# Best Countertop Material: Granite, Concrete, Glass or Corain? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [February 23, 2013, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-countertop-material-granite-concrete-glass-or-corain/651194 "2013-02-23T20:21:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![shiftless](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9c0ed/32.png) [@shiftless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shiftless)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2013, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-countertop-material-granite-concrete-glass-or-corain/651194/21 "2013-02-26T17:52:30Z")
It’s been 10 years since I remodeled the kitchen but we went with a laminate and I haven’t regreted it. It has never peeled and we got a nice design that would have cost two or three times as much with other materials. Laminate is probably the lease durable of the surfaces and I bet it will still be good when the cabinets are worn out. My sister has the super highend granite counters. I like the look and would love to work on that surface but the cold touch and the sharp _clink_ when I put glassware down is off-puttting to me. ---
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2013, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-countertop-material-granite-concrete-glass-or-corain/651194/22 "2013-02-26T18:02:40Z")
I built a wet bar in the basement a few years ago, and decided to have a granite countertop installed. It looks beautiful. But I now \*hate \*it. About two weeks after it was installed, I discovered a small chip in it. I assume someone must have set a beer mug on it too hard. Now I’m paranoid about setting hard stuff on it, such as glass and ceramic items. I should have gone with Corian[sup]®[/sup]. ☹ Granite looks nice, but is completely impractical IMO. ---
**Author:** ![Snickers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5daacb/32.png) [@Snickers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snickers)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2013, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-countertop-material-granite-concrete-glass-or-corain/651194/23 "2013-02-26T18:06:14Z")
> [@Biggirl](#): > > There’s also soapstone. The stuff lab counter tops are made of. It may cost more than granite. Word. My dream kitchen will have soapstone counter tops. If it’s good enough for chemistry labs, it’s good enough for me. Spendy, though. But awesome. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2013, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-countertop-material-granite-concrete-glass-or-corain/651194/24 "2013-02-26T18:39:09Z")
Stainless steel. ---
**Author:** ![Airk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9de053/32.png) [@Airk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airk)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2013, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-countertop-material-granite-concrete-glass-or-corain/651194/25 "2013-02-26T19:03:50Z")
> [@Crafter\_Man](#): > > I built a wet bar in the basement a few years ago, and decided to have a granite countertop installed. It looks beautiful. But I now \*hate \*it. About two weeks after it was installed, I discovered a small chip in it. I assume someone must have set a beer mug on it too hard. Now I’m paranoid about setting hard stuff on it, such as glass and ceramic items. I should have gone with Corian[sup]®[/sup]. ☹ > > Granite looks nice, but is completely impractical IMO. You did NOT chip your granite countertop by putting a mug down on it. You’d have shattered the mug first. If there was a chip or something, it was probably there at install time and you missed it. I’ve had granite counters at two different residences now, and the stuff is TOUGH. You’d have to slam a pan down on it really hard to accomplish anything. It’s rock, people, not glass. ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21906_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2013, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-countertop-material-granite-concrete-glass-or-corain/651194/26 "2013-02-26T19:04:33Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > Sounds like an incompetent granite fabricator/installer. They should work with you upfront to show you where the seems will be, and let you pick the areas you want to match. There should be no pits (they should be filled in), and the seams should be smooth. > > But you can hardly blame the “busy pattern” on granite. There are plenty of styles to choose from. My husband made arrangements to talk with them before they cut the slabs, but when he got there, they were done. So much for letting him work on the layout… I think I’ll call the company that coordinated all of this about the smoothness of the seams - it’s just been a few weeks, so I would hope it’s not a big deal to remedy it. As for the busy-ness - I knew what we were getting. It’s a case of my husband loving it and me hating it. OK, that’s too strong - it’s an attractive stone, but it’s not what I wanted. It’s a decision that I lost, and I’m still pouting. I’ll get over it eventually, but I’ll be a baby about it for a little while longer. ---
**Author:** ![gaffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2013, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-countertop-material-granite-concrete-glass-or-corain/651194/27 "2013-02-26T19:43:35Z")
> [@Twoflower](#): > > You missed one — quartz, aka “silestone”. Looks great, utterly maintenance-free. I love my Silestone countertop. I do nothing at all to maintain it and do not worry about it at all. Just clean it with soap and water. I can’t imagine hassling with real granite, marble or wood. ---
