Counter Top Ideas To Deal With High Temps

I am working on putting together my electric brewery. I have an 8" foot run to work with. My plan is to build a counter which includes room for my three vessels plus a stainless sink. I do not have a huge budget to work with. I thought of building a base and then putting on a premolded Formica counter top on which includes a backsplash that they sell at Home Depot and I would then cut the hole for the sink. However, I read that Formica cannot take the heat for extended periods. What does everybody else do? Should I buy heat pads to place under each kettle? Full stainless seems too expensive. Looking for ideas!!

 

Tile would be fairly cheap but heavy.

 

I use 2 bricks under my kettle.

 

Electric kettles only get to boiling temps. I doubt they would harm Formica. For a little insurance some place the kettle on a cork mat or a large tile.

You could place a towel or a piece of cardboard.

 

You just gave me an idea for my brew space in the new house...I'm going to try making a custom concrete countertop. I have plywood . A few bags of small aggregate concrete and chickenwire is cheap. I could embed a logo in varied colored concrete too. Oh yeah , this is going to happen...

 

Look up stone and tile shops, ask for the cheapest stone counter they got- scratches and chips and whatnot. Id be shocked if you couldnt get an 8' section for well under 200. Probly less, maybe 100 if its all scratched up. Cheapest and ugliest at home depot was like 150 for that granite that has white/black/red color to it. Ugly as hell but who cares. Or check craigslist for used countertop. You'll find one i bet. Maybe even free.

Formica is horrible idea for wet locations. One good scratch or break in the laminate and the particle board soaks up liquid. Then it rots away from underneath, out of sight. Although i have seen some folks patch it with epoxy. I still think the cheapest granite you can find is a better solution.

If you're near a big city look up restaurant supply/auction. When a place fails they auction equipment. Got a stainless prep table for 150 last time, 6' with backsplash. Sometimes if they get overloaded theyll sell em cheap and you dont have to wait for auction. Also craigslist.

 

I got my stainless table new from a restaurant equipper store for under $200 if you just get the top in stainless and the rest galvanized. One thing no one mentioned is the "heat sink" properties that can occur with different materials. It is not a huge problem but i found that my kettle heats up a little faster when not in direct contact with my stainless table. My .02

Here is a link to the store I got mine from they are even on clearance right now..
http://www.equippers.com/duke-stainless-steel-work-table-with-adjustable-undershelf-24w-x-36h/par302241.asp

Here is an all stainless option for a good price.
http://www.equippers.com/sauber-all-stainless-steel-work-table-with-adjustable-undershelf-72w-x-24d-x-36h/wts-2472-420.asp