Are Glass Countertops A Good Idea? How They Hold Up To Cooking And Cleaning

With the promise of a sleek and stylish-looking kitchen set-up, it's easy to see why there is so much interest in glass countertops. A countertop is about more than the aesthetic, it's where you keep your countertop essentials like your trusty microwave oven or fancy knife selection and, of course, it's the preferred space to gather and yap with loved ones over a shared bowl of something fresh out of the oven. If you're considering a kitchen renovation, you might be tempted to incorporate some glass to modernize your kitchen while keeping some of the homeyness that makes your Sunday pot roasts feel comforting and hearty. Countertops can hugely shape the way you enjoy your kitchen.

When considering which material to select for a kitchen top, the main thoughts usually lean toward durability, look and feel, size, and how easy it will be to maintain. Glass countertops enter the arena with lots to offer as they are incredibly low-maintenance, which means less time scrubbing down the kitchen after a long evening cheffing it up. The options are impressive, too — you can opt for textured glass, modern designs, back-painted glass for a solid color, crushed glass, and more. If you're hoping to align your kitchen design with your eco-friendly values, then a shift toward glass might also work well. Since glass is a recyclable material, your kitchen will be contributing to minimizing the amount of landfill waste.

Glass is a non-porous material, meaning that the concerns of food, grime, or bacteria build-up that you get from other materials isn't a huge worry. This means that glass would be a more hygienic option in comparison to standard materials like granite or wood. Kitchen clean-up duties get significantly less daunting with a glass countertop as it's easy to wipe down the smooth surface. Maintenance usually comes down to the occasional polish, which is ideal for busy households.

A glass countertop also boasts a heat-resistant surface, too. When under pressure to get things on the table, sometimes pans and pots find their way from the cooker to the counter surface absent-mindedly, and leave behind a less-than-desirable reminder of your hastiness. Thankfully, you can forget about burn stains from pots and hot objects when selecting a glass countertop because the thickest glass option (tempered) will be able to withstand up to 300°F. Tempered and laminated glass are the two types that are guaranteed to offer adequate and safe heat resistance. One thing to keep in mind is that glass can be quite costly to install and just as costly to repair or replace should you damage — or worse — crack your glass countertop.