Plywood. It’s good for nearly everything, including the kitchen counter. This how-to article from This Old House describes this easy, and significantly inexpensive option (could be less than $1 a square foot). The best part is, you don’t even have to remove the old countertop to install it. Sure, it may not by high end exotic hardwood slabs, but it beats the pants off 80s pink or 90s hunter green laminate.
