Here at Solid Construction & Design, we’re firm believers that the best kitchen countertop material is the one that you have fallen in love with and can also happily afford!
However, if you want a little bit more guidance to help you choose between these three materials, then we can gladly oblige.
Kitchen countertops not only add beauty to your kitchen’s appearance, but can also be a deciding factor on important things like the value of your property. When it’s time to choose the best kitchen countertop material for you, it boils down to three things.
- What material best integrates with your household?
- What do you use your kitchen for?
- What is your preferred design style and aesthetic?
These questions can readily be solved by one of the 3 kitchen countertop materials available:
- Quartz
- Granite
- Corian® solid surfaces
With such a wide variety of kitchen countertop materials out there, it makes it hard to select the best one. The three surfaces that continuously appear at the top of the “most favorite” lists are quartz, granite, and Corian. There are reasons for these materials’ popularity, so carry on reading to find out why.
How Do You Prefer Your Kitchen Countertop Appearance?
Granite: Granite kitchen countertops are heavy, extremely durable surfaces for homeowners who are serious about high-quality materials. Granite is the richest and most elegant kitchen surface around.
Despite its high-end profile, granite is surprisingly not one of the most expensive countertop materials you can choose. It’s an organic, natural stone, both outstandingly strong and durable. Granite kitchen countertops are for anyone who wants functionality while also installing a one of a kind statement piece.
If you have made natural materials and responsibly sourced products part of your lifestyle choice, then look no further than granite. It will provide your kitchen with original warmth and textural beauty as well as enhancing the natural aesthetic.
Quartz: Quartz kitchen countertops are also called engineered stone. This is done in order to differentiate between quartz stone and natural stone. Quartz engineered stone countertops are constructed from a high concentration of quartz crystals (93%) and resin.
Quartz crystals are one of the strongest naturally occurring materials in nature. It is crushed and then bound together with a polymer resin or other adhesive. This hard-wearing surface is created as either a block or slab, and then cut and polished by the craftspeople at the fabrication site. It is also heavy, but where quartz might have the edge over granite, is that it is available in a wide variety of textures and colors.
If opulent color options and variations are an important part of your decision making process when it comes it new kitchen installations, quartz countertops are where you should be looking first.
Corian: Corian is the registered trademark of DuPont manufacturers. When many people hear the word “kitchen countertop” they might instinctively think of Corian solid surfaces. How are they different from granite and quartz? Corian differs from quartz in its composition.
Categorized as a solid surface, Corian is produced as a nonporous material that’s water resistant and impervious against stains. This is because the patented mix of natural minerals (not quartz on its own) is bonded with high quality acrylics to create a super-durable surface that’s both easy to clean and virtually indistinguishable from real stone.
Because Corian has been artificially manipulated, it comes in a wide range of colors and textures. The high-tech blend of acrylics and natural minerals provides your kitchen countertops with a seamless finish and installation.
What About Durability? Which Kitchen Countertop Material is Best For Maintenance?
If easy maintenance and long-lasting appeal are features you need your kitchen countertops to have, no need to look further than materials that have been enhanced by the production process. We’re talking about Quartz and Corian. If you think quick and easy maintenance and super-strength are important qualities in a kitchen countertop ( and to be honest – who doesn’t think that?), then quartz is the clear winner.
Quartz is pretty much indestructible, requires zero sealing or special cleaning techniques, and is nonporous, hygienic, and stain resistant as well. Coming a close runner-up are Corian solid surfaces. Both of these kitchen countertop materials are highly recommended if you enjoy minimal maintenance and hate walking around a high-traffic room, such as a kitchen, worrying about scuffs and water marks.
Granite is also long-lasting, strong, and stain resistant. However, as a natural substance, it is still prone to the occasional wear and tear damage to which any high-traffic area is subject. If you take care of your granite countertops with regular sealing and gentle handling, it will never crack, stain, or gap at the seams.
How Eco-Friendly is My Choice of Kitchen Countertop?
First of all, thank you for asking this question. We should all care a bit more about where the materials that create our homes come from.
Granite is a natural stone found in the earth. High quality granite slabs have to be carefully mined at the source and then transported to the depot. This material causes the least emissions into the atmosphere, but must be responsibly sourced as close to home as possible.
Quartz is proudly made right here in the U.S. As quartz is one of the most abundant minerals on our planet, plus the constituents of the material are recycled and recyclable, these countertops are the green warrior’s friend. The best part is that quartz kitchen countertops are so durable, they come with a lifetime guarantee. So there’s no chance of this material ending up in some landfill.
Corian is super-durable and also repairable. That’s a win-win when it comes to eco-friendly!
Budget-Friendly is the New Conscientious Consumer Style
As far as affordability goes, we always encourage all you home improvers out there to get your kitchen countertop estimates to within a very narrow margin. That means having someone come in and give a professional quote. Quartz, Corian, and Granite countertops are heavy and should always be installed by experts.
On average, quartz is the most expensive choice per square foot, Corian comes in a wide range of tones and hues with different price attached to each, and granite tends to be the most affordable.
The kitchen countertop material you choose should be the kind that makes you happy every time you walk into that space. Choose wisely, and your surfaces will be with you for a very long time.
