Countertops for Chefs
Great cooking requires the right equipment and accessories. Your kitchen has to be properly outfitted too, and the right countertops are essential. If you’re a serious cook, what types of countertops should you consider? This guide will help you select kitchen counters that will prove to be an asset in the years ahead.
What Makes a Great Kitchen Countertop for Cooking?
First of all, the right countertops will withstand the heat around the stove or cooktop. They will be able to take a hot pot or pan being placed on them occasionally. This rules out wood, laminates and most solid surface countertops.
Secondly, cooks look for non-staining kitchen countertops. You’ll be working with oils, wine, lemon juice and other liquids that can cause stains to porous countertops. Therefore, marble countertops should be excluded from consideration. Sandstone counters aren’t much better. If you’re taken with granite, it does stand heat very well, but it’s porous too. Make sure it is very well sealed. Wood and bamboo are not ideal either.
Finally, the right countertop for the cooking enthusiast will be easy to clean. Raw vegetables, meat and fish may have bacteria on their surface that can be left behind on countertops. Wood and the porous materials can harbor the bacteria and mold too. There are better choices for those who do a lot of cooking.
Three Great Countertops for Cooks
Stainless steel is ideal for a kitchen that gets lots of hands-on use. There’s a reason it is the top choice of professional cooks and chefs. It rates very high in all the essential categories: heat resistance, a non-staining surface and ease of cleaning.
Glass countertops, when made with heat-resistant glass, are a second choice worth considering. They come in dozens of attractive styles, mostly using tiles. Semi-opaque glass countertops are often backed by LED lighting to create a unique look in any kitchen.
If you’re enthusiastic about green living, recycled glass countertops are a great choice. They are manufactured from crushed glass, both pre- and post-consumer glass can be used, that is embedded in a resin base. These countertops have all the assets to make them great for cooking. If you haven’t seen what’s being done with recycled glass, you’ll be surprised at the gorgeous countertops produced in a wide range of colors and blends.
The third kitchen countertops for cooking are tile countertops. These time-honored counters are durable, withstand heat and aren’t easy to stain. Choose a water-resistant grout, and you’ll get outstanding results. The enormous range of sizes, shapes, colors and styles give you a nearly unlimited number of options. The results can be kitchen countertops that look uniquely customized to your home. Tile is ideal for backsplashes too!
Stainless steel, glass and tile give you outstanding style and performance options. Choose the one that works best with your kitchen’s decor, and it should take the heat and spills that comes its way in the years ahead.
