Granite for the Busy Kitchen: Why Home Cooks Are Choosing It Over Everything Else

Home cooks who want a practical, yet attractive worktop for their cooking space are increasingly choosing granite countertops above everything else. We’ll discuss why in this blog.

What is granite?

Granite is a naturally occurring “plutonic” igneous rock. Unlike other types of igneous rocks, which consist of a single mineral and solidify on the surface of the earth, plutonic igneous rocks are made from a combination of minerals. The mix of dark and glassy quartz infused with pale pinkish, greyish, or white feldspar and dark, shiny mica flakes cools slowly beneath the surface, creating a truly unique effect that varies drastically from slab to slab.

The composition also creates a highly heat-resistant, durable stone, making it suitable for a wide range of interior and exterior applications, from flooring to bathroom tiles, and countertops to fireplace surrounds.

The Benefits of Granite Kitchen Countertops

Granite Kitchen Countertops Are Beautiful

Homeowners often don’t realize that granite is a very diverse stone. Visions of a counter “speckled” with black and grey on a pinkish background, or overly textured browns and blacks can make granite feel too outdated for a modern kitchen renovation.

While the speckled look was popular in the 1990s, granite today comes in an impressive selection of colours and patterns, allowing you to create a cooking space that captures the look you desire.

Granite Slabs Are One-of-a-Kind

Granite slabs are extremely diverse. They come in everything from warm golds and creams to cool grey-on-grey tones, and edgy, high-contrast black and white to modern, leathered browns.

The naturally occurring colours and patterns make each slab unique, from waves to veins, and speckles to delicate horizontal striations. As a result, your granite counters will be completely unique to your kitchen, creating an inviting, beautiful space.

Kitchen Renovations Should Last

Granite countertops are robust and durable, able to withstand heat and stand up to the daily wear and tear of a busy cooking space. They are also not as porous as other natural counter surfaces like marble, making them capable of managing spills and resisting stains when properly sealed.

Granite Countertops Are Low Maintenance

Although granite is less porous than other stone counter types, our installers enhance its non-porous nature with a seal. The seal can prolong the life of the counters for up to 15 years, without the need for continuous reapplication.

Why is this attractive to home cooks? More porous stone counters, like marble, require sealants every year or two to help prevent staining. Granite is a lower-maintenance counter choice that just requires a wipe-down with mild soap and water to keep it looking its best, so cooks don’t need to worry about seals.

Bacteria-Resistant Counters for Cooking Spaces

Since kitchen counters are used for food preparation, they should be as bacteria-resistant as possible. Highly porous surfaces can harbour germs and bacteria even when wiped clean. When properly sealed, granite’s lower porosity provides an ideal surface to prevent bacterial buildup and reduce the risk of foodborne illness.

Ideal for Customized Kitchen Renovations

If you’ve invested in a completely customized kitchen renovation, you want your kitchen countertops to reflect that tailored look. The diverse selection of granite kitchen counter slabs, edges, and finishes allows you to create a totally bespoke look. You choose not only the slab pattern and colour, but also the level of glossiness you want on your counters.

Matte finishes are more modern and rustic, while high gloss offers a high-end sophistication. The edge is also important for both the counters’ look and practicality. For example, a fully rounded edge can reduce the impact of accidentally walking into counter corners but can also allow drips to fall onto cabinet doors below. We can help you understand the pros and cons of different edges in your cooking space to improve both the look and practicality of your kitchen counters.

Granite Is Heat-Resistant

Granite is the most heat-resistant countertop material. It can withstand temperatures up to 1,650 degrees Fahrenheit, making it a convenient and practical choice for your cooking space.

It is very rare for granite to snap or crack from “thermal shock” when the stone is very cold and the pan is very hot. Although you can still use a trivet or heat pad to protect granite from damage, placing warm pans and baking dishes directly on granite is not likely to cause damage.

Home Buyers Love Granite

Granite has mass appeal among average home buyers, making it a smarter investment. Home buyers love granite counters for all the reasons we’ve listed here. They are beautiful, durable, low-maintenance, and stylish, helping to attract homeowners when it comes time to sell. This also makes granite a smart, long-term investment, because a) they last longer, and b) they will retain their value. As a result, home cooks see a higher ROI when they sell.

Granite Counters Are Recyclable

Eco-conscious home cooks also appreciate the fact that there are many recycling options for granite kitchen counters, including the following:

• Resale, when carefully removed during renovations.
• Repurposing options as a landscaping material when turned into gravel or river rock.
• An aggregate material made from crushed granite is used to produce various stone slab products.
• Repurposing choices in your own home as a bathroom vanity top or for outdoor counters.
• Cutting the granite down for use as a tabletop on coffee tables, dining room tables, desks, or a fire table for the backyard.
• Fireplace upgrades as a hearth or mantle.

Contact the Professionals at First In Counters Granite

Granite’s beauty has long won the hearts of homeowners undergoing a kitchen renovation. However, home cooks are finding that granite’s conveniences, practicality, and ease of care make it the logical choice for cooking spaces.

The experts at First In Counters Granite combine the beauty of one-of-a-kind granite slabs with leading-edge fabrication to create customized granite counters for your kitchen renovations. Our CNC fabrication and laser templating ensure a flawless fit. As a family-run business, our knowledgeable, honest staff are here to help you discover the beauty of granite. 

To learn more about our granite kitchen countertop options, click here to find our showroom nearest you or to set up a free consultation.