Karoniastore Reviews 16

From casual family dinners to more formal gatherings, I’ve found that these pieces suit every occasion. I love how the serving platters are large enough for hosting, yet the individual plates are perfectly sized for daily meals. The stackable design saves space in my cabinets, which is a huge plus! I also appreciate that these dishes are microwave and oven safe, allowing me to serve hot meals directly from the oven to the table.

I’d been planning my kitchen for 5 years and always had solid surface worktops in mind from the start.
I am so happy that I decided on Mistral Polaris worktops and Splashbacks. The seamless joints and clean fresh look complements my very small kitchen.
I also chose the under-mount copper sink and Tap which finished the look perfectly.
After-sales customer service from Karonia was first class. Dave the product support manager was on hand to speak to my fitter to offer advice throughout the fitting process to ensure I got the correct finish. After reading the previous reviews I was a little sceptical but after doing plenty of research regards to how the product is finished, this is something that is discussed and understood with the installer as it can be finished to many different levels. I chose the smooth mat look rather than high shine.
If it’s fitted right and you look after it you won’t regret choosing Mistral. Fitted October 2023 so this is an honest review based on 6months use of a busy family of 5 (3 messy teenage boys)

We've got Mistral Aria Worktops and love them, went for an 1810 Stainless Steel Sink and Neff Induction Hob too.
The fitter went above and beyond, polishing the tops up and now we just clean them once a week with the cleaner and guard products, but daily with just soapy water.
Yes, there's the odd scratch here and there but that's to be expected but the seamless joins are what we were after and it just looks awesome.

Most previous comments I agree with. We have had ours for a few years now and its a real effort to remove scratches with the kit provided. The scratches are difficult to see on a light surface. In addition, in time, the different coloured specs fall out of the edges leaving it rough.
There is an anti-lime cleaner that will remove all stains without purchasing exspensive Karonia cleaner.
If we had known the issues with Mistral we would certainly have thought twice about having it.

Just an update on my previous review. The company have refused to take the issues with scratches seriously and my installer has refunded me the entire amount plus a sum for fitting a new surface.
Do not buy this product especially if you want a darker colour.

I also have to agree with most of the comments. Spent a lot of money on a new kitchen including Mistral work surface, upstands, sills and back splash. This is not a cooks work surface, everything you do scratches it. Everything you put on it, even crumbs under the chopping board. Most people will have crockery, pottery, that have a rough rim on the bottom somewhere, even these will mark the surface. Not worth all the money, and who wants to be forever having to sand and polish the surfaces, plus there are no DIY instructions to save money fetching kitchen installers back. I was so cross after having mine for a few weeks the installer now comes out whenever I ask as it’s a reflection on them for installing such a poor product. The true date of experience is in 2018, I have only just found this comments section, I wish I had before I could have warned people away from the product.

We recently had our entire kitchen updated and this of course included worktops. After visiting the approved kitchen fitters showroom we were shown a shiny worktop (yes you've guessed) Mistral. We were in fact told that in no way would this be damaged and therefore it appeared to be the ideal product. How wrong could we be. Following fitting, we immediately noticed scratches in the worktop plus it was very dull. We called the fitter back who agreed with us and once again polished the surface. After less than a week the scratches reappeared and since then it has been a constant battle to try and make it look decent. We have always been extra careful on any worksurface and we ALWAYS use chopping boards as protection but to no avail. We are more than disappointed with this product and my personal advice is not to choose it. In fact if I could choose half a star then I would do!!!!

I have to agree with all the comments. When fitted initially they looked great then I got up in the morning sun to a patchy and uneven finish I contacted my fitter who came back a polished the work tops again and they were much better, two months on fine scratched stains not a liveable product and I am very careful, I have a few silicone matts to protect. I sat a bottle of white wine on the surface and a tiny drip must have ran down and I am left with a ring that will need to buffed out. Just sitting down a cup has left small scratches and I do use the over priced products to protect and clean These work tops and splash backs cost approx 4K (Not a large kitchen) just not worth the very expensive price tag the look with no joins is great but that is where the benefit of the mistral ends as these will need a buff and polish every couple of months very disappointed with these not for for purpose workshops. Avoid at all cost.

