In this second in-depth look at kitchen worktops, we’re investigating three materials with a unique personality: stainless steel, natural stones - such as granite and marble - and glass. Stainless steel worktops are a must-have in professional-look kitchens, whereas natural stones bring to mind timeless elegance. Should you opt for a minimal style in your kitchen, then glass offers a host of opportunities to give even the most compact settings emphasis. Let’s look more closely at the characteristics of these materials for kitchen tops!
Wherever a great chef can be found, so can stainless steel. This material can be used throughout the entire room: from the hob controls, to the ovens and even the sink and also, obviously, the top-performing kitchen worktop. A stainless steel top allows you to create a uniform setting, since it recalls the other elements in the same material, and affords a tidy and radiant appearance that enhances the volumes in the room.
The clean-cut design, bright, radiant appearance and simple maintenance make stainless steel a must-have in kitchens where one feels like a Michelin-star chef almost instinctively.
Like every large work surface, the stainless steel kitchen top requires thorough looking after to retain its gleaming look. Protecting it against scratches, knocks, limescale and rust is a constant commitment, but is rather simple to do. Simply treat it with specific products to keep its qualities and allure outstanding.
One solution with a definite wow-effect is to design your kitchen top in two different materials: combining stainless steel with wood or with natural stone, for instance, you can set out a separate cutting corner and a work surface for preparing food in stainless steel, thereby devising a very trendy kitchen indeed.
Natural stones play a vital role in prestigious kitchens. Hard-wearing, gleaming and precious, natural stones - such as marble and granite - are typical in Italy, and they are famous for their excellence around the globe. On a kitchen worktop they play the starring role, lending prestige to any setting, whether classic or modern, retaining their characteristic natural look. Stone is perfect when you want an elegant kitchen, for you to feel welcome, as well as your guests.
In addition to their attractive styling, natural stones remain the focus of your kitchen for a long time, thanks to their hardness and hard-wearing resistance. We could almost describe natural stone as being a “live material”, which transforms with time, showing the signs. That’s why small surface scratches or slight abrasions after years of use should not be a source of worry!
Bright and hard-wearing, glass has become a versatile kitchen worktop material, which blends in with the most diverse styles. A glass kitchen worktop can come in unprecedented colours, finishes and matt appearances, to create unexpected yet mesmerising interior furnishing solutions. A great setting for a glass kitchen worktop is a large room, but small kitchens are also great to optimise the available surfaces and add a touch of character despite the limited floor space.
Unlike what one might think, the glass used for work surfaces is not a fragile material: to produce hard-wearing, long-lasting kitchen tops, the glass is processed and undergoes specific treatments to improve its resistance and durability.
To preserve your glass kitchen top, we recommend you wipe off any stains and persistent substances regularly, using a damp cloth and special glass cleaners after each use. Your glass kitchen worktop will be sanitised and spotless in a jiffy!