I have not had an engineered stone benchtop chip or stain in the 14 years I have had them. Previous to that, I did have laminate benchtops and they didn't stain or chip either, but did show a knife mark, but that was to be expected. Is you choose to have laminate, Laminex makes an excellent product.

I have lived with both and both chipped, although the stone bench was only from a much harder knock than what pitted and chipped the laminate. I've also found that any 'stains' from things like beetroot or turmeric tended to disappear from the stone bench tops within a couple of days of regular wiping, whereas the laminate discoloured permanently. In its defense, the laminate would have been a much older product than my current benches, by a decade or two, so there may be better products available now. But I also think the cool feel of a stone bench is lovely and may even be better for baking, too. I prefer the stone, but that's just my opinion.

Both engineered stone and laminate benchtops need careful treatment, and neither are indestructible and resistant to abuse. However the engineered stone benchtop is more resistant to everyday wear and tear. You also need to think about edge details, corners, and joints in your considerations. Do you want a waterfall end to your island bench? Do you want an undermount sink? When making a decision it is not just about wear, cost and value, but also the details that are important to you in your new kitchen.

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Best of luck,

Dr Retro

of Dr Retro House Calls

Thanks