We have just moved into a new build with these surfaces already fitted. Within days we have got stains from red wine and tea and coffee. We purchased the recommended products which have made 0 difference. We have had someone out to look at it and they have told us that we aren't clean enough. I fail to understand how a work surface is not made to sustain normal everyday use.

I agree with the other reviews here - DO NOT BUY THIS PRODUCT.

I've got mistral Mist and love it. We went for a matching high splashback and it gives a clean modern look.
It's easy to clean with soapy water.
I'm surprised people don't like it on here...we are so happy with ours.

I had mistral worksurfaces installed in 2016.
I told the builder I did not want my worksurfaces to be too shiny so he was very careful when he was sanding them.
After he had gone I noticed that some of the residue from the film was still there so he came back a few days later and sanded it a little bit more and then it looked great.
Overall, I am fairly satisfied with my mistral worktops but I'm not sure I would choose this material again.
I find that it stains quite easily with things like tea or coffee rings from leaving mugs around, or with curry ingredients. I find the best thing to clean it with is Dettol Power and Pure Kitchen spray. You need to leave it on for a few minutes but to be honest I'm not sure what the long term effects of using this cleaner on the worktops would be.
As other people have said, it's quite difficult, when cleaning this surface, to make it streak-free.

I must agree with all the above comments on the mistral worktops, the sample you are shown when purchasing the worktops is very shiny and sparkling, but your finished worktop is very cold and dull. I’ve used the recommended products to clean the worktop, but you can actually see where you have sprayed, it leaves the worktop patchy, shiny in some places and dull in another. I really wish I had read these reviews before I purchased mistral worktops. I must admit ime very disappointed and it’s took me a long time to have a new kitchen. There is an awful lot of wasted worktop as well because of the lengths the worktops come in.
Pauline Summerfield

I have to agree with the previous two reviewers. We had Mistral worktops supplied and fitted by Euphoria Kitchens in West Sussex last year, and are very disappointed with the quality. The finish is awful and nothing like the samples in the showroom. Despite following the instructions on maintenance the surface sheen is uneven, patchy and unsightly, and markings left by the protective film cannot be removed. A very expensive mistake.

I totally agree with Gary's review. I purchased Mistral Anise worktops etc from Online Worktops on the strength of the quality of the sample received from Karonia - manufacturer of Mistral Worktops, I cannot tell you how utterly disappointed I am with them.

The sample was great - very smooth with a lovely shine to it and THAT is the finish I thought I was buying when I ordered everything from Online Worktops.

What I didn't expect to receive was dull, matt products which absolutely kill what should be a beautiful kitchen. I get that the protective film leaves a residue when removed but cleaning that off alone does not bring the tops anywhere near to the standard of finish the sample indicated and no amount of sanding and finishing, as far as I can see, is going to achieve that same result. The work required on them is extremely labour intensive. The finish of the samples is unachievable other than by Karonia Surfaces on a commercial basis.

The samples are hugely misleading and this should be redressed. We have had to fit the tops etc as we cannot afford to replace them with an alternative product but I have to say - they look awful! I suggest you DO NOT BUY MISTRAL WORKTOPS!!!

We were recommended a Mistral work top from Karonia by our kitchen fitter, who had been shown the product by a salesman.

The sample piece looked lovely and shiny and sparked in the sun. The fitter was pleased with how it fitted and was easy to cut to size. That’s were the love affair ends.

When you come too polish/sand it, they recommend that you only go up to grade 4-7ish. The sample piece to product is polished up to grade 20…hence the lovely shine. But in reality, you are left with a dull lifeless worktop. Karonia call it MATT….it still looks disappointingly DULL.

In every day to day use, it’s awful stuff. It marks and stains so easily. We took to having glass chopping boards on the worktops, as it was easier to keep them clean. We have also noticed little dents or bits coming away.

In a nutshell, we regret buying the product. We contacted the manufacturer, which never resolved anything. And they just wanted to talk their way out of a poor product.

It may be cheaper to buy than granite or marble (not that cheap)but after purchase, you have to pay fir all the polishing products and then the costly cleaning material-products. But at the end of the day you are still left with a dull awful not fit for purpose product.