends!

I chose wood, which is annoyingly high maintenance, for environmental reasons. I didn't want to use something that would end up in landfill where it wouldn't biodegrade.

Generally, I prefer to use quartz or stone for the majority of expensive kitchens and wood if there's an island in the plan. Wood near the sink tends to go black with mildew over time or lose it's finish near the water. Marble is great for areas devoted to pastry making, but can be damaged by acidic foods like tomatoes or lemons.

In the majority of kitchens, I use laminates. They are available in such a huge range of textures, reflective finishes, and patterns imitating stone, wood, glass, etc. They clean up beautifully, are unaffected by chemicals and are sensibly priced.

At the end of the day, I use what the scheme calls for and what my clients like.

I used to have wood in my previous house, it was beautiful but it could stain if the wrong type of pot was left on work top. To remove the stain you had to sand and re-oil. It is also very difficult to sand close to a sink or stove. I am now planning a new kitchen in a different house. This time I will have white laminate where to hob and sink is and on the island I hope to have bamboo. One of my siblings have black shiny granit which is dreadful, everything shows up, it is constantly being polished. My other sibling has matt, I think granit, this surface is a little bit less work, but still shows up any little spills or crumbs.

As I said, this time I will have white laminate, it does not cost a fortune, if you have a disaster, it is fairly easy to replace, I think also as you get older, your eyes are maybe not as sharp as before which makes work is easier on a pale surface. On the island I hope to get bamboo, the island has no sink or hob, it will be used as a work surface cum free standing sideboard.

I have just noticed I spelt Granite the Swedish way (granit).

I've got oak worktops, but maintenance is difficult. I oil them every few months but it is starting to look scruffy, especially near the sink, despite mopping up water immediately, I'm going to have them changed for granite in a pale, marble-like shade. My son in law runs a natural stone company and he says the toughest is granite and a better choice than marble which is quite soft and easily damaged.

I feel a quartz is the best all round materials for worktops.

We find quartz or any other composite to be the best quality for the price.

We find Quartz and Composite stones are great alternatives for Natural Stone and good all-rounder worktops for all different styles of Kitchens. Increasingly we are specifying Concrete or Stainless Steel worktops, which are not only very practical but add material interest and texture to the Kitchen colour palette. Here is one of our recent projects where a Concrete worktop was formed around a contemporary handle-less island unit.

Quartz is a man made product which is very durable, resistant to heat and is easy to install.

Quartz is very popular and durable for kitchen worktop. Here is one of our recent project with Quartz worktop shown below. Note that the vein of the marble can be joined continuously from two pieces for a smooth and elegant finish.

Kitchen in Dalston, N16 · More Info

We find Quartz work tops are very popular with our clients.

Has to be granite if you can afford it and you think you're going to stay in the house for a while

we supply all work tops

Quarts worktops are extremely durable and available in a fantastic range of colors and finishes.

Marble works when you have a generous budget and you want the surface to last the test of time!

Wow @Mobalpa Islington what a lovely worktop!

Defiantly find that we would sell a lot of marble, granite and other stone material as they seen to be more hard wearing and durable with a wide range of colours.

Quartz , silestone a winner with our clients at Kontour.

Generally it has to be Quartz, though we do love others, as sometimes they can give the right feel for the design you want. Different metals can look amazing and Quartz can't replicate these. We are just starting a project that has mainly Quartz but one side of the island will be copper . . . Can't wait to see the finished look