Black Stone Worktops are a bit Marmite factor, we have to admit. People say that they darken a room and that they are hard to keep clean, and there is some truth in both. A small, North-facing kitchen may not benefit from black worktops. And shiny, pure black granite can be very hard work unless you are the kind of person who wants to have a very close relationship with their micro-fibre cloth. Some customers who have pure black for their first solid stone worktops do not choose the same the next time – all of this is true.
Black Pearl Granite worktops on traditional oak units
But, there are few looks more striking in a kitchen than glossy, rich, dark worktops offering high contrast to walls and units. Black looks great – and that is why people still buy it in large numbers. Even with all the white quartz that is going into British homes, black granite is still a big seller.
So what is the best way to achieve that big contrast, dark worktop look while minimising the hassle factor of glossy black like Zimbabwe Black or Nero Assoluto?
Nero Assoluto worktops on a contemporary kitchen
You can still achieve much of the impact of a glossy, pure black worktop using an alternative material. Black granites with mottle are far easier to live with than their pure black cousins: take a look at Black Pearl or Midnight Blue (also known as Blues in the Night or Angola Blue). For yet more mottle take a look at the stunning Emerald Pearl which has large pearlised thumbnail-size flecks of blue or green.
Midnight Blue Granite – also known as Blues in the Night
Black Pearl Granite – our biggest black seller
Emerald Pearl Granite
Stargate Granite
As Naomi, our Sales Manager put it:
I thought that I would never be able to live with a black worktop, but, having been flooded out of our home and living temporarily in a house with Stargate (aka Cosmos) worktops, they are not as difficult as I had imagined. They are still very black but the steely, sparkling fleck makes them far easier to live with.
In general polished finishes are easier in terms of grease and oil; honed black granites are really not suitable for food preparation areas because of this. Despite this, matt finishes have become increasingly popular and that is the look that you would like it is worth finding a quality finish. One of the best in terms of maintenance is the Moak Black Sensa in suede finish. This material from Cosentino of Spain is basically Nero Assoluto granite, especially treated to texturise and seal. Subsequent to writing the above we experienced some long-term maintenance issues with Sensa Moak Black and have dropped it from our stock range.Â
If the issue is not actually getting a black, but a monochrome look – if you simply want to avoid colour in your worktops and your kitchen as a whole – then Steel Grey Granite with its range of tones from mid-grey to black, may be right for you.
We are not fond of pure black quartz materials as they have often seemed to us to give a very smeary finish. The exception would be the black mirror quartz look, which is still popular, although not quite as on trend as it was. We stock Silestone Negro Stellar, from Cosentino, which is probably the best known of the black sparkly options. The sparkles make the material far more liveable with than plain black.
The Dekton Blacks
In the man-made materials, though, what may really suit you in pure blacks may be Dekton. Black quartz tends to scratch to a lighter colour, so can look a bit tatty over the years. Dekton is much harder, and offers some truly excellent black materials with interesting textures and amazing resistance to staining, marking and scratching. Sirius, Domoos and Ananke have been on the market for a while as matt/textured finish products, while the Spectra XGloss product is more recent. This high-shine material is very resistant even to smears and dirt, making it an easy-clean choice for your kitchen.
Bear in mind, though, that with cleanability and hardness comes brittleness – Dekton can break seriously if hit hard enough. If Dekton is a ‘must have’ for cleaning and hardness, we advise checking that your home insurance covers worktop replacement. Check out our article on different materials for more info.
That brings us back to the subject of pure glossy black. Over the years we have tended to stock Indian Nero Assoluto as our main glossy black worktops stone. From 2017 – 2019 we switched to Zimbabwe Black because of some quality control and supply issues with the Indian material, but have recently reverted to Nero Assoluto. Both are handsome gloss black stones, with slightly different crystal structures, though the differences are probably only obvious if you work in the industry.
Zimbabwe Black
Nero Assoluto
Whatever your choice, black will not go away. Classy, stylish and smart, we expect black to have a big share of the solid stone worktop market for a long time to come. Call us for a quote on the best black worktop for you.
Images from Andrew King Photography
For our regularly stocked range of Silestone products, please see here.
For the full range of Silestone quartz, please see this page.
For more about Dekton products, see our page.
