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Wooden tops

Granite tops

Other tops

The choice of worktop material should always in the first instance be made on practical considerations, for no matter how beautiful or well suited to your decor your tops are, if they are impractical your whole kitchen will not work!

A kitchen should be first and foremost practical, once this requirement has been met then and only then can it be made as beautiful as possible. As to what is practical or not is subjective, it varies from home to home. If you eat out most nights and just use the kitchen for making breakfasts or if you are enthusiastic cooks entertaining most weekends, then your demands on the kitchen will be very different. Only you will know what is best for you.
Choose a material that you are confident in and comfortable with. Having to worry about what you can and can't do on you worktops is the last thing you need.
For the vast majority of people I see the choice comes down to granite or wood. "What do you think?" I hear them say. Wood is without doubt the most appealing, granite the most practical. A whole kitchen with granite tops runs the risk of looking clinical and cold, a whole kitchen with wooden tops may miss out on that certain place where you can do almost anything. My advice is always, if you feel comfortable with it, mix your work surfaces.