What's the best top for Galley counter

[Windgeist]

Originally Posted by MidLandOne

Could you elaborate as I don't understand the problem, whether to do with fitting or appearance?

What I was anticipating if I was to ever use the likes of WilsonArt Solid Surface was to use it in exactly the same way as if a laminate ie there would be timber fiddles around it. Not sure what the complication is?

I meant to say, "could be very expensive"

[Therapy]

Originally Posted by defjef

For a counter top you don't want wood.

I don't have the study, maybe it was consumer reports, I just can't remember.

BUT

What I do remember is that multiple types of cutting boards (I know it was cutting boards and not counter tops) were tested and the one that grew the fewest "critters" was wood.

I was surprised and I have not worked to confirm it.

[Sandero]

Therapy,

That sounds like hooey from the hardwood timber association.

I'd love to see the double blind study on that one.

[Amgine]

Wood sometimes gets a bad rap for "harboring disease", which generally isn't so or all our ancestors would have died off rather more commonly from food-born illnesses than they did.

Still, it is a concern, but you should know that food-safe finishes - usually oils of one form or another with an organic or neutral plastic resin - fill in the pores in the wood and prevent reservoirs of nutrients and bacterium from building up. Some studies find wood to be better than plastic for this, mostly because it seems to be easier to clean once it starts getting scarred up from knives, etc. comparatively. Unfortunately, most of the studies are aimed at commercial settings, not home use, so it's hard to say if one or the other is better for your day-to-day living.

Butcher block is a bit easier to tool up - routers, drills, saws - so you can expect it'll be easier on your fine cooking knives, for which your legumier, garde manger, and boucher will all thank you... for the rest of us boating types with rather less kitchen staff it probably won't matter.

[Windgeist]

[quote=defjef;116765]For a counter top you don't want wood. Critters can live in it.quote]

Humans have been preparing food on wood for hundreds of years, maybe thousands I don't care what your cutting on...if not properly cared for it could be unsanitary? A plastic surface with cuts in it will harbor bacteria just the same

Vinegar is a good cleaner/sanitizer for wood cutting boards. Wood countertops I would use the same.


Read this...however you can probably find as many articles saying just opposite, gota love the unedited Internet

How Should I Choose Between a Wood and Plastic Cutting Board?

Cutting Boards -- Is Glass, Plastic, or Wood the Best Choice for You and Your Kitchen?

[High Cotton]

As an owner of an Interior Design company, I can tell you that GRANITE wil have "critters" in it if not kept clean and sealed, which can be a process in itself........GRANITE is porous.
The SID (industry professionals) recommends using QUARTZ instead of granite for any countertop coming into contact with food, is more beautiful than GRANITE and will not collect surface contaminates or bacteria.
Do some research on QUARTZ..... it's the new material growing at phenominal rates in homes, restaurants and anywhere food is prepared.
Just a thought........

[Windgeist]

Remember the OP inquired about DIY materials...Granite, Quartz are not DIY materials

[High Cotton]

Originally Posted by Windgeist

Remember the OP inquired about DIY materials...Granite, Quartz are not DIY materials

Granite and quartz are very easy to deal with, especially if you get the slab company just to cut your patter, really a piece of cake..........
not as easy as a laminate, of course.

[roverhi]

FWIW, maple butcher block harbors fewer nastys and is hygeanically superior to plastic/nylon cutting boards. Assume that would be the same for plastic laminates and corian. Silestone may be better as it supposedly has zero absorption and is so hard it won't have bacteria hiding cuts and scratches.

The main problem with Corian and Silestone is they are very brittle. If your counter top is also a step, have to be very careful that it's thoroughly supported by a non flexible substrait. Failure to do so will result in cracks.

I was looking around for some of that coriander counter top, don't have any Indian Food hereabouts.

Aloha
Peter O.

[Windgeist]

Originally Posted by High Cotton

Granite and quartz are very easy to deal with, especially if you get the slab company just to cut your patter, really a piece of cake..........
not as easy as a laminate, of course.

Sure that could be done, but for a 28' boat? Too heavy IMO. In addition, when they installed our counter top at home, they came out with fancy equipment to get accurate measurements before the cut. After all, with what that stuff cost, you don't want to screw it up

[AnchorageGuy]

We tiled the counter tops in Sea Trek several years back and we have loved it. The grout does need cleaning from time to time but not a big deal.

[Yotboss]

We replaced our laminate counter tops with WilsonArt Solid Surface material a little over a year ago. They have integral fiddles with a nice curve on the inside - very easy to wipe out. Some people leave a gap in the fiddle so they can push stuff out the gap. We opted not to do that - if anything spills, it has nowhere to go but into the undermounted sink which is really easy to clean. Here's a few photos -

Before & After:




As for weight, we are VERY weight conscious, but splurged in two areas: big fast dinghy and the counter tops. The Admiral LOVES the countertops - need I say more?

[Windgeist]

Looks great...can I ask about how much more it was to add the fiddles? OKay I see, the fiddles are wood?

[Amgine]

UC-Davis Food Safety Lab - wood better
Environmental Nutrition (news) - plastic better

My guess is they're about a horse apiece, in which case wood wins for me since it's easier to work with. YMMV.

[Yotboss]

Originally Posted by Windgeist

Looks great...can I ask about how much more it was to add the fiddles?

The whole thing (3 tops; 16 s.f.) was about $800 - sorry, I don't know what part of that was the fiddles.

If a person has decent finish carpentry skills, this would be a total DIY project and it wouldn't cost that much.