4 Reasons why Porcelain is becoming the Benchtop Surface of choice

With your kitchen being an extensively used space in your home, having a benchtop surface that can withstand these demands is imperative. Read more on why Archant Porcelain is the ultimate kitchen benchtop surface for your kitchen.

1. Exceptional Heat Resistance

When comparing porcelain to engineered quartz stone, laminate or acrylic surfaces, porcelain stone can withstand much higher temperatures. This is due to the highly advanced manufacturing process of porcelain slabs. While engineered quartz stone slabs are manufactured by compressing the crushed quartz material and resins and then kiln drying the slab at 85 degrees, Archant Porcelain is created from finer stone materials and then processed through an intense compaction and firing process that reaches over 1200 C. The result is a porcelain tile that can withstand significantly higher thermal stress (i.e. hot and cold temperatures and physical impacts) than other man made engineered surfaces, even with their thinner slab thickness.

In the kitchen, this offers you the advantage of placing hot pots and pans, directly from your oven or stove onto the porcelain countertop without fear of cracking. In fact, the Archant Porcelain 12mm slabs can withstand direct temperatures up to 180 degrees Celsius. So, throw out your hot mats and get a porcelain countertop.

2. Extreme Scratch Resistance

A kitchen is often described as the workhorse of the home, with it being widely used for eating, dining, cooking, socializing, and spending family time in. So, the surfaces within your kitchen need to be durable and withstand varied impacts and stresses of the space.

Glazing is a key component of the Archant Porcelain manufacturing process which fuses a glasslike substance to the porcelain tile body, increasing the strength and abrasion resistance of the stone by up to 10x. This glazing process is a unique step in the porcelain and ceramic tile manufacturing process making Archant Porcelain a surface with superior durability compared to engineered quartz stone or laminate surfaces. Therefore, Archant Porcelain is a near un-scratchable surface, allowing you to keep a beautiful benchtop appearance for many years to come. And, coupled with the appearance is the peace of mind that your benchtop will stand up to all the daily wear and tear that a kitchen experiences.

3. Range of Designs

Another unique factor of porcelain stone is that each slab is professionally designed and ‘subliminally printed’ onto the stone surface. Subliminal printing is when the natural colourants are printed below the surface (subsurface) of the stone ensuring the surface retains its durable and non-porous porcelain properties.

A world leader in porcelain and ceramic manufacturing, Archant Porcelain is manufactured by Florim in Italy, who are the largest world producer of porcelain tiles. Established in 1962, Florim has continually innovated and developed as a manufacturing superpower to offer the most technologically advanced porcelain designs. In 2017, Florim constructed a flagship 56 thousand square metre production plant in Mordano, Italy with the most innovative and advanced porcelain printing technology.

This has allowed Florim to design the most authentic and impressive slab designs that are 100% consistent from slab to slab and are exceptional and genuine-looking duplications of natural Marble (such as Carrara and Calacatta) or industrial cement-like slabs and even replications of rustic or burnished steel.

Each slab design possesses its own unique and intricate depth providing you with a range that is diverse, authentic and offers the widest design freedom. What sets Archant Porcelain apart from other surfaces it’s the combination of being scratch and heat resistant as well as having the widest colour and style range. You can create a beautiful Marble Cararra benchtop without the concerns of staining like natural marble does. Or, create an impressive concretelooking fireplace without the structural implications of working with concrete. Or, a create a feature-wall clad in rustic-like metal which is warm to touch (porcelain stone has natural heat-evening properties) and is a practical interior surface material, unlike raw steel.

4. Outdoor or Indoor Application

Finally, Archant Porcelain is not only resistant to abrasions, scratching and thermal stress, but the slab is virtually unalterable by UV rays, offering a perfect surface solution for outdoor applications. New Zealand is a country that boasts a climate and environment that incites outdoor living, so versatile UV safe material such as Archant Porcelain is truly the designer’s best friend. You could exaggerate the concept of indoor-outdoor flow by using the same colour in both indoor and outdoor environments, creating a truly beautiful continuity throughout your home.

There are 4 key functional and designer benefits of using porcelain in your home: exceptional high heat resistance; extremely high scratch resistance; wide range of design possibilities and outdoor or indoor application.

Other possibilities include a bespoke outdoor kitchen with fully functioning appliances, bbq and running water for an entertainer’s outdoor haven.