**Author:** ![Airk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9de053/32.png) [@Airk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airk)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2013, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-countertop-material-granite-concrete-glass-or-corain/651194/28 "2013-02-26T21:01:50Z")
> [@gaffa](#): > > I love my Silestone countertop. I do nothing at all to maintain it and do not worry about it at all. Just clean it with soap and water. I can’t imagine hassling with real granite, marble or wood. Not sure what “hassle” you are imagining with real granite; I clean my countertops with a damp cloth most of the time. I don’t generally even need soap. Occasionally I wipe them down with something disinfecting. Theoretically I might need to have them re-sealed in 15 years, but…15 years. Minimum. I am SUPER lazy. Granite is low maintenance. The only problems I’ve ever heard of people having with granite are either A) installation issues (which can happen with anything) or B) it doesn’t look as uniform as they want it to, because it’s natural rock, not something manufactured for even texture. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2013, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-countertop-material-granite-concrete-glass-or-corain/651194/29 "2013-02-26T21:59:01Z")
> [@FairyChatMom](#): > > My husband made arrangements to talk with them before they cut the slabs, but when he got there, they were done. So much for letting him work on the layout… I think I’ll call the company that coordinated all of this about the smoothness of the seams - it’s just been a few weeks, so I would hope it’s not a big deal to remedy it. It’s pretty unlikely they can reset it without breaking it. They may be able to polish it down in places. And you should definitely get them to fill the voids with transparent epoxy. That is amateur move #1! ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim_r.mortiss/32/142_2.png) [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_R.Mortiss)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2013, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-countertop-material-granite-concrete-glass-or-corain/651194/30 "2013-02-26T22:06:34Z")
My granite countertops came with a 15-year sealant as well. I have my doubts that it will really go that long with a resealing, but… it’s been a year, and water still pools up on it like a freshly waxed car. They’ve come a long way, baby. ---
**Author:** ![Skammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skammer/32/143_2.png) [@Skammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skammer)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2013, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-countertop-material-granite-concrete-glass-or-corain/651194/31 "2013-02-26T22:18:06Z")
Another vote for hardwood. We had a butcher block countertop installed last year and it’s gorgeous and not hard to care for. The occasional scratch can be sanded right out, and you can drop a plate or mug on it without breaking anything. It gives the whole kitchen a nice sense of warmth. ---
**Author:** ![Labrador\_Deceiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7c8e57/32.png) [@Labrador\_Deceiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labrador_Deceiver)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2013, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-countertop-material-granite-concrete-glass-or-corain/651194/32 "2013-02-26T22:23:22Z")
> [@Crafter\_Man](#): > > Granite looks nice, but is completely impractical IMO. That’s absurd. Granite is extremely practical, and more durable in more ways than the majority of counter materials. I’ve been cooking on granite for many years, and I spend way more time in the kitchen than most. I’ve never had to do any maintenance, I’ve never stained it, and I’ve never damaged it at all. I can’t imagine how you would chip it with a beer mug via anything resembling normal use, including accidents. ---
**Author:** ![PunditLisa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/4af34b/32.png) [@PunditLisa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PunditLisa)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2013, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-countertop-material-granite-concrete-glass-or-corain/651194/33 "2013-02-26T22:38:12Z")
Granite is a giant slab of very dense rock. You can cut on it, you can knead on it, you can put hot items directly on it. It doesn’t stain or lose its gloss. The only downside, IMO, is its hardness. I’ve lost a lot of glasses and dishes on it. I’ve since gone with Corelle dishes (they’re not your Grandma’s Corelle) instead of Pfaltzgraf. After 10 years, I still love my absolute black granite countertops. They’re sleek, they’re smooth, they’re classy looking, and because they are neutral, I can easily change out the colors in the room. . ---
