Outdoor kitchen worktops: Weather-proof your cooking space
The concept of outdoor kitchens has rapidly gained momentum in recent years, capturing the hearts of homeowners and food enthusiasts alike. With an outdoor kitchen, you can transform your garden into an extension of your home, where you can connect with the great outdoors, make memories with family and friends, and enjoy good food.
Before you embark on this exciting journey to build your perfect outdoor kitchen, it’s important to do your homework. A pivotal element plays a crucial role in the functionality and aesthetics of your space – the outdoor kitchen worktops.
This blog highlights the essential attributes a worktop needs to ensure it’s suitable for your outdoor kitchen. Then we showcase our best outdoor kitchen worktops from premium brands.
Features to look out for when buying outdoor kitchen worktops
When investing in an outdoor worktop, durability is the cornerstone of your decision-making process. Just like indoor worktops, the ability to withstand wear and tear remains paramount. So, features such as stain, heat, and scratch resistance are a must to ensure your worktop maintains its pristine appearance.
However, an outdoor worktop demands an elevated level of resilience to survive the ever-changing elements. Nature’s unpredictable whims, from scorching sun to torrential rain and icy conditions, will take its toll on most worktop materials. Therefore, your outdoor kitchen worktops must be specifically engineered to conquer these challenges.
To ensure your chosen worktop endures all that Mother Nature throws its way, look for these essential features that set outdoor worktops apart from their indoor counterparts:
- UV resistant: thisis critical to thwart the harmful effects of prolonged exposure to direct sunlight, preventing unsightly fading or discolouration.
- Waterproof: your outdoor worktop must be a solid, non-porous material to safeguard it against the detrimental effects of rain and humidity to prevent swelling, warping or deterioration.
- Temperature resistant: extreme temperature fluctuations are inevitable in outdoor settings, so your outdoor kitchen worktops must be able to endure both scorching hot days and freezing cold nights.
- Durable: as well as the attributes mentioned above, look for durability. The length of the manufacturer’s warranty is usually a good indication of how long-lasting a worktop is likely to be.
The best outdoor kitchen worktop brands
This section looks at four exceptional worktop brands that stand out as the epitome of durability, style, and performance: Dekton®, Neolith®, Caesarstone® Porcelain and Caesarstone® Quartz.
The first three are sintered stone worktops— a manufactured stone material made by bonding natural minerals using cutting-edge technology. But it’s important to know that not all sintered stone worktops are suitable for outdoor use.
The last brand on the list, Caesarstone® Quartz, is made from a mix of quartz minerals and resin. It’s rare to find a quartz worktop suitable for outdoor use, but Caesarstone® has specifically engineered three of its colours for this.
All the worktops we show here boast unmatched resilience, making them the ideal choice for your outdoor kitchen.
Dekton® outdoor kitchen worktops
Dekton® is an exceptional choice for outdoor worktops due to qualities that make it long-lasting and safe, even in the harshest outdoor conditions. With a 25-year manufacturer’s warranty, it offers peace of mind, assuring you of its durability and performance for decades to come.
In addition to having all the essential features needed for an outdoor kitchen (UV, water, temperature, stain, and scratch resistance), it’s also fire-proof, providing an extra layer of security during outdoor cooking and entertaining.
Aside from its incredible resilience, Dekton® is aesthetically stunning too. Every colour in the range is suitable for outdoor kitchens, with over 70 to choose from. From whites, creams, and greys to dark colours. Many mimic natural stones such as marble and granite.
This outdoor kitchen may be small, but it includes all the essentials to make it a functional space. It uses Dekton® outdoor worktops in Soke. A colour inspired by the look of classic cement floors, with realistic veining combined with a background filled with varying shades of grey to add detail and depth.
This charming outdoor kitchen uses Dekton® outdoor worktops in Entzo. This is a marble-effect colour inspired by natural Calacatta Gold marble.
It has a creamy white background laced with striking golden veins that exude elegance. In this kitchen design, the worktop has been used as a wraparound for the island to protect the whole area from the elements.
