4 Reasons to Choose Granite Over Steel for Outdoor Kitchen Benchtops

Adding an outdoor kitchen to your home can be a great way to help with entertaining during the summer and for your family to get fresh air and enjoy the outdoors while preparing and enjoying a meal. However, you need to put plenty of thought into the material you use, and the benchtops can represent a particularly tricky choice.

Plenty of homeowners come down to a decision between stainless steel and granite. While steel has its advantages, here are just four reasons you should go with granite instead for your outdoor kitchen benchtops.

1. More Natural Appearance

Probably the most obvious benefit that comes with using granite for outdoor countertops instead of stainless steel is creating a more outdoorsy appearance. Using any kind of stone is going to blend in with the outdoor environment, especially if you already have plenty of paving. In contrast, stainless steel is going to stand out. You want your outdoor kitchen to be a focal point of your home, so it makes sense to get it looking as good as possible.

2. More Resistant to Damage

Stainless steel is relatively tough, but it's going to take dents and scratches quite easily. Neither is much to worry about when you're thinking about indoor countertops, but those kept outdoors are going to be more vulnerable. Anything from falling branches to hail can strike an outdoor benchtop. A granite countertop should take the strain, but a steel one will probably dent.

3. Less Noise

Steel countertops are usually quite thin. Unfortunately, that makes them extremely loud during thunderstorms. Your outdoor kitchen is probably going to be next to your living room or indoor kitchen, so you don't want to be drowned out by raindrops drumming on your outside countertop whenever there's rain. A granite countertop will absorb the sound – rain falling on a granite countertop will sound just like rain falling on paving stones, so you'll barely notice it.

4. Better Heat Resistance

Ever put your arm against a car on a hot summer day and leapt away because of the heat? It isn't pleasant, and that's just the sort of problem you can face with a steel benchtop. It's going to catch the heat all day long. If you want to make something to eat while the sun is out, you're going to find the surface unpleasantly hot. That isn't just uncomfortable for you – it can also interfere with food preparation. Granite countertops will heat up a little but not enough to cause any problems.


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