How to Choose the Best Kitchen Countertops

Next to choosing kitchen cabinets, choosing kitchen countertops is one of the biggest decisions that must be made when designing a kitchen. To choose the best kitchen countertops for your home, style and budget are the deciding factors. The following advice and information will help you make that important decision?

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. DETERMINE YOUR BUDGET
   
   Whether you are building or remodeling, you will need to establish a budget for your kitchen. You will want to give the greatest consideration to the elements that are most difficult to change, such as cabinets and countertops. Once you have established your budget for countertops, you will want to consider your choices.

2. DEFINE YOUR DESIRED COUNTERTOP FUNCTION
   
   I know, this sounds a little silly, because, of course, you want countertops to be, well, countertops. But the way you use your kitchen has a lot to do with how you will need your countertops to function. For instance, do you do a lot of cooking? Do you want countertops that can withstand the heat of a hot pot off the stove? Do you need countertops that are highly stain resistant?
   
   MAINTENANCE is a BIG FACTOR in keeping countertops looking good and feeling good to you.

3. CONSIDER DESIGN AND STYLE
   
   When considering design and style, the choices can be almost overwhelming. Below is a list of materials commonly used for countertops:
   
   granite/ marble--most expensive, maintenance moderately high
   granite tiles--less expensive than slab grantite
   solid wood--durable but high maintenance
   laminated countertops--low cost, durable, maintenance moderate
   concrete countertops--moderate cost, highly personalized
   ceramic tile--highly durable, moderate maintenance
   Corian--expensive, high maintenance
   
   Some of our eHow friends have written excellent articles on maintenance of different types of countertops. I have included links to some of these articles in the Resources section below.
   
   I recommend that you read about the care and maintenance of various materials and then choose the product that most closely meets your needs.

Resources

• How to Restore Dulling Granite Countertops
• How to Make Your Own Formica Countertop Cleaner
• How to Choose a Granite Countertop Color
• How to Care for and Clean Corian Countertops
• About Butcher Block Countertops

[trvlarrngr]

on 9/3/2009 great article on choosing kitchen countertops. I am going to be doing this real soon. 5 stars

[godfather25]

on 8/25/2009 Very good article on choosing the best kitchen countertops.

[igislandgirl]

on 8/24/2009 We have been thinking of remodeling our kitchen and your advice on how to choose the best kitchen countertops has sure helped..

[kristara]

on 8/24/2009 Great info on countertops. I have Corian and you are so right expensive! My countertops cost more than my cabinets. I don't think they were worth it. 5*

[sonni57]

on 8/23/2009 Thanks for the good advice on choosing kitchen countertops.