Do you dream of a gorgeous new kitchen with beautiful countertops? There are plenty to choose from and many are pricey. So what works best in a busy kitchen? Consumer Reports put almost a dozen to the challenge to find out, including the ever-popular granite, as well as quartz and laminate. Also included in the tests were new materials such as paper-composite countertop.

First, testers evaluated stain resistance. They put 20 different substances on countertops, including food coloring, tomato sauce, and mustard. With certain countertops, sealers are important for stain resistance. But they didn’t always help. Consumer Reports found that DuPont’s Kashmir White sealer actually spread the stains instead of repelling them.

Next was the heat test. A pot filled with 400° oil is placed on each surface. While most did well, the varnished butcher block ended up with a big scorch mark!

A third challenge: how easily countertops chip. Testers dropped a heavy, blunt weight through a tube. This was one test where quartz and granite didn’t do very well, especially along sharp edges.

Nevertheless, Consumer Reports found that quartz is the best choice for a busy kitchen. It’s low maintenance and stain- and heat-resistant—but it’s pricey. Laminate is much less expensive and is also excellent at resisting stains and heat damage.

The newcomer, paper composite, didn’t do so well in some of Consumer Reports’ tests. It’s susceptible to wear and tear from abrasion and to cuts when items are sliced on top of the material.

One way to save some money—mix and match your countertop materials. Consider expensive materials for small, eye-catching areas like the island, and lower-priced surfaces for the rest of the kitchen.