Stefania Pelfini la Waziya / Getty Images
If you’re updating your kitchen, picking the right countertop is important. The material you choose affects both the look of your kitchen and how well it stands up to daily use.
Consumer Reports tested popular countertop materials to see how they handle stains, cuts, heat, scratches, and dropped objects. They combined these results into an overall score.
Here are the six top materials, each offering a balance of durability, performance, and value at different prices. Read on to find out which materials made the list.
1 / 6
AnaMOMarques / Getty Images
Price: $50–$100 per square foot
Ultracompact countertops earn perfect scores for stain resistance, cutting, and heat, but their lower impact score hurts their overall ranking. They also score slightly lower for abrasion, which keeps them behind some more forgiving materials.
2 / 6
Andreas von Einsiedel / Getty Images
Price: $5–$20 per square foot
Tile countertops perform very well against cuts and heat, but score lower for stain resistance and impact. Their mixed durability results place them near the middle of Consumer Reports’ rankings, though they're a much more affordable option than some others on the list.
3 / 6
Image by Marie LaFauci / Getty Images
Price: $5–$25 per square foot
Laminate stands out for excellent stain and heat resistance, but falls short when it comes to cutting and abrasion. Its relatively strong impact score helps offset some of those weaknesses, as does its typical cost.
4 / 6
MCT / Contributor / Getty Images
Price: $25–$100 per square foot
Recycled glass scores highly for cutting, heat, and abrasion resistance, but weaker results for stains and impact bring down its overall score. Consumer Reports’ testing shows it’s durable in many areas, but not all.
5 / 6
Stefania Pelfini la Waziya / Getty Images
Price: $20–$60 per square foot
Granite earns top marks for cutting, heat, and abrasion resistance, with solid stain resistance as well. Its lower impact score is the main factor keeping it from the top spot.
6 / 6
John Keeble / Getty Images
Price: $20–$60 per square foot
We’re not saying this because it’s the name of our publication. Quartz ranks first thanks to its strong performance across nearly every test, including excellent resistance to cutting, heat, and abrasion, plus very good stain resistance. Consumer Reports determined it delivers the most well-rounded durability of any material tested.
