How to choose the best kitchen worksurface

Choosing kitchen cabinetry may be the first port of call when it comes to buying a kitchen, but deciding on the kitchen worksurface is incredibly important too. It is the hardest working feature in what’s got to be the hardest working room in the house.

Not only does your worksurface need to look good, but it has to be hardwearing and functional too because it is used for so many tasks, having to withstand the daily onslaught that goes with food preparation including spills, splashes, knocks and hot pans and pots.

Artisans of Devizes offers a range of beautiful stone worksurfaces including granite, marble. limestone and Intelligent Stone, which is manmade. ‘Natural stone is amazing,’ says Hamish Smith, Managing and Creative Director of Artisans of Devizes. ‘It has a look and feel that cannot be replicated. The best thing about a natural product is how it ages and settles into a property with use.’

With its classic white finish and iconic veining, marble is the most popular worksurface choice among Artisans of Devizes’ clients ‘because they are looking for a beautiful aesthetic,’ says Hamish. It provides an opulent touch, and its timeless and elegant feel is at home in any style of kitchen, from traditional to modern. Both highly veined marbles and coloured marbles are increasingly on trend for making a style statement.

Marble’s unique properties, due to its porosity, mean it stays cool to the touch, even in a kitchen with a hot oven. The surface typically remains several degrees cooler than the room temperature. Pastry chefs love marble because although the dough warms as it is kneaded, the marble’s cool surface absorbs the warmth. Chocolatiers also revere the benefits of marble’s surface for tempering. The fact that marble is so smooth is an added bonus.

However, marble’s porosity can be a downside as worksurfaces will absorb liquid spills and be at risk of staining, especially from acidic products such as vinegar, lemon and red wine. ‘There won’t necessarily be a big red stain left if you spill red wine on it, but it may take some of the finish off,’ says Hamish. ‘If you leave vinegar and lemon spills and don't act on them quickly, they can discolour or you will lose some of the sheen in patches, which you may see when you look across the surface.’ To help minimise damage, it is best to seal the marble surface and redo roughly every six months, but you’ll still need to wipe up spills immediately. ‘Marble is a bit more of a showy worksurface, but you live with it, rather than it living with you,’ says Hamish.

Another popular worksurface is luxurious granite, which can combine a freckled or mottled grain effect with swirls, veins and touches of sparkle. Colours range from pink and white through to grey and black, and it comes in either a polished or honed finish. It is cherished by many because it is extremely hard wearing and low maintenance. Although it usually needs to be sealed, it is heat-resistant and doesn’t easily stain, chip or crack. It is also easy to look after - simply wipe with a damp cloth and mild detergent. ‘Granite is the most reliable and most traditional worksurface,’ says Hamish. Introducing glossy granite on a large kitchen island for added impact while using a different material on the other kitchen worksurfaces is a current trend.

Limestone is another option for a worksurface but a less common choice. It comes in pleasing pale shades such as white, beige and grey that are perfect for creating an elegant light and airy feel in a kitchen, especially when teamed with neutral cabinets. It is one of the softest and most porous of natural stones that are used on worksurfaces so is not as hardwearing as marble, granite or quartz, nor as low maintenance. It should be sealed regularly and cleaned with a PH neutral or mildly alkaline cleaner, rather than an acidic one, which can be harmful. Any spills should be dealt with immediately to prevent stains.

Quartz, what we call Intelligent Stone, is also available at Artisans and because it is one of the most practical options for a worksurface, it has becoming increasingly popular. ‘It is a fabricated material, a mixture of resin and ground up natural stones such as marble and granite,’ says Hamish. It is hardwearing, and as it is non porous, is impervious to water and doesn’t stain - so it doesn’t need sealing - and has antibacterial benefits. Other advantages are that it doesn’t scratch easily and is heat resistant. ‘Some customers are choosing it over a natural stone because of the inherent practicalities of it,’ says Hamish. All you need to do to keep it looking its best is to clean it with a neutral mild detergent and warm water.

When it comes to choosing your worktop, another popular trend is to mix and match materials. ‘You may opt to use one material for the worksurface on a run of cabinets along a wall, then use a statement and perhaps less hardwearing stone such as marble as a feature on an island where there’s not going to be a huge amount of kitchen preparation and typical kitchen use,’ says Hamish. ‘The island worksurface will then be easier to maintain and also act as a focal point. Choose a more hardwearing material such as granite or quartz for worksurfaces around the oven and sink. This gives you the best of both worlds as you can make a statement but have practicality in the right areas.’

If you are trying to evoke a certain mood, a natural stone is the best choice for a country kitchen as it will age and be more in keeping with a rustic look. A quartz worksurface, meanwhile, will continue to look the same and its sleek, modern lines create an instant contemporary look, making it ideal for an urban aesthetic. A black granite worksurface also works in a modern urban setting and is a good way to evoke an industrial feel.