If you want a low maintenance, hard wearing worktop, I’d definitely say Quartz. Some of the lower band prices are comparable to mid range granites so it’s not always much more expensive. The main bonus of quartz is that it is less porous so if a guest spills red wine or a teenager leaves curry on it, you have around 4-6 hours leeway before it may stain compared to 2-4 hours of granite. Also because of the materials it is made of it is naturally antibacterial. However, granite is great if you want something totally unique as no worktop will be exactly like yours as it is dug straight out of the earth.
Talk to your companies about price bands but as a rule of thumb, darker colours and those with random pattern are cheaper than white marble effect quartz. So if your heart is on something light, perhaps granite is the way to go to keep it in budget.

Thanks for your responses.

@covey kitchens - I think we're leaning towards quartz over granite for eco reasons. Any recommendations for quartz brands or are they all pretty similar? We do prefer a white/grey colour, good to know it's more expensive (but I wish we didn't have expensive taste!)

Hi Bry R!

Choosing a kitchen worktop is a very personal choice where a couple of factors come into play. You will need to consider and prioritise: budget, look/feel, durability, usage/sensitivity.

Leaving budget out for a second we reviewed your 3 materials Quartz, laminate and concrete for you:

Quartz - Beautiful stone that can be used anywhere, even near the hob and sink. On the durability side, it is a very tough stone ( especially in composite form) that is more durable than many other natural stones. Also potential scratches can be sanded out if needed! Very easy to maintain.

Concrete - It looks amazing. But in our opinion, a kitchen is more practical than just an aesthetic feature… but this is very personal! Concrete is more sensitive to staining of food and water. So either you need to use a food-grade sealer, get out the chopping board, or order takeaway! Concrete can also be sensitive to scratching. Last but not least given that it is heavy, you might need to rethink about your cabinetry for reinforcement.

Laminate - Very flexible and can be used for all surfaces. Can also mimic any natural materials you like ( even concrete!). It is very sensitive to heat and you cannot test your vegetable cutting on it! But apart from that it is pretty resistant to stains and chemicals. Its cost even allows you to change the look of your kitchen with just changing the worktop in couple of years time, without breaking the bank.

If your budget stretches it, we would advise the quartz unless you love the look of concrete and you don’t mind giving a bit more care and love to this stunning beauty in your home!

If you want more tips and tricks for Home Improvements, check out our blog blog.opun.co.uk

Kind regards,

Opun

Thanks @opun - we’ve decided on quartz and visited a shop today.
You’re right, concrete is better to look at than use!

@Bry R please do send us a picture of what you went with :-)