klmama Posted January 4, 2019 Share Posted January 4, 2019 We may be replacing our kitchen counter soon. I'd like some btdt advice. If you had it to do over, would you purchase the same type of counter again? If so, what is it, and why do you like it? Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liz CA Posted January 4, 2019 Share Posted January 4, 2019 I'd get Silestone. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AK_Mom4 Posted January 4, 2019 Share Posted January 4, 2019 I love my new quartz countertop. The old one was Corian and stained easily. Quartz cleans easy and i can set down a hot pan without worrying. The only negative I have is that I chipped the edge of the counter top by dropping a coffee cup Just Wrong. DH says he can repair it though.... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeachyDoodle Posted January 4, 2019 Share Posted January 4, 2019 21 minutes ago, Liz CA said: I'd get Silestone. Second that. It's what we have and it's fabulous. Stain-resistant, heat-resistant, needs next to no maintenance. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Katy Posted January 4, 2019 Share Posted January 4, 2019 Soapstone or Slate are my favorite, but many people don't like how dark they are. Are you doing the house to sell or for you? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
klmama Posted January 4, 2019 Author Share Posted January 4, 2019 Probably just for us. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PrincessMommy Posted January 4, 2019 Share Posted January 4, 2019 I've had Corian and granite. I prefer Corian. Mine is white and was installed by the previous owner. I found any stains came up easily with spray on kitchen cleaner with bleach. It also is heat-resistant. We're in the process of updating our kitchen so I'm listening in for other suggestions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
***** Posted January 4, 2019 Share Posted January 4, 2019 We've have had granite for about 3 years now. Although it is beautiful, I find there are so many more choices on the market that look like granite, or are just as beautiful and durable without the higher cost! Also, we have never broken or chipped so many dishes until now. There is a learning curve there, that is for sure. We tend to move quickly in the kitchen, so we have learned to slow down, or to be more careful. So although it is beautiful, do your research and see what you like for the money... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ottakee Posted January 4, 2019 Share Posted January 4, 2019 I have basic laminate and I am fine with it. My issue though is the color. Do NOT NOT NOT get a solid dark colored counter top. I nice lighter mid tone with lots of color variation is what I would get again. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sk8ermaiden Posted January 4, 2019 Share Posted January 4, 2019 Our quartz is amazing. You can't really hurt it. I use concentrated food coloring all the time that sometimes sits for a day or more, hot pans directly on it, I can cut directly on it in a pinch...It was the best decision. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Katy Posted January 4, 2019 Share Posted January 4, 2019 If you're just doing it for you the main thing is deciding what's important to you. Quartz and solid surfacing are no maintenance and nothing hurts them. To me they feel as much like plastic as the cultured marble of the 90's. I hate them. People who LOVE perfect LOVE them. Of course if the color is too solid every crumb and piece of dust stands out. If mottled imperfections are more hidden. Granite was my favorite until I had soapstone and marble (the island is different than the rest). I never had problems with dishes breaking, and I loved being able to thaw out meat from the deep freeze in about an hour. I never would have chosen the expensive slab I had in my last house, but I also loved that it hid every crumb. Many people hate soapstone and marble because they are soft and the marble etches and stains, but I love that. I don't like things to look perfect. I'll probably love them more in 20 years, all beat up and stained than I do now. But I've always liked patina and hated things that are too new. I like that I can oil the soapstone or not and get a totally different look. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sgo95 Posted January 4, 2019 Share Posted January 4, 2019 I've never remodeled a kitchen but have bought two houses with granite countertops. I've loved them. Never had any maintenance or wear issues. Both were pretty variegated in terms of color, which hid crumbs well (a bonus in my mind). I'm open to quartz countertops in terms of look and wear, but have no idea about cost compared to granite. