Which kitchen benchtop material is best?

How hard can it be?

It's just a piece of flat hard material right?

Wrong!

There's an abundence of solutions that include both natural and manufactured finishes. On the natural side there's Granite, Marble (usually reserved for bathrooms), Timber and the increasingly popular Stainless Steel and on the fabricated side there's Corian, Various Laminates and Caesar Stone (quartz/acrylic composite) plus an abundence of other brand named copycat alternatives that are spat continuousy from the Chinese superfactories.

So what's best for you? Well there are a number of factors to consider:

Area

Consider how big the finished benchtop will be. With the increasing trend for large island benches and breakfast bars, you may need multiple sheets of the material and some products join far better than others. For example the natural products like granite  suffer from noticeable joins (particularly when the fixing agent discolours over time) whereas Corian allows for seamless fabrication as the material is actually bonded directly.

Heat

Will you be putting piping hot pans directly onto the surface? If so consider Granite or Stainless Steel but steer clear of Corian or Timber as they are likely to mark. Corian will handle hot coffee cups and plates but not a frying pan straight off the hob.

Permeability and staining

Do you have kids that love ribena? If so Stainless Steel, Caesar Stone and Corian are ideal as they are virtually 100% impermeable and hence are exceptionally difficult to stain. Granite can stain over time, particularly as it gradually loses it's polished finish.

Scratches

Nearly all materials can be scratched from direct cutting but it's how the scratches show and possible treatment solutions that need to be considered. Corian for example will scratch (as will stainless steel) but scratches in Corian can be filled and the surface returned to its former glory, not so with Stainless Steel.

Safety

Often goes without consideration but some materials are far harder and denser than others (compare granite to timber). If a child puts a glass down on granite a little too abruptly then it may shatter, whereas Timber is far more forgiving (as is Corian and Stainless Steel).

Desired Look

There is no doubt that Granite is ageless and gives a quality feel to a kitchen. These days there is an abundance of colour choices and the non-uniform finishes are almost works of art in their own right. By comparison the man made materials are far colder and harder on the eye, despite attempts to produce natural looking finishes. However if the desired look is contemporary or minimalist then the sharp clean lines of stainless steel or bright white corian are unbeatable.

Cost

Cost is an obvious choice with basic formica like laminates at the cheap end and granite at the other. However the cost usually is directly correlated to the lifespan and durability of the product so the overall return on investment could be better from the more expensive materials such as granite and corian.