Why You Should Skip These Countertops When Designing Your Kitchen

Jonathan and Drew Scott, the popular "Property Brothers," really don't want you putting laminate countertops in your kitchen. "I can't think of a single kitchen design where laminate would look better than stone, butcher block, or a solid surface like Corian," Jonathan sniffed to HGTV Magazine, adding that, in his professional opinion, laminate can actually subtract value from a kitchen. "It frustrates me to no end when people spend their budget on a product, like laminate, that automatically seems dated," Drew agreed. "[I]t's like throwing money away!"

Look, we get it. Designing a kitchen is expensive, from selecting one of the wide variety of kitchen cabinet choices to make yours stand out to trying to decide if you want to spend extra for stainless steel appliances. Laminate has one really big pro going for it, which is that it's cheaper than other counter options. While exact costs range widely, laminate carries an average price tag of $34 per square foot, compared with around $70 per square foot for granite or the resin-mineral composite Corian. Every penny counts when building your kitchen, so the temptation to make a decision based solely on price can be overwhelming. We personally think that, like the list of foods from the 1970s that you can't find now, the Scotts are right and laminate should be left in the last century. That's not precisely because it's unsightly, like Jonathan and Drew Scott claim, but because it can't hold up to daily use in a kitchen. Obviously, that's a no-go for people who actually enjoy cooking.

True, the sort of laminate you can buy in the 2020s is much tougher and better-engineered than the flimsy plastic junk your parents installed in their starter home. Still, even the finest laminate has mitered seams where panels meet, and these joins are vulnerable to ruinous water intrusion. Moreover, any laminate can be more easily burned or scratched than most of its countertop competitors, and it's a lot tougher to repair. It probably isn't a wise idea to just rest a hot pan on laminate, which can melt or char, so you will always have to remember to put down a heat-resistant trivet. With granite or marble, you need not worry as much. Do you really trust yourself not to make that mistake over the life of your countertops? Laminate also needs to be cleaned gently, with either soap and water or, perhaps, the same vinegar that you use to clean your dishwasher. Accidentally use a chemical spray? You could delaminate the surface and trash your counter.

That's the reality, sadly — laminate generally doesn't stay in great condition for very long due to all that potential for damage. Over time, having to replace laminate countertops in a shorter timeframe than other options could actually make them less of a bargain than you initially assumed. In a nutshell, unless you are the type of homeowner to simply use your kitchen as a seating area for eating takeout every night, laminate's fragility rules it out as an option.