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sneezyone Posted January 4, 2019 Share Posted January 4, 2019 (edited) I love granite and marble but wouldn't put light marble in my kitchen just b/c I dislike stains. The last house we rented had a corian-type thing that stained CONSTANTLY. A nice multicolor granite or marble slab will hide a multitude of sins and it's mostly indestructible. We've never broken a dish on it, only the floor, and it is plenty low maintenance enough for me. Edited January 4, 2019 by Sneezyone Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jann in TX Posted January 4, 2019 Share Posted January 4, 2019 I've had Silestone for 16+ years and still love it! No chips or cracks-- still cleans up with basic cleaners (nothing special)-- still as shiny as new! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edelweiss Posted January 4, 2019 Share Posted January 4, 2019 Love our granite! It is beautiful! It doesn't stain, our pattern hides crumbs, and it is indestructible. We haven't had any problem with it at all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bootsie Posted January 4, 2019 Share Posted January 4, 2019 I loved my Soapstone countertops in my previous house. They were easy to keep and I didn't have to worry about stains or acids coming into contact with them. I would put them in again if I had the opportunity. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KungFuPanda Posted January 4, 2019 Share Posted January 4, 2019 How is everyone staining everything. I have these 1970s, cream, Formica countertops that have zero stains. I’m a very messy cook! I do get rings from tea or sauce on them, but it comes off with diluted bleach spray. I’m not recommending Formica, and will upgrade eventually, but I was kind of hoping that ALL of the expensive options were somehow as much better as the price reflects. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Storygirl Posted January 4, 2019 Share Posted January 4, 2019 I'll be the lone dissenter on loving that granite hides crumbs. I hate that!! I hate wiping the counter and then a minute later finding that I missed spots. I want my counters to actually be clean after I clean them. I hate putting down a twist tie and not being able to see it well enough to find it again (true story -- happens all the time). The counter I have right now is very speckly, and I really don't like it. I find that the counter near the faucets always gets dull, because water sits there, and I don't realize it, and it wears the sealant off. I've had granite in my past few houses, and I am just wishing I didn't have it any more. When we redo our kitchen, we are thinking quartz, but we haven't looked at other options yet. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SamanthaCarter Posted January 4, 2019 Share Posted January 4, 2019 I’ve been more than happy with Corian and it’s Formica solid surface equivalent. People don’t like that it’s not heat resistant, but I never learned that it was okay to set a hot pan on a countertop (grew up with laminate) so that’s never been a problem. I haven’t had a problem with staining, doesn’t chip or crack like stone, and can be easily buffed if needed to get out stains and scratches. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SamanthaCarter Posted January 4, 2019 Share Posted January 4, 2019 I will say that Corain/solid surface sinks are NASTY. They do mar and stain, badly! Worse than white enamel. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gardenmom5 Posted January 4, 2019 Share Posted January 4, 2019 I have a dark granite in the kitchen. It is 15? years old - I love it. still looks like new. very easy care. can put very hot things on it, oil and vinegar don't hurt it. If I had a do over, I'd get a lighter color - but real granite - counter. some aren't actually granite. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
***** Posted January 4, 2019 Share Posted January 4, 2019 1 hour ago, Storygirl said: I'll be the lone dissenter on loving that granite hides crumbs. I hate that!! I hate wiping the counter and then a minute later finding that I missed spots. I want my counters to actually be clean after I clean them. I hate putting down a twist tie and not being able to see it well enough to find it again (true story -- happens all the time). I agree about the missed spots. I find that wiping it down first and drying it right away helps to get up all the crumbs and prevents leaving a film. I also like to lightly rub my hand over the counter because I like to feel the smoothness (and I can find a spot of dry jelly for ex.). Perhaps this is why I don't understand how my husband can not see or feel the food stuck on the counter, yuck! He goes to great lengths to polish the black glass stove top that we have, even when it is not dirty, he will polish it before bed. However...you look at the counter top at an angle, and you can see that he has not even considered wiping the counter. Ugh! I love the color of the granite, it really is beautiful. But if we have it because it hides the crumbs, well, I can do without... