Are concrete worktops worth it? The honest pros and cons

Concrete worktops are worth it if you want a top cast to your kitchen and you will look after the seal. They are the wrong choice if you want the cheapest top, or one you never think about. That is the short answer.

What do you get?

The good side is the fit. We template your kitchen and cast the top to it, so an odd wall angle or a drainer groove is made into the piece. Most of our worktops are cast at full finished thickness, and at the same thickness they are no heavier than stone. At 30mm, concrete is about 70kg a square metre, quartz about 72 and granite about 80.

The seal does the work. We use SureCrete XS-327, which the maker rates stain resistant to most household chemicals and food. It is rated to 149°C, and water beads on it. A worn patch can be sanded lightly and recoated in place.

What does it ask of you?

The cost of that is care. A pan straight off the hob can run hotter than 149°C, so use a trivet. Cut on a board. Keep abrasive pads and harsh chemicals away, because the guarantee does not cover knife cuts, abrasive pads or harsh chemicals. The data sheet gives no reseal interval, so I will not make one up.

Price is the other cost. Check it first. Our cost page has the price rule and a calculator, so you can work out your own top before you speak to anyone.

Will it crack?

A cracked worktop is a failure, not character. Our guarantee opens with these words. "If a piece we make fails through our fault in its first year, we remake it, and up to year five we repair it."

Before you decide, hold a sample. Our free samples are sealed exactly as a worktop is, so you can test them yourself. The rest is on our concrete worktops page.