What Are The Best Kitchen Countertop Materials?

Kitchen countertops are one of the most important features of your kitchen, in both design and function. They provide the workspace where you prepare food and act as decor in their own right. They can brighten up a kitchen, tie together your aesthetic in the room, and so much more.

However, when you're choosing what kind of material to use for your kitchen countertops, there are a lot of options to think about and different features that you should consider. Each material behaves a little differently and has different pros and cons that may make a material better or worse for your home, depending on how you cook and use your kitchen.

We'll talk about some of the most popular materials for kitchen countertops in this article, and the most important points we think you should consider when putting in new countertops!

Granite

Granite is a popular material that most everyone is familiar with, especially as a kitchen countertop! It's a natural stone that is very durable and resistant to heat, meaning you can place hot pots and pans on the stone without worrying too much about putting down a trivet or hot pad. You can also do quite a bit of cooking on these countertops and bang them up a bit without making any knicks or scratches.

Granite has been a sign of a luxury kitchen for awhile, and it is becoming more and more common in mid-range homes. And while it has a lot of benefits, there are some drawbacks and maintenance considerations that do come along with granite.

Because granite is a natural stone, and there usually isn't much treating done to the stone slabs before installation, they do require periodic sealing in order to prevent stains. Depending on how you seal your countertops, it may be something that you need to do every 6-12 months, or every 2-3 years. Granite sealing is a pretty easy DIY job, you can just pop down to your local hardware store and grab some granite sealer! The instructions and information are usually located right on the package, so you should be good to go!

Another drawback of Granite is the price. While it isn't the most expensive or luxurious material for a kitchen, it is one of the more expensive options, especially compared to some of the other materials that are man made.

Marble

Marble is another great natural stone choice that has been used for many, many years in kitchen countertops and other rooms in the home. Just like granite, it's quite resistant to heat and it comes in a wide range of patterns and colors.

However, marble is also quite a more expensive choice for your countertops, with the average cost per square foot ranging from $50 to $150, which is a little higher than most granite.

Marble is also quite softer than granite, which means it can scratch and stain easily. This means you may need to spend more time and money maintaining your marble countertops when compared to other materials. It is also prone to damage from acidic juices and substances like lemon juice or vinegar, so you would want to be a bit more careful while cooking and baking on marble countertops.

Quartz

Quartz is another popular choice that has become increasingly common in kitchens! It's an engineered, man-made stone that makes easy to clean countertops that are resistant to scratches and stains! Because it's man-made, you can find quartz in almost any color or pattern that you want, so you can easily find an option that matches the rest of your kitchen!

Unlike granite, quartz doesn't require sealing, so it's a low-maintenance option and it also saves you some money! It can hold its own against most cooking and baking, so you don't need to as careful as you do with a marble countertop.

However, quartz is quite the expensive option, with prices going up to $200 per square foot according to HomeAdvisor. So while it is a low-maintenance option and gives you a lot of freedom in choosing the colors and patterns, you will pay a premium for these features, and it is definitely an investment for your kitchen.

No matter what material you choose for your countertops, you'll want to take into account how you use your kitchen, and what level of maintenance you want to be responsible for. Like most things, you will have a trade-off of durability & maintenance level, and the amount you are spending per square foot.