6 Best Types of Tiles For Kitchen Floors

A tile floor in your kitchen can turn a so-so room into a standout. That is one of the reasons for the popularity of tile. It is durable and can add visual impact. But you might wonder what type of tile is the best choice for a kitchen. We have researched this and have the answers for you.

While there are many tile types to choose from, the best options for a kitchen are:

  • Ceramic
  • Porcelain
  • Cement 
  • Vinyl
  • Stone
  • Pebble

When you weigh the pros and cons of each option, the choice that is best for most people is porcelain.

There are a variety of choices available for each type of tile. Each has its own positive and negative characteristics, but each one is a good choice for the right home. We go into details for each of these tiles below, so continue reading.

 

Kitchen tile Flooring Samples on Display at Home Improvement Store, 6 Best Types of Tiles For Kitchen Floors

Best Kitchen Tile Options

When you are redoing your kitchen floor, tile can be a great choice. With the variety of colors and patterns, you can create a custom look that can change a drab room into something you are proud to show off to visitors. Tile is durable, stain-resistant, water-resistant, easy to clean, and helps control bacteria and germs. There are different sizes that you can lay in many patterns, making it easy to create something unique to your home. Below are the best options we found for tiling your kitchen.

Kitchen with dark wood cabinetry and ceramic tile

Ceramic Tile

Ceramic tile is popular in kitchens. They make these tiles from clay, which they then harden in a kiln. These can last an incredibly long time, with some dating hundreds of years.

Pros of ceramic tile:

  • Easy to care for
  • Low cost
  • Have a more natural look and feel than other tile types, if left unglazed
  • Available in many colors or patterns
  • Durable

Cons of ceramic tile:

  • Difficult to install
  • Color and size are inconsistent between batches
  • Cold on feet
  • Heavy, requiring a sturdy subfloor underneath
  • Slippery
  • Soft and porous, compared to porcelain and some other options

We pulled together a few great ceramic tile options for you to look through:

Daltite White Ceramic Tile

Each tile measures 12 inches x 12 inches.

Click here to see this tile on Amazon.

Somertile Carthusian Ceramic Tile

Each tile measures 9.75 inches x 9.75 inches.

Click here to see this tile on Amazon.

Porcelain Tile

Porcelain is clay, like ceramic, but the kiln temperature is higher when they fire them. Artisans also add finely ground sand into the clay mixture. Porcelain tiles are much harder and more durable than ceramic.

Pros of porcelain tile:

  • High durability
  • Moisture-resistant
  • Easy to clean
  • Design variety
  • Stain-resistant
  • Scratch-resistant

Cons of porcelain tile:

  • Difficult to install
  • Heavy
  • Difficult to cut
  • More expensive than many other options
  • The hardness makes it prone to cracking

We pulled together a few great porcelain tile options for you to look through:

Bijoux Bleu Art Deco Porcelain Tile

Each tile measures 8 inches x 8 inches.

Click here to see this tile on Amazon.

Hydro Ducados Porcelain Tile

Each tile measures 9.75 inches x 9.75 inches.

Click here to see this tile on Amazon.

Cement

When making cement tiles, Portland cement is used, just like your patio or sidewalk. They are often hand made, using natural pigments, and they are not kiln fired. This makes them environmentally friendly, as they use less energy to produce than other types of tile.

Pros of cement tile:

  • Environmentally friendly
  • Available in many colors
  • Good insulator
  • Old-world look
  • Scratch-resistant
  • Long-lasting

Cons of cement tile:

  • Difficult to install
  • Inconsistent sizing
  • Must seal before installing and every few years after
  • Thicker than most tile
  • Very heavy
  • Chip and stain easily

Check out some examples we pulled together of cement tiles:

Luna Gray Cement Tile

Each tile measures 8 inches x 8 inches.

Click here to see this tile on Amazon.

Medina White and Black Cement Tile

Each tile measures 8 inches x 8 inches.

Click here to see this tile on Amazon.

Vinyl

A tile setter using a small mallet to place a vinyl plank flooring, How to Stagger Vinyl Plank Flooring? [3 Steps]

A lot of people who think of vinyl tile think of the peel and stick tiles. While there are vinyl tiles made like that, there are also thicker tiles known as luxury vinyl tiles.

Standard Vinyl

The standard, thin vinyl tiles can come with self-adhesive backing or without. If they come without, you glue them with a tile adhesive. Commercial settings, such as schools and hospitals, often use these, though homes have them as well.

Pros of standard vinyl tile:

  • Comfortable underfoot
  • Variety of colors and patterns
  • Long-wearing
  • Easy to install
  • Easy maintenance
  • Affordable

Cons of standard vinyl tile:

  • Easily damaged
  • Can produce an unpleasant odor
  • Sensitive to heat cycling, causing gaps at seams
  • Can become brittle along edges
  • Appearance

Take a look at these examples of standard vinyl tiles:

Light Slate Marble Tile

Each tile measures 12 inches x 12 inches.

Click here to see this tile on Amazon.

Stellar Vinyl Tile

Each tile measures 12 inches x 12 inches.