Neolith® outdoor kitchen worktops
Neolith® is a sought-after choice for outdoor kitchen enthusiasts thanks to its winning combination of resilience and visual allure. It comes with a 10-year manufacturer’s warranty to ensure you of its enduring performance.
While not fire-proof like Dekton®, Neolith® boasts all the essential features required for outdoor worktops, rendering it highly resistant to UV rays, water, extreme temperatures, stains, and scratches. This robust protection ensures your Neolith® worktop remains impeccable and reliable even when exposed to the most demanding outdoor conditions.
All colours in the Neolith® range are suitable for outdoor worktops. There’s a palette of over 50 captivating shades, catering to every design preference and style. Among these are many options that mimic the breathtaking patterns of natural stones like marble, granite, and quartz.
This compact outdoor kitchen uses Neolith® outdoor worktops in Zaha Stone. The inspiration for this colour comes from the famous Turkish marble, but with a tone closer to current trends. The design features a dark grey background with striking fine white veins running throughout the surface. It comes in a silk finish.
This beautiful outdoor kitchen uses Neolith® outdoor worktops in Winter Dala. It’s a timber-effect colour inspired by the soft wood tones of the Swedish forests, and it comes in a silk finish. Its natural look is the perfect choice for this outdoor kitchen setting.
Caesarstone® Porcelain outdoor kitchen worktops
Caesarstone® Porcelain is an excellent choice for those seeking an exceptional outdoor worktop. With a lifetime manufacturer’s warranty, it provides unmatched longevity, assuring you of its steadfast performance throughout the years.
With all the essential attributes required for outdoor kitchen worktops— UV, water, temperature, stain, and scratch resistance — Caesarstone® Porcelain offers robust protection against the elements, ensuring its pristine appearance and functionality will stand the test of time in any weather conditions.
Beyond its durability, Caesarstone® Porcelain presents a captivating array of colours, all suitable for outdoor use. From serene whites and elegant greys to warm beiges and bold dark shades.
This outdoor kitchen uses Caesarstone® Porcelain outdoor worktops in Monumental to create a minimalistic, industrial-style look. This colour has an elephant grey base, with soft off-white markings, rough grain, and dark veining, creating an organic-looking texture with an ultra-rough finish.
This spacious and inviting outdoor kitchen uses Caesarstone® Porcelain outdoor worktops in Aluminous. This is a concrete-effect colour, providing a neutral surface that captures the look of fresh, bumpy, and slightly uneven cement, contrasted by fine-grey grains and a soft stony appearance. It comes in an ultra-rough finish.
View all the Caesarstone® Porcelain colours
Caesarstone® Quartz outdoor kitchen worktops
Caesarstone® Quartz has three colours in its range that are engineered for outdoor use. They are Clearskies, Midday and Palm Shade. With a 10-year warranty, you can be sure of their long-lasting performance and durability.
As with the other outdoor worktop brands, Caesarstone® Quartz boasts a plethora of essential features that offer remarkable protection against the elements. UV, acid, freeze, weather, mould, and mildew resistance ensure your worktop remains impervious to the harshest outdoor conditions. And, as you’d want with any worktop, they’re stain and scratch resistant too.
This charming outdoor kitchen uses Caesarstone® Quartz outdoor worktops in Palm Shade. This classic white marble-effect colour has a milk-white base and graceful, light greige veining that adds warmth and depth.
This stunning Mediterranean outdoor kitchen uses Caesarstone® Quartz outdoor worktops in Midday. This industrial concrete-effect surface is a neutral white embellished with warmer greys and a confetti-like sprinkling of cloudy sparks.
In summary
The journey to creating your perfect outdoor kitchen is exciting. But it’s essential to consider the specific attributes and aesthetics needed for your outdoor worktop. Factors like UV resistance, water resistance, extreme temperature durability, stain resistance, and scratch resistance are crucial.
By choosing a worktop from our Dekton®, Neolith®, or Caesarstone® Porcelain or Quartz ranges, you can be sure you’ll have an outdoor kitchen worktop that can withstand the elements and maintain its beauty and functionality for years.
SEH Interiors have over 10 years of experience supplying and fitting premium-quality kitchen countertops at affordable prices across the UK.
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