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sneezyone Posted January 4, 2019 Share Posted January 4, 2019 (edited) 1 hour ago, KungFuPanda said: How is everyone staining everything. I have these 1970s, cream, Formica countertops that have zero stains. I’m a very messy cook! I do get rings from tea or sauce on them, but it comes off with diluted bleach spray. I’m not recommending Formica, and will upgrade eventually, but I was kind of hoping that ALL of the expensive options were somehow as much better as the price reflects. The countertops we had in Bahrain were solid surface white, Corian or equivalent, including the sink. Tomato sauce, food coloring and turmeric stains were annoying but what bugged me even more was that the sink would not stay white. Every single pot/pan would leave grey smudges and grease stains. It was awful. Edited January 4, 2019 by Sneezyone Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MEmama Posted January 4, 2019 Share Posted January 4, 2019 We have very dark (but warm) brown laminate countertops and a brown/golden granite island with off white farmhouse-y cabinets. I love love love the combo, both the colors and the mixed types of surfaces. I love solid surface but don't care for all stone/concrete/etc. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pawz4me Posted January 4, 2019 Share Posted January 4, 2019 I've had laminate, Corian and granite. The only one I absolutely would NOT do again is Corian. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mom@shiloh Posted January 4, 2019 Share Posted January 4, 2019 I chose laminate when we did our kitchen because I like change. 🙂 Laminate was about a third of the cost of granite, so if/when I want to change it, I won't feel so bad. I can change it out twice for the same cost. I may eventually go with something more permanent, but my laminate looks quite a bit like granite and I'm happy with it. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HomeAgain Posted January 4, 2019 Share Posted January 4, 2019 I really like stone. I do a lot of candymaking in December, and I appreciate having that surface to work with. This is our second house with some sort of stone countertop and the difference is amazing from laminate. However, I also have a butcher block island here. When I'm doing breads/pastas, I prefer working over there. I did have a smaller butcher block I used to carry with me for countertop use, but having the whole island is very, very nice indeed. I think you really have to assess what you use the counters for. General cooking? Go with laminate or whatever makes you happy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
May Posted January 4, 2019 Share Posted January 4, 2019 When we did our kitchen remodel, we took out granite and put in silestone. Yes, I would put it in again. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harriet Vane Posted January 4, 2019 Share Posted January 4, 2019 One that I definitely do NOT recommend is concrete. We have concrete counters, and I hate them with the fire of a thousand suns. They stain. It doesn't look like a nice patina. It looks like ugly food stains and drips. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PrincessMommy Posted January 4, 2019 Share Posted January 4, 2019 10 hours ago, Katy said: If you're just doing it for you the main thing is deciding what's important to you. Quartz and solid surfacing are no maintenance and nothing hurts them. To me they feel as much like plastic as the cultured marble of the 90's. I hate them. People who LOVE perfect LOVE them. Of course if the color is too solid every crumb and piece of dust stands out. If mottled imperfections are more hidden. Granite was my favorite until I had soapstone and marble (the island is different than the rest). I never had problems with dishes breaking, and I loved being able to thaw out meat from the deep freeze in about an hour. I never would have chosen the expensive slab I had in my last house, but I also loved that it hid every crumb. Many people hate soapstone and marble because they are soft and the marble etches and stains, but I love that. I don't like things to look perfect. I'll probably love them more in 20 years, all beat up and stained than I do now. But I've always liked patina and hated things that are too new. I like that I can oil the soapstone or not and get a totally different look. you and I must be sisters. Many friends are shocked to a fixer-upper from the 60s. But, I am SO much more comfortable in my skin now that I am in this place. I keep telling my dh "I don't want perfect." I was wondering if you could send me (either PM or posting it here) your kitchen counter look. I was planning on doing formica in my updated kitchen but I also wanted a farmhouse/apron sink. I cannot have Formica with that type sink because of water issues. Since the sink is going to be on an island I was thinking of mixing and matching, but there's not a lot of photos of that online. The island cabinets are already going to be different color from the existing cabinets I'm keeping for the majority of the kitchen. I'm not completely married to Formica. As I use this kitchen with Corian (and my previous Granite-top kitchen) I really do like the heat resistance. I just don't like the look or price of either one. ugh. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PrincessMommy Posted January 4, 2019 Share Posted January 4, 2019 1 hour ago, mom@shiloh said: I chose laminate when we did our kitchen because I like change. 