What is it?
A worktop is the horizontal work surface that sits on top of the base units and runs the length of the kitchen. It is the main surface you prepare food and work on, so it has to stand up to water, heat, knocks and stains day after day. It also takes the cut outs for the sink and hob, and ties the run of units together into one continuous top.
Worktops are made from a range of materials, from budget laminate to natural stone, and the choice sets the look, the cost and how much care it needs. Whatever the material, the worktop is fixed down onto the base units and usually sits around 600mm deep so it overhangs the doors slightly, with an upstand or splashback sealing the join at the wall.
- 1Worktop
- 2Sink Cutout
- 3Base Unit
What does it do?
The main work surface
The worktop is where most of the work in a kitchen happens, from preparing food to setting down shopping and appliances. Because it is in constant use, it needs to be hard wearing, easy to clean and hygienic, which is why the material choice matters so much.
Taking the sink and hob
The worktop carries the sink and the hob, with cut outs made for each. The material has to cope with water around the sink and heat around the hob, so how neatly and safely it takes these cut outs is a big part of choosing one.
Sealing and protecting the units
Sitting across the top of the cabinets, the worktop closes them off and keeps water out, which is most important around the sink. An upstand or splashback and a bead of sealant along the back edge stop water running down behind the units.
Where is it used?
The main use, running along the base units and across islands to give a continuous surface and tie the kitchen together.
Often run out past the units to overhang for seating, sometimes in a thicker or contrasting material to make a feature of it.
The same materials are used for utility room surfaces and for bathroom vanity tops, so a worktop choice often carries through the rest of the home.
Types
Worktops are chosen mainly by material, and the material sets the look, the price, how tough it is and how much upkeep it needs. The options below run from the premium end down to the everyday.
Granite and natural stone
Quarried natural stone such as granite, and also marble or quartzite, cut and polished into a worktop. Every slab is unique, very hard and heat resistant, and feels genuinely premium. Being natural it is porous, so it needs sealing, and it is heavy, so it is templated and fitted by specialists. Marble is softer and stains and etches more easily than granite.
Quartz
An engineered stone made from crushed quartz bound with resin and pigment, usually well over ninety percent stone. It is non porous so it never needs sealing, extremely hard, and made to a consistent colour and pattern across a huge range. It is cut from slabs and fitted much like granite. Silestone is one of the best known brands.
Solid surface
A man made blend of acrylic and minerals, such as Corian, that can be shaped and joined with almost invisible seams. This allows one flowing surface with an integrated sink and coved upstands and no joints to trap dirt. It is warm to the touch and can be sanded to repair marks, though it is less heat resistant than stone.
Solid wood
Solid timber staves glued into a board, in oak, walnut, beech or iroko among others. It brings warmth and a natural feel, and can be sanded and re oiled over its life. It does need oiling and care, especially around the sink, and it moves a little with changes in humidity.
Laminate
A chipboard core faced with a tough decorative laminate, and by far the most common and affordable choice. It comes in a square edge or a rounded postformed edge, in a big range of wood and stone effect finishes, and is quick to fit. It is less heat and scratch resistant than the others, and the core can swell if water gets into an unsealed cut edge.
Typical sizes
Worktops come in different thicknesses and formats depending on the material. Most sit around 600mm deep so they overhang the units slightly, and the finished height lands at roughly 890 to 910mm once on top of standard base units.
| Material | Typical thickness | Format |
|---|---|---|
| Laminate | 25 or 38 mm | 3000 or 4100mm lengths, square edge or postformed |
| Solid wood | 27 or 40 mm | Cut to length from stock boards |
| Solid surface | 12 mm sheet, built up to 24 or 38 mm at the edge | Made to measure, seamless joins |
| Quartz | 12, 20 or 30 mm | Cut from slabs up to around 3200 x 1600mm |
| Granite and natural stone | 20 or 30 mm | Cut from slabs, sizes vary by block |
How to specify
Choosing a worktop is a balance of looks, budget, durability and how much upkeep you are happy with, along with how it meets the sink and hob.
Material and finish
Pick the material and colour or finish, weighing up durability, the upkeep it needs such as sealing or oiling, how it copes with heat and stains, and the budget. This one decision drives most of the rest.Thickness, edge and joins
Choose the thickness and edge profile, whether square, rounded or bevelled, and decide how joins are handled, since stone and quartz have visible joints while solid surface can be seamless. Set the slab or length sizes against the run so any joints fall in sensible places.Sink, hob and upstands
Decide whether the sink sits in the top or under it, as an undermount sink suits a solid non porous surface, and confirm the hob cut out, any drainer grooves, and the upstands or splashback. Remember that stone, quartz and solid surface are templated after the units are fitted, then made and fitted by specialists.
Other considerations
Interacting elements
The worktop works closely with the elements around it.
- Base units carry the worktop, which sits on and screws to them.
- Sink and tap set into or under the worktop and often decide the material.
- Hob drops into a cut out in the worktop with clearance for heat.
- Upstands and splashback seal the join where the worktop meets the wall.
- End panels finish any exposed ends and can match the worktop.
- Wall units are set at a height measured up from the worktop.
Popular manufacturers
Cosentino (Silestone)
A Spanish family company and world leader in engineered surfaces. Its Silestone quartz carries a 25 year warranty in thicknesses of 12, 20 and 30mm, and it also makes Dekton sintered stone and Sensa treated natural granite, so it spans several worktop materials.
Corian by DuPont
The original solid surface, invented by DuPont, made from acrylic and natural minerals. It joins with almost invisible seams for one flowing surface, takes an integrated sink, comes in over a hundred colours and carries a 10 year warranty.
Egger
An Austrian panel maker whose laminate worktop collection comes in 25 and 38mm thicknesses, square edge or postformed, with a wide range of wood and stone effect decors and matching upstands. Worktops carry a 10 year guarantee.