Just like tiles, countertops play a huge part in the completed look of your kitchen. Stone is ever popular, but do you go granite, quartz or marble? Or maybe you're not into stone and favour a butcher block, laminate or a recycled material. With so many countertop options IKAN offers our top five:Granite
This popularity of this countertop is for good reason. Granite comes in colours that range from simple white and grey to dramatic blues, deep red or black, depending on your taste. Granite is readily available, easy to maintain with routine sealing and will look great for years. We often work with BG Granite who carry granite in more than 25 different colour varieties!Quartz
A nice alternative to granite, quartz countertops are made from a composite of quartz chips and resin, producing a hard, durable surface. It does not need to be sealed but will not stand up to cuts or burns like granite. A bonus with quartz is that it is available in more colours than natural stone and with a white quartz like Cambria Torquay (similar to the image above) you can get the look of marble without the maintenance.Butcher Block
The rustic look of wooden butcher block countertops are right at home in traditional or country-style kitchens and wear over time - such a nicks and dents - add to the character of the natural wood surface. Butcher blocks do need to be oiled but like your timeworn cutting boards, they tend to get better with age and are actually naturally anti-bacterial (though caution still applies when working with raw meat or fish). IKEA's NUMERAR butcher block countertop is affordably priced at $199 for a 1.5" thick, 73.25" long and 25.63" wide slab.Concrete
Concrete is a versatile material that can be poured into any shape and tinted any colour you desire. It is naturally strong and durable though it will stain easily without regular sealing (especially from citrus, which stains white) and can be expensive for its custom fabrication.Stainless Steel
Stainless steel is used in busy restaurant kitchens all over the world since it is nearly indestructible, easy to keep clean and heat resistant. Sure, it can scratch and dent and is fingerprint-prone, but we'd call that character! For an industrial-style kitchen, or to modernize the look of something more traditional, we love stainless steel.
