I'm helping a friend do up his kitchen and he wants an off-menu alternative kitchen worktops.

But away from the stalwarts of wood, stone and laminate: what other options should we consider?

Steel yourself

We considered stainless steel: "Commercial kitchens use it as it's easy to clean," says Andrew Hyett of APD Interiors. "But it does scratch and corner joins are expensive."

Mix master

Can't afford Corian, DuPont's hard-wearing, mouldable stone-acrylic blend? Try a Corian-esque veneer, or "solid surface" worktop. Pick one at least 6mm thick for durability.

Rank and tile

Modern, brick-shaped mosaic tiles seem chic. But, says Hyett, they're a hygiene nightmare: "Grout is absorbent; it goes dark and yucky."

Clear vision

"Glass is easy to clean," says Hyett, "and comes in many colours." But? It's better for show than for heavy use: joins are visible and gather muck.

The joy of Perspex

"It's cheap, easy to fit – and comes in many colours and thicknesses," says Hyett. "It will scratch, but it's so cheap you can just replace it."

Touch wood

If we'd thought of Hyett's super-budget tip ourselves, we'd have done it: "Sand down marine ply (18mm minimum) and apply yacht varnish."

Grey matters

Eventually, we chose concrete. Well, concrete-ish. You can build a frame and pour the stuff in, to polish when set – or, as we did, use Beton Cire, a new, surface-only product. Try masssurfaces.co.uk and modernhomesolutions.co.uk. I'll let you know how it goes.

This blog in respect of 'Alternative Kitchen Worktops' was sourced from the independent.co.uk (the copyright owner) written by journalist Kate Burt. Find Kate's blog on affordable interiors at yourhomeislovely.com

Kitchens Kitchens View: If you are looking for the modern kitchen look, then Corian by DuPont is a good choice. Its a solid surface that is easy to clean and is NSF/ANSI 51 Certified (pdf) for food contact. Because Corian is nonporous, stains do not penetrate the surface. With proper cleaning, Corian also resists the growth of mold, mildew and bacteria. Corian products such as sinks and backsplashes can be perfectly integrated to also create the illusion of a single, solid surface in the kitchen and with a cove-backsplash there are no cracks to collect dirt and moisture.

For Alternative kitchen worktops in Glass, ThinkGlass:

With a remarkable blend of function and art, ThinkGlass offers glass kitchen countertops, backsplashes and raised bars that literally transform your eating area. Their exclusive technology can make your kitchen glass countertops truly unique. These glass worktops look great with signature kitchens such as the handleless kitchens and high gloss kitchens from German Kitchens manufacturers Hacker and Nobilia.

Just think: Glass countertops 1.5" thick or more and a smooth, glossy contemporary finish on every glass countertops, with a huge choice of available imbedded textures. Custom designs of your glass countertops with infused colour to create your personalized artistic touch and single seamless pieces made up to 7' x 10' and durability that rivals any common countertop product.

For the unique room, modern kitchens, bespoke design and a breathtaking approach to kitchen design for the discerning homeowner, Thinkglass has the leading edge for your glass kitchen countertops.

ThinkGlass has by far the most versatile process of the whole castglass (thermoforming) industry.  Our unique molding process enables us to create new or repetitive textures at a very low molding cost.  ThinkGlass can create filled glass slabs unconstrained by thickness requirements. This is unique and opens a myriad of creative possibilities.  ThinkGlass uses state-of-the-art electric ovens —all custom-made— to satisfy the requirements of our unique production process. Our fourteen ovens fulfill a vast number of needs and provide us with the flexibility needed to efficiently schedule and produce all possible endeavours, from small to large, and from simple to complex. See thinkglass.com