Which countertop is best for the kitchen: what is it made of, what are the colors

Modern design involves a huge variety of materials for making furniture. To the question: "Which countertop is better for the kitchen?", Experts answer differently. The answer depends on the estimated cost of the headset, the size of the room, and the interior design. Such surfaces, often called "tops", are made of different materials, of any size and color.

The worktop is the most stressed and often the most expensive part of a kitchen set.

Design options for kitchen countertops (selection of photos)

What kind of countertop is better to choose for the kitchen, the owners decide, based on the existing interior design, the main material of the headset, and its colors. The photo shows matte and shiny, monochromatic and variegated, checkered and striped, decorated with geometric patterns.

The surface of the countertop can be glossy or matte, smooth or textured, plain or patterned

Acrylic stone countertop with integrated sink

The slab tabletop looks original - a longitudinal cut of a tree with raw edges

Varieties according to materials of manufacture

There are very different types of countertops suitable for the kitchen:

• stone;
• from a "fake" stone;
• from a composite (agglomerate);
• plastic;
• made of special glass;
• wooden;
• steel;
• Chipboard;
• LMDF.

Drip tray prevents water droplets from entering facades or built-in appliances

Fake diamond

"Fake" stone, also known as acrylate, is cheaper than the real one, lighter, but it looks very believable and beautiful. The composition of the material is about 70% of stone chips, other mineral components, up to 30% of acrylic resins, dyes. "Acrylic stone" is very cheap, maintainable, but afraid of hot, easily scratched. There are a great many varieties of products of this composition - each company has five to seven or more options with unique names.

The thickness of the acrylic layer does not affect the operational properties of the countertop, but the number of grinding cycles depends on it, and therefore the service life of the surface

The surface of a pseudo-stone table is made matte, semi-matt, glossy, has no seams, regardless of size. Washing this top is permissible extremely careful - no hard brushes, large abrasives. A sink of the same material is often built here, obtaining a very harmonious composition. The product is not afraid of shocks, acids, alkalis, it is warm to the touch.

Natural stone

What is the most practical stone countertop for the kitchen? The most beautiful, durable ones are made of marble, granite, less often from others. These materials are very expensive, weigh a lot (this increases the cost of installation, delivery to the destination), but their durability is maximum, reaching hundreds of years.

Natural stone countertop - durable and luxurious, but far from perfect

Natural stones are best suited for countertops granite.

The most beautiful are white marble countertops, but they are much inferior to granite countertops in strength.

The unique natural pattern of the stone is completely unrepeatable. Granite is used for production - dense, fine-grained, having a huge variety of colors, it can be dark, light, supplied in the form of slabs (monolithic cuts). The second most popular is marble. It is also very beautiful, but due to its porosity it easily absorbs dirt, periodic coating with protective mixtures.

Agglomerate (composite)

Composite materials are also used frequently - many furniture designers consider them to be the most suitable, best for kitchen spaces. There are two main types of agglomerates:

• Artificial granite is a mineral component, that is, real granite chips, it contains 82-84%, the rest is polyester binders. Small scratches can form on the surface.
  

  The shape of the artificial granite countertop can be absolutely any

• Quartz - it contains 92-96% quartz chips, modifiers, polyester resins. The product is superior in strength to a real stone.
  

  A quartz agglomerate worktop is a solution for years to come

The cost of a composite top is an order of magnitude higher than that of an acrylic top, the product weighs a lot, which complicates delivery and installation. The material of manufacture is completely safe, withstands high temperatures. It is easy to wash the structure - spilled wine, beet juice, other similar composition will not be absorbed, even if you wipe it off after a few hours. The design of this top is a beautiful imitation of sandstone, marble, granite, onyx, etc.

Plastic

A plastic product is not an expensive option, but it is quite strong. Plastic is used a special, ready-made object, stylized as wood, stone, it is immediately difficult to distinguish from the real one. Often the product is made on the basis of chipboard, MDF. The latter option is a little more expensive, more durable.

Plastic countertop is not a second-rate option, despite the low price of products

Glass - the embodiment of style

The product, the surface of which is made of tempered glass, 8-12 mm thick, can be transparent, matte, of any color, sometimes it is decorated with all kinds of patterns, subject pictures. Drawings are applied to the surface by etching, sandblasting.

Spectacular translucent glass worktop can decorate the interior of any kitchen

The design has a high impact resistance; to give a beautiful shade, a colored film is applied to the top. The material is environmentally friendly, the cost is average.

Natural wood: advantages, disadvantages

Wood is a "classic" material for making tables, not very practical, but one of the most beautiful, pleasing to the eye. Wooden tops are available in two versions:

• Veneered, with a base of MDF, chipboard. It practically does not differ from the "monolithic" wooden one, but it costs 50% cheaper, it tolerates sharp temperature drops, changes in the level of humidity quite well. The "weak link" here is the edges, which are easily damaged and peeled off under aggressive action. The possibilities of restoration work are sharply limited by the veneer thickness - 2.5-3 mm.
  

