What is the best type of flooring for a kitchen? Wood? Tiles? Laminate?

I prefer good-quality sheet flooring. The best kinds have a durable transparent top coating which prevents wear and tear on the design layer.

Bamboo - cost is on the low side, it's very durable and easy to clean.

Flooring is such a personal choice.

With the incredibly fantastic finishes provided by modern technology, floors are more durable than ever before. So, when making a selection, you must consider the quality of the product as well as your personal comfort level.

I love to cook and spend a lot of time in the kitchen. Therefore, stone-like tile is out of the question as it can stress the feet legs and back. Also, anything dropped on it will smash to smithereens. Wood finishes today are incredibly strong, so are a good choice in a kitchen. The laminate or engineered wood is a very popular and durable choice as well. But, again, quality is of the utmost importance, so get the best you can afford.

I am about to replace my kitchen floor and I personally like sheet vinyl for the kitchen because it is seamless, so easy to clean and it is easy on my back. I have wood floors throughout my house, so I just can't use a wood laminate in the kitchen as the thought of a plastic wood floor drives me nuts (in my house).

I recently sold a house where I laid a grouted vinyl tile floor in the kitchen. Very impressive looking. But, I left that house without knowing anything about future wear and tear. I would consider doing that again, rather than hard tiles, but my only concern is maintaining a stain free grout over the course of time. Yes, there are grout sealers on the market, but traffic patterns do show over time, so there is maintenance to consider. Same with a wood floor, which will have to be refinished every now and again.

You also have to consider the overall look. Do you want a wood floor, with wood finished cabinets? I have wood finished cabinets and an oak butcher block countertop. Putting down a wood floor is just too much wood in the room, for my taste.

There is much to consider, but for me, in the end, is clean up and my physical comfort that influences my final choice. I have a client who just laid white porcelain tile with white grout in her kitchen. I consider that a maintenance nightmare. But, that couple does not cook often and spends little time in the kitchen, they have not children or pets either. Again, just another example of personal choices and your lifestyle.

Tiles.
Get them with a non-slip surface rather than shiny glazed finish...

Preferably porcelain tiles as they are vastly stronger, harder wearing and harder to break than other basic ceramic types.
If you drop something like a pan on cheap ceramic it's likely to crack - porcelain would not be affected.

smooth mono-colored tile, easiest to clean and see dirt .. not if your old and stupid and prone to falling down though ..

something waterproof like tile. they have tiles that look like wood. install them so there aren't any grout lines too.

Ceramic or stoneware tiles. I used porcelain tiles for mine as I got a good deal on them but quarry tiles would be my usual choice. Rather depends on your budget and how long you plan staying there.

I have CoreTec Plus laminate - looks like weathered wood, very durable, not cold, hard or noisy like tile, and waterproof when installed correctly. Very long warranty. It's petproof, and easy to install, and I LOVE it.

http://www.coowinmall.com/

I've had wood floors and laminate floors in a kitchen, and I can tell you straight up that tile is the best. It will clean better, and it doesn't hold dirt or stains.