With so many options for worktops available out there, it can be a bit of a minefield to choose a material for your own kitchen.
Dekton is a synthetic combination of raw materials including porcelain, quartz and glass. It is an ultra-compact surface designed by Cosentino in Spain and we recently opted to use it for our new sustainable kitchen island which is installed in our showroom. The island has featured on our social media and even took the stage as a centrepiece for our stand at the Home and Garden show which we attended last month.
Today we look closer at Dekton and talk about why it was our top choice and what makes it so special.
The Process
Made up of natural materials, Dekton is created by mimicking the natural process of compacting stone. It is baked at a whopping 1200 degrees and liquefied like magma under 25000 tonnes of pressure, where it then dries and solidifies. As a result of this intense process, the product is extremely versatile and durable and can be used in a number of applications including bathrooms, kitchens, cladding, flooring and is even suitable to use outside as it is highly resistant to UV light.
Scratch and Impact Resistant
Dekton is very tough stuff and so doesn’t scratch easily, in fact it is even more resistant to scratching than granite. In spite of this, a chopping board should still be used when cutting food on this worktop as it is so hard that if you were to chop straight on to it, it is likely to blunt your utensils rather than to become scratched itself! The only things which could scratch Dekton are diamond tipped blades, certain ceramic knives or Dekton itself. Dekton is also impervious to daily impacts and abrasions which is another reason why it it suitable for flooring or cladding due to its hardy nature.
Stain Resistant
Not only waterproof, Dekton takes this further by being totally stain resistant. As it is non-porous and contains no resin, anything from the stubbornest stains like wine, coffee and rust right through to bleach and other chemical cleaners can’t harm Dekton. With that in mind, this also means Dekton is extremely low-maintenance and simple in terms of cleaning.
Fire, Heat and Ice Resistant
Whereas there are many materials out there which cannot withstand having pots direct from the oven placed on to them, Dekton is not one of these thanks to the way it is formed. It will neither burn, scorch or crack with heat from your appliances or pots and what’s more, if you were to cool things down (even immediately after placing a baking hot pan on to it,) the application of anything cold or frozen will not affect Dekton as it is Thermal Shock proof.
Colour Stability
Dekton comes in a great number of finishes and colours and these are built to last. During the manufacturing process, the pigmentation and decoration of the material is controlled and therefore the consistency between slabs is better and won’t fade over time. Dekton has a twenty-five year warranty and with all of these great features in mind, it is not surprising that manufacturer Cosentino is so confident in this fantastically versatile product.
Sustainability
For us at Core, the latest installation of our ‘green’ kitchen island needed to fall in line with our focus on being as environmentally-friendly as we can. Dekton did this perfectly. Although a non-organic process happens to put the material together, it is made of natural, raw materials and its long-term guarantee means that it doesn’t need to be replaced. Further to this, as a manufacturer Cosentino are well-recognized for their support of sustainability. The water used in their factory is totally reused, they consume energy from 100% certified renewable sources, reuse residual materials as the basis for new products and even have a plant where the residual materials are processed. For ourselves, as a company which is doing what it can to support a sustainable way of working, Cosentino’s environmental commitment is both inspirational and a huge help to us as a supplier of materials which fit our own sincerity to being ‘green’.
All of these great benefits show why Dekton is a very clear choice for kitchen worktops but to discuss further or to talk about other options for your work surfaces, call us on 07540946570