Worktops,
honestly compared
Worktop conversations usually stall on price per metre. The more useful question is what the owner is willing to do every week for the next ten years.
Sintered stone
Highest heat and UV tolerance, extremely low porosity, and available in large slabs that keep joints out of sight. Fabrication is unforgiving: it needs an experienced workshop and correct cut-out radii, or it chips at the sink.
Best for open kitchens, outdoor kitchens and anywhere a hot pan will meet the surface.
Engineered quartz
Consistent colour, wide availability, easy fabrication, good stain resistance. It is not heat-proof; a hot pot leaves a permanent mark, and dark colours show wear faster.
Best for residential projects and developer packages where predictability and repeatability matter more than extremes.
Marble and natural stone
The only family that ages into something rather than degrading. Also the only one that requires the owner to accept etching and patina as part of the deal.
- Sealed honed
- Softer look, hides etching better, needs periodic resealing.
- Polished
- Brighter, shows every acid mark, easier to wipe clean.
- Bookmatched
- Requires slab selection at the quarry or stock yard, not from a catalogue.
Solid wood
Warm, repairable, and the only surface that can be sanded back to new. It moves with humidity and cannot live around an undermounted sink without a very disciplined detail.
Best on islands and dry preparation zones, paired with a hard surface at the sink and hob.
