4. Natural Stone and Engineered Stone
Bottom Line: Always beautiful, but rare to find a bargain.Here you'll mainly find marble, granite, and slate, for your natural stone options. And price runs anywhere between $50 and $100 per square foot. Engineered stone is a composite of quartz, pebbles, polymers, and epoxy. Both are sleek and extremely handsome, and they give a very high-end look to your kitchen.
The Number One Reason You Might Want Stone
The look. If you're selling your house, chances are buyers will take notice of these counters.
The Downside of Stone
Stone is porous, so it requires sealing, and it can crack under heavy weight or stain. Engineered stone is better in this respect: it resists heat and stains better than natural stone.
5. Stainless Steel
Bottom Line: Highly unique--a showstopper--but outrageously expensive.
Stainless has come out of professional kitchens and into the home. Sixteen-gauge stainless steel is used in home kitchens, whereas the thicker fourteen- and twelve-gauge steel is found in restaurant kitchens. Because it starts as raw material, it can be formed into practically any shape and dimension you desire.
The Number One Reason You Might Want Stainless Steel
Like stone, it's all about appearances. If you want to give your house a sleek, contemporary look, stainless is the way to go.
The Downside of Stainless Steel
For its outrageous price ($100-$200) per square foot, it's really not as "stainless" and durable as it seems. It will stain and corrode and it does require a significant amount care and maintenance.
6. Concrete
Bottom Line: A trendy countertop choice; attractive but rarely used.The newest entrant in the kitchen counter game, concrete is truly a custom surface. It can be tinted to any color your heart desires, and there is a host of texturing options. Concrete is about as heavy as solid granite. Note that concrete counters are poured and cured before being installed in your house; it is not created on-site.
The Number One Reason You Might Want Concrete
Literally, an infinite range of colors.
The Downside of Concrete
Porosity. Concrete must sealed on a regular basis. On top of that, this very humble building material, used for walkways and patios, hits the $100/square foot mark when used in kitchen applications.
