Consumer Reports Says This Is The Best Kitchen Countertop Material

The best kitchen countertop materials for a family home need to be hardwearing and easy to maintain. While laminate is a hugely affordable option that's available in many colors and styles, granite, stone, and marble are often chosen for their natural aesthetic and grounding feel. However, according to Consumer Reports, the best kitchen countertop material is quartz. This engineered stone is made by combining crushed natural quartz with polymer resins and pigments that lend them a unique color and, in some cases, a shimmery and veined appearance.

Quartz scored full marks in three key areas of the report: its ability to deal with heat, abrasion, and cutting. The material also racked up a high score under the stains category, beating competition from other traditional options, including recycled glass and tile (both ceramic and porcelain).

One of the pros of quartz countertops is that they're engineered, which means they can be produced in an array of colors, from whites and beiges to charcoal and near-black. There are even varieties of quartz that are produced to mimic the appearance of marble or cement, which means there's plenty of bandwidth for finding an option that matches your design philosophy and the style of your cabinetry. Better yet, there are designs that combine fine mirror work and glitter that shine under task lighting, as well as matte options that absorb light for a minimalist feel.

Quartz is a non-porous material, which means any spillages and stains simply sit on the surface and aren't absorbed internally. In contrast, wooden countertops are porous and do absorb water, oils, fruit juice, and wine, which can leave them stained, unsightly, and even unhygienic if not sealed regularly. Quartz is also very hardwearing (more so than marble or granite), so it's perfect for heavy-use kitchens and busy families. It isn't 100% indestructible, but you would need to abuse it quite heavily for it to scratch — unlike marble, which can chip and crack more easily (marble countertops are being ditched by homeowners because they require such high maintenance, which may explain why this material didn't even make the top five in the report). 

Additionally, quartz countertops don't need to be sealed because the crushed bits of quartz in the worktop fill in any pores, preventing stains and liquids from seeping in. To keep them in tip-top condition, all you need to do is give them a wipe down with wet cloth and a non-abrasive cleaning product. Just one word of warning: don't be tempted to put hot pans directly onto a quartz counter, because the sudden temperature change could damage it. It won't bubble or melt like laminate, but it can discolor the resin if you do it repeatedly.