**Author:** ![Incubus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c68b51/32.png) [@Incubus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Incubus)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2013, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-countertop-material-granite-concrete-glass-or-corain/651194/34 "2013-02-26T22:44:04Z")
Personally, I love the way granite looks. Our house has granite countertops, and I love it. Maintenance-free, easy to clean. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2013, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-countertop-material-granite-concrete-glass-or-corain/651194/35 "2013-02-27T00:34:50Z")
> [@echo7tango](#): > > Tile. > > My house was built in 1985 and has tile counters. The white tiles are 6" square and the grouting is ¼" wide with a rough texture and light gray color. The edges and corners are smoothly curved tiles - I didn’t realize tiles could be curved. I do not know what these tiles are made of but they look and feel like standard bathroom wall tiles. > > It’s low maintenance, easy to clean and you can put hot pots directly on it. We’re very happy with it. Tile sucks balls, at least if you don’t do careful selection of your tile and grout colors. Whatever moron before us put the tile in, chose bright white tiles (4" square; the very cheapest you can buy) and white grout. It was IMPOSSIBLE to keep clean looking- everything stained that damn grout. The tiles were great, but we never could get the grout white enough to be worth sealing, and it tended to catch any spills and little crud like spilled coffee grounds. Now that we’re in the midst of a kitchen remodel, we went with granite, after careful consideration. Basically the engineered stone types were our front runner until we realized that they’re not as resistant to hot pans and pots, and that they’re actually more expensive than granite. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2013, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-countertop-material-granite-concrete-glass-or-corain/651194/36 "2013-02-27T01:25:39Z")
> [@Biggirl](#): > > There’s also soapstone. The stuff lab counter tops are made of. It may cost more than granite. which can be sanded or oiled. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2013, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-countertop-material-granite-concrete-glass-or-corain/651194/37 "2013-02-27T01:38:48Z")
WilsonArt laminate. Best laminate out there. I had my counter tops done 2 years ago and love it. ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2013, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-countertop-material-granite-concrete-glass-or-corain/651194/38 "2013-02-27T01:51:39Z")
If I were designing a kitchen right now, I’d go with Corian. I like the look and feel, I like the give, and I like the seamless sinks. The house I lived in as a teen had Corian and I loved it. ---
**Author:** ![crypto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b3f665/32.png) [@crypto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crypto)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2013, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-countertop-material-granite-concrete-glass-or-corain/651194/39 "2013-02-27T01:57:03Z")
> [@NitroPress](#): > > I can’t see this being any improvement over a complete replacement. It sounds like it would appeal to people who don’t quite understand how cabinets and countertops are built. Just removing the old countertop and replacing it with a new, precision-cut one is simpler and likely a superior result, although it might sound like more work and expense than just “refacing” a possibly faulty existing one. > > Also thickness, which you mentioned. At a certain point, a granite sheet would be prone to cracking and damage from things like standing or sitting on it, or just banging a heavy stock pot down on it. I’ve had, and I’ll take, a full-thickness countertop, not some kind of “aluminum siding” over the old. The benefit is cost. From what I understood from the short segment I saw about it, anyway. The thing is, I’m not sure I understand how this saves someone money, as they still have to buy the stone. Plus, unless that have a way to pull out the other side of the countertop in one large piece, you wouldn’t be able to re-use the carved out section. So, to me it would only benefit the weight, not the cost. Actually, now that I think about it, my original post about this must be wrong. I jist don’t see how you would carve out stone without ruining the removed stone. This would make the piece more expensive than the one solid piece, then… As the hollowed out piece would require more processing before shipping and installation. :dubious: I think I deserve a :smack: for my original answer, although I could have sworn that’s what I heard the guy talking about as he was going over granite options. Now that I think about it, it doesn’t sound feasible. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2013, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-countertop-material-granite-concrete-glass-or-corain/651194/40 "2013-02-27T02:21:36Z")
> [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](#): > > You shouldn’t use knives on any countertop, period. You mentioned bamboo as a countertop choice. I was going to point out that Chef Rick Bayless uses his wood countertop as a cutting board. And yes, it looks like it’s been used as a cutting board. His philosophy is that a kitchen is a place to prepare food and he uses it as such. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-countertop-material-granite-concrete-glass-or-corain/651194.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-countertop-material-granite-concrete-glass-or-corain/651194.md?page=3)