Talk to me about kitchen countertops

[oneKnight]

I'm in the market...

and I'd rather not get the cheapie ones that I've always had to use. I'm a little afraid of synthetic "stone" surfaces, especially the ones with "microban" built in them because they are made of high density polymers (basically hard plastic).

I was thinking granite maybe? But it has to be sealed often...right?

OR I would like to have butcher block, but that has to be special ordered so it might be out of my price range (I haven't checked) Oiling wood is something I am willing to do, but putting who-knows-what-sealer on stone seems a bit questionable.

I'm open to ideas, suggestions, opinions, discussions, etc.
:

[ustasmom]

I just noticed that they sell the granite type(Corian) at Costco, under their services. Might be worth a look.

[snanna]

We love our wooden countertops from Ikea. I like that they aren't synthetic, and they were CHEAP compared to everything else. They are also very good-looking. We do reseal them maybe every three or four months, but it's not hard (wipe on the oil, wipe it off, let it dry overnight) and gives me good motivation to clear the clutter off the counters!

[rainbowmoon]

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[bstandlee]

I really love my tile counters. They are big 16" tiles so I think they look really high end and I can cut on them, put hot pans on them, and they don't stain. I made sure our grout was sealed extra well and we've had no problems so far.

[oneKnight]

There is a stone place near us that does granite and marble.
We don't have Costco here. Ikea has cheap wood countertops, that's nice to hear so maybe I will be looking into that. I hope I don't get too much different kinds/colors of wood in my kitchen though (floors, cabinents, countertop, table)

[savithny]

One of the teachers at DD's preschool was talking about the concrete counters they had poured for their kitchen, which sounded interesting.

However, I think it has to be sealed with something.

I think the most natural options would be wood (you just oil it, you don't polyurethane it), granite, or tile.

[talia rose]

my favorite eco friendly pick is Paperstone. Made from recycled paper with a cashew shell resin. durable, beautiful, lot's of colors to choose from.

i just did see two gorgeous cement countertops as well. i had no idea they would be so beautiful. one had little shells in it....

[Ygle]

I was thinking about this http://www.easyfabcountertops.com/shop/index.htm when I get around to it (new countertops are low on the very long project list I've got going right now)

[crl]

Ikea's butcher block rocks. It's cheap and attractive.

Some granite has to be sealed, some doesn't. You can test samples with ketchup, oil, lemon juice etc and see if they stain or etch.

Soapstone does not stain, does not etch and is heat proof, but it does scratch and is $$$$$.

Paperstone is green but not heat proof. . . .

Stainless steel scratches but is stain and heat proof.

Marble stains and etches and is pricey, but pretty.

Concrete can stain and can crack. People seem to have a lot of variation in how durable it is.

The kitchen forum at www.gardenweb.com is full of information on countertops. For information about ikea things and also some more green countertop type information, www.ikeafans.com is great.

[lizzylou]

I have Corian. What sold me on it is the integrated sink... I love my sink. Also they are very low-maintenance. It's supposedly not heat-proof... but honestly I am not in the habit of setting hot items directly on the counter, anyway.

[OnTheBrink]

I've had granite for about 6 years. I've never sealed it. I love it! I love that I can cut on it. I can set hot stuff on it (and I do it all the time). I love that it's easy to clean and always looks good.
These aren't great pictures, but you can get the idea here:
http://www.familymoses.net/kitchen.htm

[wonderwahine]

there are recycled glass countertops that look like nice

[AnalogWife]

Ours look like butcherblock, but they're pieces of an old bowling alley 30 miles from our house. We did the whole kitchen for $300, DH found the seller on ebay, we just happened to live w/in 45 mins of each other so we didn't have to pay for shipping. The bowling dents are still in some of the pieces.

[moderngal]

my favorite eco friendly pick is Paperstone. Made from recycled paper with a cashew shell resin. durable, beautiful, lot's of colors to choose from.

Me too!! They are gorgeous and colors range from classic to funky.

[Bearsmama]

Do you have an Ikea near you? Butcher block is a really nice look, I think. And we had it in our last house. We oiled it one time (some kind of seed oil-purchased at Ikea, too). I *think* they suggested that the oiling once every year or so. I like the look a LOT and I think it wears nice and you can cut on it or put hot things on it. Love it.

[hipmummy]

I like the new type or old if you have ever worked in a lab. it is made from paper it is self healing and everything proof. instead of black it comes in multiple colors. i saw it last year on hgtv's home show. Skip the Corian. my sister put her turkey on hers and cracked the whole three foot counter 400$ later and it may not look good ever again. We have granite tile. the grout is so hard to keep clean.. but as a surface the granite is nice.

[livinzoo]

I've been thinking about making my own concrete ones.

[kate42]

Originally Posted by JimmyMom

Ours look like butcherblock, but they're pieces of an old bowling alley 30 miles from our house. We did the whole kitchen for $300, DH found the seller on ebay, we just happened to live w/in 45 mins of each other so we didn't have to pay for shipping. The bowling dents are still in some of the pieces.

That is the coolest thing I've ever heard!

[sugarbeth]

I really like Silestone. It's made out of stone, and it's a *little* cheaper than granite, and has no sealing maintenance to do. We used it for our master bath counter.