Zinc countertops, sinks, lab tables and wash basins were common in the early 20th century. Plentiful and inexpensive, the metal provided a lightweight, heat resistant, durable work surface that could be easily cleaned. A century later, zinc is making a resurgence in high-end kitchens.
Some antique hounds might be lucky enough to find an old zinc-covered kitchen work table or an old lab table and fit it into their kitchen floor plan. Anyone else who wants a zinc countertop needs to be prepared to pay $100 to $175 a square foot for a custom fabricated countertop.
Soupcan is one company that custom manufactures zinc countertops. The company uses a proprietary process to vacuum laminate zinc sheets onto a substrate. Maximum width without a seam is 30" and maximum length without a seam is 10 feet. Longer or wider sections can be made with rolled seams. The seams are visible and add to the old-world feel and look of zinc countertops.
Like stainless steel, which long ago replaced zinc in commercial kitchens, zinc is safe to use around food. Zinc however, will react with almost anything that touches its surface. Keeping it a lustrous silver color similar to stainless means committing to monthly applications of paste wax. Not surprisingly, most zinc countertop owners prefer to let the metal oxidize to a soft bluish-gray pewter color.
Zinc is softer than stainless and scratches fairly easily. Since zinc is a non-ferrous metal, the scratches will not rust and can be left to become part of the countertops distinctive fabric. Scratches can also be minimized with polish.
While zinc is heat resistant, it has a relatively low melting temperature. Placing a pan directly from a hot oven onto the countertop may cause some surface distortion.
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