Do IKEA's Budget-Friendly Faux Marble Countertops Live Up To The Hype?

White marble countertops are coveted in modern kitchen renovations — they're trendy, they can help brighten up dark cabinetry, and they are resilient and heat-resistant. However, this material can cost up to $180 per square foot, meaning an average kitchen might spend around $2,000 to $5,000 for marble material and installation. In especially large floor plans, this price tag can rocket to $15,000. If you're looking to reduce that cost, you might consider opting for a more affordable alternative. Enter IKEA's EKBACKEN white marble effect laminate countertop, which costs $109 for a slab that measures 98 inches by 25 and 5/8 inches That's only around $6.50 per square foot. And, combined with the quality material and user reviews, this is a pretty solid (but not perfect) replacement for the real thing. 

The first metric to consider when comparing the IKEA option to typical marble countertops is aesthetic. While there are plenty of different types of marble countertops, The EKBACKEN is designed to look like the typical Cararra marble. Cararra marble is famous for having a white or off-white base with gray veining that is unique in each slab of the material. In IKEA's version of this, because it's manufactured laminate, the uniqueness of the striping is not as achievable, so it may look redundant in high quantity. However, reviewers applauded the EKBACKEN's look, noting that they get regular compliments and stating that it looks akin to regular marble. "These counters are beautiful, and for the price, you can't beat them," one buyer wrote on IKEA's website. 

Another major consideration when opting for the EKBACKEN over traditional marble is fabrication and installation. The slab already comes in a standard countertop measurement in terms of its depth, so you just need to align the width in the right place. Because you don't need to pay for fabrication and the transport of heavy materials, you save a great deal of money upfront. However, should you need to adjust the 96 inch width for smaller countertops or add other filler pieces, you could run into some trouble. Some shoppers reported that it's difficult to cut the pieces: "I broke multiple saw blades cutting mine," one customer said in a review on IKEA's website. Many others wrote that they wanted make their backplash and countertop the same material to achieve the matchy-matchy, all-for-one countertop trend, but they expressed frustration that the slab does not come in backsplash-friendly dimensions. 

Finally, one of the biggest plus sides of having marble in a kitchen is its aforementioned resilience, which often includes heat and stain resistance. The EKBACKEN is pretty split when it comes to this topic. When faced with spills, customers say that the counters clean up nicely. "We installed them 3 years ago and they have held up beautifully. I have left spills for a while before wiping clean and they never stain no matter what it is," one reviewer wrote on IKEA's website. However, in terms of durability, there are complaints that this material is easy to dent. "A kettle already punctured a dent THROUGH the top," a frustrated shopper reported in a review.