Once upon a time, laminate used to be the only material used in countertops. Laminate, as most of you will know, is available in a wide variety of colors and somewhat stain-resistant. Unfortunately, it scratches easily and cannot handle much heat.

Thankfully, nowadays there are numerous choices in kitchen countertops. The usual preferred materials (apart from laminate) are stone, metal, ceramic tile, wood or concrete. Each of these has advantages and disadvantages, for example –

·  Stone – There are several types of stone used in countertops, for example:

• Marble – A marble countertop is a bit of a status symbol, and comes with a considerable price and maintenance tag attached. Marble countertops require sealing every two to five years, and are unable to tolerate extremely high temperatures.
• Granite – available in a variety of colors and patterns all over the world, granite has a status next to only that of marble. It also requires some maintenance – periodic sealing and seaming etc – and cannot tolerate high temperatures.
• Slate – This is less porous than the other types of stone used in countertops. It requires no sealing, but can be easily scratched.
• Engineered stone – this is a man-made product available in several colors, has an even texture and is extremely resistant to heat and stain.

You can use all the above mentioned things in your kitchen. There are many other ways by which you can make your kitchen look beautiful and stunning. You can make use of westernized techniques and keep your kitchen neat and clean.