What are the best kitchen worktops on a budget?
Discover SEH affordable kitchen worktops

If you love the look and quality of sintered stone or quartz worktops but have found the premium brands are out of your price range, SEH worktops are the perfect alternative.

SEH Worktops are SEH Interior’s own brand of sintered stone and quartz worktops. They share the same good looks and benefits as the big brands but without the premium price tag. So, they’re perfect if you’re looking for cheap stone worktops and are the best kitchen worktops on a budget. We’ve pulled this guide together to tell you everything you need to know about these worktops to decide whether an SEH-branded surface suits you.

SEH Sintered Stone

SEH Sintered Stone worktops are made from natural minerals dug from the ground. The minerals are put through a process called sintering, which involves pressing them together under pressure and extreme heat. No resins glue the minerals together, so the resulting worktop is non-porous and incredibly strong. Which makes it an ideal surface for kitchens.

SEH Sintered Stone benefits

Compared to premium sintered stone worktop brands like Dekton® and Neolith®, SEH Sintered Stone holds its own and boasts many of the same benefits.

• UV-resistant
  SEH Sintered Stone doesn’t fade at all if it’s exposed to direct sunlight. So, if you get a lot of sun in parts of your kitchen, you don’t have to worry about patches of your worktop fading. And you can use this material for an outdoor kitchen too.
  
  
• Scratch and abrasion-resistant
  As there are no resins, this material is incredibly hard. So, you don’t have to worry about sliding metal over the surface – it won’t leave a mark. We advise using a chopping board when cutting with sharp knives, though.
  
  
• Stain-resistant
  SEH Sintered Stone is non-porous. It won’t stain if you spill anything on the surface – even if it’s red wine, lemon juice, turmeric, or drain cleaner. So, it’s ideal if you’re a messy cook or have kids.
  
  
• Resistant to high temperatures
  You can put hot pans or electrical appliances directly onto SEH Sintered Stone worktops. So, you can get on with your cooking without worrying about scorch marks or cracks.
  
  
• Maintenance-free and easy to clean
  You don’t have to treat an SEH Sintered Stone worktop with special cleaners or sealants. Just wipe it down with soapy water after use.
  
  
• Durable and long-lasting
  SEH Sintered Stone will look good in your kitchen for many years. And it comes with a 10-year manufacturer’s warranty should anything go wrong.

What finishes and colours does SEH Sintered Stone come in?

SEH Sintered Stone only has a small range of colours, but they include shades and designs that are popular and on-trend. Two finishes are available – polished and matt – depending on your chosen colour.

SEH Sintered Stone colours

Here are a few of the popular colours in the range, but you can see all the SEH Sintered Stone colours here.

SEH Quartz

Unlike other cheap stone worktops, SEH Quartz is made from a mix of 93% natural quartz bonded with resin. The high quartz content is the same as the premium brands, resulting in a strong and durable surface, but at a more affordable price.

SEH Quartz benefits

Despite the lower price, SEH Quartz offers the same benefits as premium brands like Silestone® and Caesarstone®.

• Scratch-resistant
  The high quartz and low resin content of SEH Quartz makes it an incredibly hard surface. So, it won’t scratch if you slide metal objects across it. However, it’s not scratch-proof. So, we recommend using a chopping board when cutting with sharp knives.
  
  
• Stain-resistant
  Quartz is non-porous, so nothing can penetrate the surface. That means spills won’t leave a permanent mark. Even if it’s coffee, lemon juice, red wine, or spices like turmeric.
  
  
• Maintenance-free and easy to clean
  SEH Quartz worktops don’t need to be sealed or treated ever. After use, they only need a wipe down with soapy water to keep them looking new.
  
  
• Durable and long-lasting
  SEH Quartz will look good in your kitchen for many years. And it comes with a 10-year manufacturer’s warranty should anything go wrong.

There’s only one thing you need to be careful with:

• Protect the surface from hot temperatures
  SEH Quartz has some resistance to heat, but it shouldn’t be exposed to temperatures above 150 degrees or sudden, extreme temperature changes. So, always put hot pans, baking trays, air fryers, etc., on a hot pad or trivet.

What finishes and colours does SEH Quartz come in?

SEH Quartz is available in over 20 colours, with designs that mimic natural stones like granite and marble. Two finishes – polished and matt – are available depending on your chosen colour.

SEH Quartz colours

Here are a few of the popular colours in the range, but you can see all the SEH Quartz colours here.

What design choices do SEH Sintered Stone and Quartz worktops give you?

Whether you choose sintered stone or quartz, you can create a bespoke design for your kitchen. These are the same design choices as the premium sintered stone and quartz brands, making these the best kitchen worktops on a budget.

Here’s what you can do with an SEH Worktop:

• Have radius edges and shapes
  If you want curved corner cabinets, a round sink or an unusually shaped breakfast bar, you can have them with SEH.
  
  
• Install them on any brand of kitchen cabinets
  All standard kitchen units are strong enough to support SEH Worktops, so you’re not limited when choosing your kitchen.

• Choose from two thicknesses
  If you choose sintered stone, you can have a 12mm or 20mm worktop. For Quartz, it’s 20mm or 30mm. The standard 20mm size looks great in any kitchen. The slim 12mm is perfect for contemporary kitchens, while the chunky 30mm works best in traditional and country-style kitchens.

• Have matching upstands and splashbacks
  Upstands and splashbacks give your kitchen a beautiful, finished look and protect your walls from food splashes. Upstands are only 100mm tall, but splashbacks cover your wall’s full height. Splashbacks must be the same thickness as your worktop; otherwise, the colours won’t match perfectly.
  
  
• Have an undermount sink and integrated draining board
  If you prefer your sink and draining board to blend seamlessly into your worktop, install an undermount sink (which sits below the worksurface) and have a draining board cut into the worktop’s surface.

• Have a flush-mounted hob
  A flush-mounted hob is a type of hob that can be sunk into a worktop’s surface so there is no lip overlapping the edge. It gives a kitchen a contemporary finish and makes cleaning the hob much easier.

• Have pop-up sockets
  A pop-up socket is essential for a kitchen island as there’s no adjacent wall for a plug socket. So, a pop-up socket is ideal if you want to use electrical appliances without dangerously trailing a cable across the walkway.

What’s the installation process for SEH Worktops?

SEH Worktops are made-to-measure and installed by our team of expert fitters. The process for ordering is simple:

• Get a quote. Get an online quote in one hour. You don’t need to tell us the colour at this stage because we’ll give you the price for all the colours in the range so you can easily compare them.
• Order up to four free samples. Order free worktop samples to check if the colours work with the other elements of your new kitchen.
• Place your order.
• Our expert installers make a template of your worktop. We can do this once your base cabinets have been fitted and within a week of placing your order. Here’s some advice on how to prepare for a worktop installation.
• Our fabricators make your worktop. This takes place at our fabricator’s workshop using specialist machines.
• Our professional installers fit your worktop. We aim to install it 1-2 weeks after the template has been made.

SEH Worktops are the best kitchen worktops on a budget

SEH Sintered Stone and Quartz Worktops may come with a lower price tag than their premium alternatives, but they are on a par when it comes to beauty and performance. They are extremely hardwearing, making them suitable for harsh kitchen environments. And there are enough colours and designs across the two ranges that makes it easy to find something to suit your tastes.  In addition, their design versatility allows you to create a bespoke kitchen with a worktop that will look stunning for many years.

SEH Interiors have over 10 years of experience supplying and fitting premium-quality kitchen countertops at affordable prices across the UK.
Browse our worktop ranges.