The Most Durable Kitchen Benchtops
When it comes to selecting a kitchen benchtop material, it pays to do your research. Most kitchen benchtop suppliers might ensure a material is “scratch-proof”, but true durability is based on many factors.
Some considerations you might find helpful when certifying the strength of your next stone kitchen benchtop includes, scratch-resistance, stain-resistance, heat-resistance, water-resistance, and crack & chip-resistance.
It is crucial to weigh up a stone’s durable nature before purchasing your kitchen benchtop material because having the right stone benchtop could become your home’s best investment – after all, your kitchen benchtop is the hardest working surface in your home!
Natural Stone Kitchen Benchtops
As the name suggests, Natural Stone is naturally formed and quarried from the earth; as a luxury material, Natural Stone has been used as a sturdy and beautiful surface for hundreds of years. However, in terms of durability and scratch-resistance, natural stone does not hold well under intense use and is susceptible to premature deterioration if not properly cared for.
Among the natural stone varieties, a popular choice is a marble benchtop, especially in high-end luxury kitchens where the price is no concern. However, a natural marble benchtop is generally more porous and delicate than most types of stones. More than likely, your marble benchtop will have multiple heat-stains and water-stains within the first year of installation.
However, at Made in Stone, we have a solution!
As some varieties of engineered stone benchtops can be produced to have a marble-look and still offer the durability of a manufactured stone. No matter your homes aesthetic, engineered kitchen benchtop surfaces and engineered vanity tops are the most affordable option for durable and practical installations.
Engineered Stone Kitchen Benchtops
Engineered stone benchtops are carefully tailored to ensure the material can withstand the intense use an everyday kitchen benchtop receives. Most types of engineered stone materials offer high durability and great hygienic qualities, such as water, heat and stain -resistance, as well as being an easy to clean surface that does not require much on-going maintenance or re-sealing.
Engineered stone also offers more design flexibility, endless finishes and multiple slab thicknesses. There are two categories of engineered stone, either a quartz base or a porcelain base; both types of engineered stones are composite materials.
Engineered stone can be used in both vertical and horizontal applications, including splashbacks, joinery, furniture and flooring, allowing for endless possibilities of innovative designs for your kitchen, bathroom and laundry renovations.
Quartz Stone Kitchen Benchtops
Quartz stone benchtops are a type of engineered stone that is processed by combining incredibly hard natural quartz chips with powder polymer resin. One quartz slab has at least a minimum of 93% natural forming quartz, offering non-porous and hard-wearing qualities. Whilst holding a CSIRO Certification for resistance to extreme heat, chemicals and stains, as well as the National Sanitation Foundation’s Food Safety Certification.
Quartz stone benchtops are highly resistant against scratches and chips, but complete durability is not guaranteed; although overall, Quartz is more robust than Natural Stones. Two of the most popular types of quartz-based engineered stone we supply at Made in Stone Includes:
Silestone, the best option for those who desire the aesthetic of natural stone, as Silestone caters to a natural aesthetic but offers much more durability with engineered Quartz characteristics.
Specifically, Silestone holds non-porous qualities, resistance to stains, scratches and even bacterial growth. At Made in Stone – Sydney’s premier choice for Silestone – we offer more than 90 Silestone colours and three texture options.
In particular, Silestone Calacatta Gold Vanity has a marble-look, which is a popular design for luxury bathrooms. Visually a marble benchtop works superbly in bathrooms as the shiny, sleek material compliments the glass surfaces used in the bathroom. Silestone Calacatta Gold recreates the classic grey veins from marble but adds more interest than a traditional white vanity top, creating a beautifully elegant space while still looking open and clean.
On the other hand, Caesarstone is another reputable brand for quartz-based engineered stone. Caesarstone is resistant to cracks, scratches and stains, with low maintenance and non-porous qualities. Although, similar to most quartz-base kitchen benchtops, Caesarstone surfaces cannot endure extremely high heat, occasional heat contact is okay, but the Caesarstone surface may change colour over time with temperature changes.
Porcelain Stone Kitchen Benchtops
Porcelain stone is known in the industry as the most luxurious kitchen benchtop material, as a denser, less porous and more durable stone than quartz stones. Porcelain kitchen benchtops are constructed at a very high temperature from powdered clay and coloured pigments, with a wide variety of textures and finishes available, from gloss, matte, timber, concrete to rusted metal.
Porcelain is also extremely dense, non-porous, very resistant to heat and resistant to stains; generally, porcelain lasts for a longer time than other kitchen benchtop materials.
Due to porcelain’s high durability, this type of stone can be easily cleaned with just water and a brush without risking any damage. At Made in Stone, we are proud to be suppliers of two market-leading porcelain stone brands, including:
Dekton is perfect for large kitchen benchtop surfaces, offering high UV resistance, scratch resistance, stain resistance, fire and heat resistance, abrasion resistance and resistance to freezing and thawing. Unlike quartz-based kitchen benchtops, porcelain’s controlled manufacturing process means your Dekton bench will not change colour over time.
In addition, Neolith is another extraordinary porcelain stone perfect as a kitchen benchtop material. Neolith is scratch-resistant, resistant to high temperatures, easy to clean, waterproof, suitable for heavy traffic, resistant to UV rays, 100% recyclable, 100% natural and hygienic. With endless applications and styles, Neolith is changing the way architectures think about kitchen benchtop designs.
Sourcing the Most Durable Kitchen Benchtops in Sydney
Not only will a new kitchen benchtop completely revamp your space to suit your liking, but it is the most effortless kitchen renovation, without requiring much work or an entire remodel. Ready to pick out your next stone kitchen benchtop?
If you are looking for high-end, affordable natural or engineered stone for your next bathroom vanity or your next kitchen benchtop, contact Made in Stone today on (02) 9756 4599 or get a FREE quote online.
With over 25 years of industry experience, you know you will only get the highest quality Engineered stones, Natural Stones and Porcelain Materials from Made in Stone. Call us today and ask us about our wide range of offcuts to choose from to help save some $$ in your renovations.
As a local Sydney stonemason, we cater to any customer requirement, whether you need a stone installation for your kitchen benchtop, bathroom vanity top, bar, outdoor barbecue area, fireplace, columns, etc. Our team are available to assist you. Speak to the stone experts today!