  The service life of such a tabletop is limited by the thickness of the veneer

• Stacked, made up of wooden blocks. It is possible to repair, grind such a product for a very long time, since the thickness reaches 3.5-4.5 cm. Edge parts can be easily milled if required. The main disadvantage is low resistance to changes in humidity, temperature, as well as high flammability.
  

  The wooden tabletop is chosen by connoisseurs of all natural

The appearance, color, texture of the product depends on the type of wood used. Most often, bleached or stained oak, larch, apple, pine, cherry, beech, alder, walnut, maple, linden, etc. are used.

Steel, high-tech style

The main advantages of such a product are strength, durability, small thickness. A thin metal tabletop takes up very little space, which is important when the area of ​​the room is small, the ceilings are low. The structure consists of the upper layer of "stainless steel", 0.6-1.2 mm thick, the lower one is made of chipboard. The product is made wall-mounted, radial, island, may have sides. The same steel sink is built in here.

The working surface is made of stainless steel - the most wear-resistant, it can be matte or mirrored

The finished structure is heat-resistant, not afraid of water, easily integrates with the sink, does not absorb dirt, grease, dyes. The texture is made matte, smooth, "waffle" in some areas. The material is environmentally friendly, fits perfectly into high-tech interiors, minimalism, industrial.

Laminated chipboard, MDF

MDF, chipboard are also perfect for making kitchen tops. They cost little, have sufficient impact resistance, scratch resistance, the effects of various pigments, household chemicals. The weak point here is the joints, the edges of the product. When moisture gets on such places, they unstick, which leads to the gradual release of formaldehyde.

The thicker the plastic layer, the more wear-resistant the tabletop is

The least swelling is the postforming tabletop, in which the plastic wraps the edge, making the edge seamless

Such a table cannot be made monolithic if it is very large - there are almost always seams into which dirt gets into, deteriorating its appearance. The surface also does not withstand high temperatures: it is permissible to put a cup of hot tea on it, but not in any way a red-hot frying pan that has just been removed from the stove.

Choosing a worktop depending on the style of the kitchen

Headsets with different types of tops are purchased for different kitchens. The calm tone of the light gray matte kitchen countertop, made in the Provence style, looks great against the background of floral wallpaper. The product covered with the imitation of a "noble patina" is suitable for the Baroque, Empire style.

Countertops made of stone, natural or artificial, are perfect for classic interiors.

White acrylic countertop will soften the rough interior in the loft style

Which worktop would go best with a white classic kitchen? For example, marble is white, with a characteristic unique pattern. Wooden can also be used in classics, neoclassics, for its strength it is coated with special compounds. The original "reed" countertop in the kitchen looks quite natural in the photo, for an ecological, ethnic, Japanese interior. In a minimalist room, a headset with solid-colored MDF tops is usually placed.

How to choose a countertop for kitchen facades (by color, pattern)

The right combination of a countertop and an apron for the kitchen looks very harmonious. It is important that both surfaces do not "merge" with each other, although this is allowed in monochrome interiors. Often chocolate or coffee color top is combined with a light apron and facades - creamy yellow, beige, ivory. The small pattern on the table top is in harmony with the large apron motifs, as well as monochromatic options. The mirrored tile apron beautifully reflects the surface of the variegated top.

Black countertop combined with white facades will create a monochrome interior of a modern kitchen

Stylish combination of tabletops under malachite with wooden facades set

The most popular combinations of fronts with a table top:

• blue-black with snow-white;
• marble green with pistachio;
• sky blue with apple;
• red with pale chestnut;
• woody yellow with cherry;
• violet with silvery pink;
• mother-of-pearl with asphalt gray;
• burgundy with olive brown;
• mustard with denim blue.

It is also permissible to select a certain type of top for wallpaper, wall, floor tiles, curtains, blinds.

Bright worktop will harmoniously fit into the modern kitchen

Thanks to the good choice of color, the tabletop can become a highlight of the kitchen interior.

The ceramic tile countertop looks very interesting and attractive.

Criteria that a quality worktop meets

Which countertop to choose for the kitchen, according to the criteria of convenience, practicality? Experts recommend considering the following:

1. Convenience of cleaning from dirt. The hygiene of the cooking place is the most important indicator. The surface of the top should not collect dirt, it should be easily washed using the simplest household chemicals.
2. Nice appearance. Aesthetic qualities are very important, even for the simplest interior.
3. Strength, durability - the top is under the greatest daily stress, so its level of "strength" should exceed the less used parts.
4. It is also necessary to choose by thickness - it is problematic to integrate a hob and a sink into an excessively thin one.
5. Suitable stylistics - the modern choice of interior styles suggests a very different design of high-tech and classic tops, Provence and minimalism, futurism and brutalism.

Conclusion

The choice of material for making a modern kitchen unit is not an easy task. Professional furniture and interior designers will tell you how to choose the best kitchen countertop in terms of quality, but they find basic information on the Internet. A correctly selected top will decorate the kitchen and become the most convenient cutting surface.

Video: How to choose a material for a kitchen countertop

Kitchen countertops in the photo - 50 options