Click here to see this tile on Amazon.

Luxury Vinyl Tile

This is the thicker vinyl tile, often over 1/4 inch. It can look very similar to other types of flooring, like ceramic, stone, or even wood. Luxury Vinyl is more durable but more expensive than standard vinyl.

Pros of luxury vinyl tile:

  • Easy to maintain
  • Stain-resistant
  • Scuff and scratch-resistant
  • Waterproof
  • Can install over any flat surface
  • Easy to install

Cons of luxury vinyl tile:

  • Less durable than some options
  • The subfloor must be level
  • Can produce unpleasant odors
  • Susceptible to sun damage

Check out these examples of luxury vinyl tiles:

Sandstone Luxury Vinyl Tile

Each tile measures 23.15 inches x 12 inches.

Click here to see this tile on Amazon.

Stoneridge Gray Luxury Vinyl Tile

Each tile measures 12 inches x 24 inches.

Click here to see this tile on Amazon.

Stone

This is a broad category that includes everything from onyx to limestone. To make these, large natural stone is sliced into thin pieces. Then they're polished and trimmed to the ending tile size.

Here are just some of the types of stone tile available:

  • Marble
  • Onyx
  • Slate
  • Travertine
  • Limestone
  • Granite
  • Sandstone
  • Quartz

While some of these have different properties than others, they all share many of the same pros and cons.

Pros of stone tile:

  • Durable
  • One of a kind, natural look
  • Increase home value
  • Not damaged by direct sunlight

Cons of stone tile:

  • Very heavy
  • Expensive
  • Porous
  • Brittle, with edges that chip easily

Check out these examples of stone tiles:

Bianco White Italian Marble Tile

Each tile measures 12 inches x 12 inches.

Click here to see this tile on Amazon.

Black Granite Tile

Each tile measures 12 inches x 12 inches.

Click here to see this tile on Amazon.

Pebble Tile

This is similar to stone tiles, in that it consists of natural stones. The difference is that these tiles contain multiple little pebbles, rather than one large stone piece, sliced to the correct thickness for the tile. The pebbles are affixed to a mesh backing. Pebble tiles are available with a natural, uneven rock edge on top, or cut smooth.

Pros of pebble tile:

  • Distinctive look
  • Good traction
  • Easy to install
  • Durable

Cons of pebble tile:

  • Difficult to clean
  • Rough on bare or stocking feet
  • Must reseal grout regularly
  • Expensive

Check out these examples of pebble tiles:

Black/White Marble Pebble Tile

Each tile measures 12 inches x 12 inches.

Click here to see this tile on Amazon.

Mini Island Mix Pebble Tile

Each tile measures 12 inches x 12 inches.

Click here to see this tile on Amazon.

While all of these are great tiles for kitchens, some are better for some situations. For budget-minded buyers, vinyl is the easy winner. If durability is your main concern, you are going to want porcelain or stone.

What Is The Most Durable Floor Tile?

Porcelain is the most durable tile, overall. While stone is also very durable, some cleaners can damage stone tiles. Some stone tile is also more likely to chip around the edges than porcelain.

What Is The Most Durable Floor For A Kitchen?

Over time, porcelain is the most durable option. There are other durable options, but they do not last as long as a well-maintained porcelain tile floor.  There are durable options that aren't tiles, such as concrete or wood, but none are as durable as porcelain.

What Is The Best Low Maintenance Flooring?

If your main goal when installing flooring is low maintenance, vinyl flooring may be a good choice. It is waterproof, easy to clean, won't stain, and holds up well to foot traffic. This makes it especially good for bathrooms and kitchens. Vinyl does wear out faster than some other options, which means it needs replacing sooner.

Another good choice if porcelain tile. While the grout needs resealing from time to time, the tile itself is easy to clean, wear-resistant, and moisture-resistant. It can crack in some cases, and you need to maintain the grout, but the tile itself is very low maintenance.

Is Glossy Or Matte Floor Tile Better In A Kitchen?

There is no exact right answer when discussing whether a kitchen floor should be matte or glossy. There are pluses and minuses to both, so it depends on the kitchen.

Pros of a glossy kitchen floor tile:

  • Easy to clean
  • Reflects light, making the kitchen feel larger
  • Modern, sleek look

Cons of a glossy kitchen floor tile:

  • Smudges and dirt stand out
  • Slick if wet
  • Sliding furniture may scratch it
  • Can make large kitchens feel too large

Pros of a matte kitchen floor tile:

  • Hides smudge and dirt well
  • Slip-resistant
  • Rustic look

Cons of a matte kitchen floor tile:

  • Harder to clean
  • Can stain
  • Can make small kitchens feel smaller

With this in mind, if you have a small, modern kitchen, the gloss might be your best choice. If you have a large, rustic kitchen, matte might be the way to go. But at the end of the day, it's up to you to pick the aesthetic you like the most!

In Closing

There is a range of good options for kitchen floors, as we've discussed above. The best option for many kitchens is porcelain tile, but your kitchen may be better off with a luxury vinyl or stone tile. With any of these, you can end up with a beautiful and durable kitchen floor!

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