hello there. i would say it depends on the finish your trying to achieve and you budget. Solid wood tops look great in both modern and traditional kitchens
when they are done correctly with the sanding & sealing.
Granite is aslo a surface that looks good in modern and traditional kitchens
very hardwearing.
Corain is amazing if you want totally seamless joints and upstands you can even have sinks moulded from it comes in loads of colours.
laminate is the cheapest of the lot. if you get good quality ones they are really hardwaring. they come in loads of different colours from woodgrains to blocks to ones that have the look of granite. but stear clear of the gloss ones they look good when first fitted but mark easily.
hope this helps
chris harrington

granite stains and scratches ,corian scratches but can be repaired,solid wood again repairable, laminate cheaper,
ultimately personal choice and budget decides,nothing is unmarkable.but your car scratches very easily and you would struggle to find a top dearer than a car !
r

laminate worktops of a good quality are fine easy to fit ,easy to maintain and come in a large choice ,but dont chose gloss ones as they look great in a showroom but are not practical.granite are good but the cost is huge solid wood require requlre maintenance with oiling and sanding i find were 2 are joined at a corner because they are a natural product one will shrink or swell leaving a ridge between the two worktops

hi,
to me it depends on your own taste really,
solid wood is good because you can stain it rubb it down and can look lovely with age, bu it can be hard to keep clean it marks easily and you regularly have to keep treating it,
solid marble and granite is great and can have the scratches buffed out, but it is expensive to buy and fit ,
laminate is a happy medium, it is relatively cheap, and if you get board you can always change it, hogh gloss is terribe to look after as it marks realy easily , and it doesnt buff out like granite or marble,
a normal laminate can last for years if loooked after.
i hoe this has helped.