Kitchens .com - How To Decide On Countertops

Don’t head out your front door without your cabinet door when you go countertop shopping. A sample made all the difference on a recent trip to the showroom. With a custom-cherry flat slab in hand, a designer helped his client quickly settle on a grayish limestone cousin with distinctive veining and a soft patina. The client found she was willing to trade some durability for what she felt was the perfect complement to her new cabinets.

If you prefer:	Then choose:
Manmade materials	Laminate, solid surface, stainless steel, or concrete
Natural materials	Stone, tile, or wood
Consistent color	Plastic laminate, solid surface, or stainless steel
A speckled or veined appearance	Stone
Integral sinks	Solid surface, stainless steel, or concrete
A textured feel	Tile or concrete
Decorative edge treatments	Solid surface, wood, laminate, or concrete
A statement-making backsplash	Tile

If you need to:	Then choose:
Dice, chop, and slice	Any stone or wood
Roll dough and make pastries	Marble, another stone, or stainless steel
Set down hot stuff	Any stone, tile, stainless steel, or concrete
Spill without staining or having to first apply sealants	Solid surface, engineered quartz, or stainless steel
Perform little or no maintenance	Laminate, solid surface, or stainless steel
Protect kids and the elderly	Any material with the corners rounded