🙂 Laminate was about a third of the cost of granite, so if/when I want to change it, I won't feel so bad. I can change it out twice for the same cost. I may eventually go with something more permanent, but my laminate looks quite a bit like granite and I'm happy with it. This is me too. I'm thinking seriously of Laminate because I don't want to spend all that money and in 5yrs want a change-up. I hated the granite look in our old kitchen. It was so brown and blah. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PrincessMommy Posted January 4, 2019 Share Posted January 4, 2019 9 hours ago, Storygirl said: I'll be the lone dissenter on loving that granite hides crumbs. I hate that!! I hate wiping the counter and then a minute later finding that I missed spots. I want my counters to actually be clean after I clean them. I hate putting down a twist tie and not being able to see it well enough to find it again (true story -- happens all the time). The counter I have right now is very speckly, and I really don't like it. I find that the counter near the faucets always gets dull, because water sits there, and I don't realize it, and it wears the sealant off. I've had granite in my past few houses, and I am just wishing I didn't have it any more. When we redo our kitchen, we are thinking quartz, but we haven't looked at other options yet. No, you are not alone. I hated that too... esp. after the time I was cleaning out the dark corners of my countertop and wiped up a sponge-full of mouse poop!!! 🤢 I had no other evidence that I had mice ON TOP of my counters. So grossed out. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Katy Posted January 4, 2019 Share Posted January 4, 2019 5 hours ago, PrincessMommy said: you and I must be sisters. Many friends are shocked to a fixer-upper from the 60s. But, I am SO much more comfortable in my skin now that I am in this place. I keep telling my dh "I don't want perfect." I was wondering if you could send me (either PM or posting it here) your kitchen counter look. I was planning on doing formica in my updated kitchen but I also wanted a farmhouse/apron sink. I cannot have Formica with that type sink because of water issues. Since the sink is going to be on an island I was thinking of mixing and matching, but there's not a lot of photos of that online. The island cabinets are already going to be different color from the existing cabinets I'm keeping for the majority of the kitchen. I'm not completely married to Formica. As I use this kitchen with Corian (and my previous Granite-top kitchen) I really do like the heat resistance. I just don't like the look or price of either one. ugh. I've been having a literally poopy day over here... I don't know if a couple of the little ones just ate too much fiber over here or if they're coming down with something, so honestly I'm not going to get a clean enough kitchen to photograph today. But I can quickly share some of the bookmarks I made before I redid the kitchen here. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Katy Posted January 4, 2019 Share Posted January 4, 2019 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Katy Posted January 4, 2019 Share Posted January 4, 2019 http://www.4men1lady.com/how-have-i-liked-my-marble-and-soapstone-counters/ http://premiersurfaces.com/2017-design-trends/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Katy Posted January 4, 2019 Share Posted January 4, 2019 Other links I had saved on a secret board on Pinterest: https://leshermarble.com/sinks/soapstone-sinks/ https://turtleinseattle.wordpress.com/2017/05/11/diy-blackboard-kitchen-countertops-an-update/ https://www.studio-mcgee.com/studioblog/2015/2/9/the-midway-house-kitchen http://www.cybball.com/80797-slate-chalkboard-kitchen-contemporary-with-black-countertops-bookshelves-chalkboard/ https://www.the11best.com/kitchen-islands/ https://www.remodelaholic.com/cottage-style-kitchen-entirely-from-home-depot/?utm_source=feedblitz&utm_medium=FeedBlitzRss&utm_campaign=remodelaholic https://pmirock.com/soapstone-beautiful-natural-stone-option/ https://www.decorpad.com/photo.htm?photoId=123045 https://blog.polycor.com/dark-kitchen-light-kitchen-make-it-two-tone-with-marble-and-soapstone-countertops https://fortheloveofahouse.blogspot.com/2014/03/soapstone.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clemsondana Posted January 4, 2019 Share Posted January 4, 2019 We've got quartz in the kitchen and I love it. We actually used it as the backsplash too, so it's super easy to clean. In the master bath we did solid surface because we could make it one piece with the sinks so there's no grout to clean. I have terrible allergies, so we choose the easiest to clean option whenever we redo something in our house. We used a speckled gray for both rooms. The kitchen is a lighter gray, and the bathroom is dark with white sinks - somehow they meld it all together. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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