Kitchen worktops in Tenerife

The kitchen worktops we make in Tenerife are cut to measure for each kitchen and fitted once the units are in place. The choice of material depends on three things: how much you cook, how much sunlight the worktop gets and whether the house is near the sea, where salt air and humidity take a heavier toll on edges, joints and hardware.

Which worktop material to choose

For most indoor kitchens, quartz or granite is the balanced choice; for kitchens with direct sun or outdoor kitchens, sintered stone or porcelain. Laminate is for tight budgets or kitchens that see light use. This table sums up how each one behaves in normal conditions; the details vary by model and manufacturer.

If you are torn between two, there is a more detailed comparison in our guide to choosing between Silestone, Dekton, granite and porcelain. And if you have a terrace with a barbecue in mind, first read what matters for outdoor kitchens.

Laminate worktops

A laminate worktop is the most affordable option and makes sense in kitchens with light use or a tight budget, as long as you keep water away from edges and joints. It is a chipboard core, ideally moisture-resistant, covered with a high-pressure decorative layer that imitates wood, stone or plain colours.

Its advantages are price, the range of finishes and its low weight, so the units do not need reinforcing. Its limits are just as clear: you cannot put a hot pan straight on it, a knife will scratch it and, if water gets in through a badly sealed edge or the sink cut-out, the core swells and cannot be repaired. That is why standard laminate takes an inset sink sitting on top of the worktop.

There is a tougher version, compact laminate: a solid sheet of about 12 mm with no board core, which copes with water and allows an undermount sink. It costs more than board-backed laminate and, depending on the finish, can come close to the price of an entry-level quartz, so it is worth comparing them in the same quote.

Splashbacks to match the worktop

A matching splashback means taking the same material up the wall, between the worktop and the wall units. It looks seamless, has no tile joints for grease to build up in and wipes clean with a cloth. Porcelain and sintered stone are made in thin thicknesses designed for cladding; with quartz and granite a thinner slab than the worktop is normally used. Behind a gas hob, check the minimum distance required by the material’s manufacturer, because not all of them tolerate the heat of a nearby flame equally well.

Undermount or inset sink

An undermount sink is fixed from below and leaves the surface flush: you can wipe crumbs straight into the bowl. It needs a material that will not deteriorate with water on the edge of the cut-out, so it works with quartz, granite, sintered stone, porcelain and compact laminate, but not with standard board-backed laminate. An inset sink sits on top with a rim; it is cheaper, easier to replace in the future and the logical choice with laminate. In stone, drainer grooves can also be cut next to the bowl.

Standard kitchen worktop sizes

A standard kitchen worktop is 60 to 64 cm deep, between 12 and 40 mm thick depending on the material, and sits about 90 cm off the floor. The length is not fixed: it is whatever each wall measures, and it is adjusted to the millimetre once the units are fitted.

• Depth: base units are about 60 cm deep including the door (the carcass is usually 56 to 58 cm), and the worktop overhangs the doors by 1.5 to 2 cm at the front so that drips do not run down them. A small gap is left against the wall, which is then sealed.
• Thickness: the norm is 20 mm for natural stone and quartz, 12 mm for sintered stone and porcelain, and 28 to 40 mm for board-backed laminate. A slim worktop looks lighter; if you want an island to have more presence, a thicker look can be created with the edge.
• Height: usually 85 to 95 cm from the floor. It is adjusted with the unit legs and the thickness of the worktop itself, so it is best decided with whoever cooks most in mind.
• Length: each material is made in slabs of a maximum size, which for quartz, porcelain and sintered stone ranges from about 3 to 3.25 metres depending on the manufacturer and format. If a wall or an L-shaped worktop is longer than that, a joint is needed, placed where it is least visible and away from the sink.
• Island with a breakfast bar: for sitting on stools, the NKBA (the US National Kitchen and Bath Association) recommends a clear overhang of about 38 cm if the bar is at worktop height and about 30 cm if it is a raised bar. The maximum unsupported overhang is set by each material’s manufacturer according to thickness; beyond that, the worktop needs legs or concealed brackets.

Worktop edges

The most practical edge is a square edge with a small arris, while a rounded or mitred edge is chosen for use and looks. On 12 mm ultra-compact materials, the edge is the most vulnerable area when knocked, so its profile matters more than with stone.

• Square with an eased arris: a small bevel stops the edge from chipping.
• Rounded: softer to touch and lean on, common in kitchens with children.
• Mitred: a strip of the same material is bonded at 45 degrees so a 12 mm worktop looks 40 or 60 mm thick. It is the one most used on islands.

How a worktop is priced

A worktop is normally priced per linear metre, and the price depends on the material, the colour group, the thickness, the edge type, the hob and sink cut-outs, the splashback and the shipping of the slabs, which come over from mainland Spain. That is why we do not give a fixed figure without measuring. You can get an idea of the whole kitchen with the price calculator and, if you want to see the material before deciding, compare Silestone quartz with Dekton.