The countertop is one of the three main areas in the kitchen for preparing meals. Functional and decorative, it is chosen according to your kitchen lifestyles, the size of the kitchen, and your budget. Materials, dimensions, decorative rendering, here is the guide to choosing the plan of your dreams ...
Among the three spaces that structure a kitchen, the worktop is at the heart of culinary preparation alongside the washing and cooking areas. In other words, the choice of the material that constitutes it, its shape, its thickness, and its location are essential steps when designing a new kitchen or renovating it. In the background, the choice of these elements around the work plan will also answer the basic questions that must be asked before even embarking on a kitchen project: what are your habits in terms of use of the kitchen, daily preparations through more complex projects, etc. Likewise, does your kitchen accommodate dining areas and other family activities? In addition to his lifestyle in the kitchen, the area and volume characteristics of the room will of course determine the size and location of the worktop. Nevertheless, the essential criteria of a worktop reside in its resistance to use and its ease of maintenance. What already conditions the choice of the material used!
Find (the right) material to Kitchen
The centerpiece of a worktop, its material is chosen not only according to your uses in the kitchen but also by the budget allocated to your project. The ideal material for a worktop should be resistant to impact, scratches, heat, grease, and humidity.
Laminate accessibility
With a very good quality/price ratio, laminate is the most common material in the kitchen, due to its resistance. Composed of several layers of kraft paper coated with thermosetting resin, the laminate is non-porous and is treated against humidity. It is therefore easily maintained with a sponge. Available in a wide range of colors and patterns, it can also play on false pretenses with marble or natural stone effect, for example. What to match with the decor of the kitchen. On the other hand, avoid placing a hot dish directly from its cooking zone on its work surface. Likewise, we will cut meats and vegetables on a suitable board to avoid any scratches.
The minerality of ceramic
The aesthetic advantages of ceramics, whose mineral composition is mainly clay-based, are also used in the worktop. In addition to a wide choice of colors, ceramic has the advantage of withstanding heat up to 900 °. As such, a Spanish company has even patented it's ceramic transformed into a hobby associating it with an induction charging system! The ceramic is also resistant to detergents and easy to maintain. On the other hand, its edges and its corners are rather fragile in the event of a fall from a very heavy dish. Another drawback, it is impossible to have rounded shapes and angles, which can be subject to accidents in the event of toddlers common in the kitchen…. Last flat, the cost of a ceramic top is four times more expensive than laminate!
The robustness of stone Stone
materials can also be used for a worktop, but in this regard, granite which is not very porous and easy to clean is the most suitable. What is more, it is ultra-strong and withstands thermal shocks such as scratches. As a bonus, granite is available in a wide variety of colors but also and above all with finishing effects, whether matt or satin for example. Its downside? Its cost is reserved for high-end worktops!
The sparkle of stainless steel
For lovers of beautiful kitchens with substantial budgets, a stainless steel worktop transforms the space into a beautifully crafted laboratory and it is no coincidence that it is chosen in professional kitchens because it is perfectly hygienic, withstands heat and shocks and maintenance products without worry. The downside? it is sensitive to scratches!
The modernity of glass
Another high-end material, tempered glass instantly offers an ultra-contemporary side to the kitchen and above all ensures an impression of space-saving in urban kitchens. However, it fears shocks such as scratches and remains allocated to high-end budgets.
The novelty of solid surfaces
Finally, among the newcomers, solid surfaces find their place in a worktop version. Whether they are called Corian, Krion, Hi-Macs according to their manufacturers, these new generation materials are made from a mixture of acrylic resin and minerals. As a result, several advantages, starting with the fact of being anti-bacterial and easy to maintain, not to mention their gentle rendering. They bend to all shapes which can be advantageous for the constitution of a round island while integrating in one piece a sink adjacent to the worktop. On the other hand, these materials do not appreciate thermal shock. Another composite material, quartz is a stone reconstituted 90% from natural quartz and acrylic resin. You can enjoy a wide range of colors depending on the associated pigments. If thermal shock over 150 degrees is to be avoided, it is easy to maintain and resistant to grease and stains.
Standard dimensions
The thickness of a worktop will depend in theory on the choice of material. Depending on the materials used, 28 and 38 mm planes are the most common. However, the current trend is towards thinness with thinner worktops, in particular with the Compact, a high-pressure laminate, available in several thicknesses from 10 to 20 millimeters. of 100 millimeters. Ideal for inserting a small dining area. Still, you have to pay attention to the integration of elements starting with its hob. In this regard, we opt for a minimum thickness of 38 millimeters to embed its hob. On the height side, the 85 cm is the standard dimension but little by little the worktops take height with 90 cm. The objective in all cases is to be adapted to the morphology of the cooks in order to avoid being bent. If the standard dimensions are 60 to 65 cm in terms of depth, often adapted to the furniture that overhangs them, owners of large kitchens will bet on a wide depth of 70 or even 75 cm in order to be able to comfortably dispose of all their utensils and leave them to within easy reach of the largest small appliance equipment. In this regard, a central island with a work plan can rely on large dimensions. In any case, a custom-made work plan will remain the most suited to your culinary practices.
A decorative piece
Last point, the worktop is a decorative element in its own right which marks the aesthetics of the kitchen. No wonder that the material finishes and color palettes available are so multiple to ensure the personality of his kitchen. The opportunity or never to bet on the contrast with the furniture, wall, and floor coverings but also the splashback that borders the worktop with the washing and cooking area. We play with colors, patterns, and textures such as a dark gray worktop with mineral effects with immaculate furniture or a light wood worktop overhung by duck blue furniture. Creativity can even be deployed in the smallest details, starting with the edges of the worktop in different colors or profiles.
