Splashback behind the hob: tile, glass panel, or paint

Ceramic tile: the classic that holds up

Tile has been the default splashback in Estonian kitchens for decades, and it earns the position. A glazed ceramic or porcelain tile shrugs off direct heat from a pan lifted too close, does not scorch, and does not scratch under normal use. The grout lines are the only weak point: unsealed grout picks up grease and darkens over a few years near the hob, though sealed grout or a darker grout colour largely avoids this.

Cleaning is straightforward with any degreasing spray, and a damaged tile can be replaced individually rather than redoing the whole wall, which matters if a pan ever cracks one. Cost is the other reason it remains the default: tiles themselves run from a few euros a piece for plain ceramic to considerably more for patterned or hand-finished ranges, and the labour of setting a splashback area is modest compared with tiling a whole bathroom.

The main argument against tile is the grout lines themselves, which some people find harder to keep looking new than a single flat surface. If that bothers you more than the cost difference, it is worth looking at the next two options.

A single glass panel: the smoothest surface, but pricier

A toughened glass panel fitted as one piece behind the hob has no grout, no joints, and nothing for grease to settle into except the surface itself, which wipes clean with a cloth and any glass or kitchen cleaner. It is the easiest of the three to keep looking new, and it reads as a clean, modern finish that a tiled area cannot quite match.

The glass used for this purpose is toughened and rated for the heat a hob produces, so scorching is not a concern in normal use. The panel is usually cut and printed or coloured to size before it arrives, which means measuring accurately in advance and living with that colour choice, since altering it afterwards means a new panel rather than a repair.

Cost is the clear drawback: a made-to-measure panel costs more than an equivalent area of tile, and if it is ever cracked by an impact, the whole piece needs replacing rather than a single tile. For a kitchen where the owner wants the plainest possible surface and is not counting every euro, it is a genuine option rather than an indulgence.

Heat-resistant paint: the cheapest option, with real limits

A heat-resistant paint, applied over a properly prepared and primed wall, is by far the least expensive way to finish this area, and it is the quickest to redo if you change your mind about the colour in a few years. For a rented flat or a kitchen being refreshed on a tight budget, it is a reasonable stopgap.

Its limits are real, though. Paint does not tolerate direct contact with a hot pan the way tile or toughened glass does, and the area right behind the hob is exactly where that risk is highest. Splashed fat also soaks in more than it does on a glazed or glass surface, so grease marks and a slight sheen change build up over time even with regular cleaning.

Paint suits a splashback where cooking is light and the wall is more decorative than functional, or where a proper tile or glass finish is planned later and this is an interim measure. Right against the hob itself, most people find it wears faster than the other two options.

What is marketing and what actually matters

Product ranges are often sold on pattern, texture, or a named finish rather than performance, and those choices affect looks, not durability. A hand-glazed tile does not clean any better than a plain glazed one; it simply costs more and shows the maker's variation in each piece, which some people want and others find distracting.

What genuinely matters behind a hob is a glazed or sealed surface with no unprotected porous material exposed to grease and steam, and joints that are either sealed or absent. Beyond that, most differences between products in the same category are cosmetic rather than functional.

'Easy-clean' coatings on paint or tile grout are worth a little more if the wall is directly behind the hob, since that is where the claim gets tested daily. Away from the hob, closer to the sink, the choice matters less and can be driven by looks alone.

• Glazed finish or sealed surface: matters, avoids grease soaking in
• No exposed joints right behind the hob: matters
• Hand-finished or textured tile: looks only, not performance
• Named 'easy-clean' coating: worth a little more directly behind the hob
• Colour and pattern: personal choice, no effect on durability

Which option fits your kitchen

If you want the option that has worked in Estonian kitchens for the longest and is the cheapest to repair if damaged, tile is the sound default, and it is what we set most often when quoting a splashback. If a single seamless surface matters more to you than cost, a glass panel is worth the extra outlay, particularly in a kitchen where the splashback is a visible design feature rather than just protection.

Paint earns its place where budget or a temporary fix is the priority, but keep it away from the strip of wall closest to the hob if you can, or accept that it will need retouching sooner there than elsewhere.

We handle tiling for splashback areas from 35 € per job, and painting and decorating work, including surface prep for a heat-resistant finish, from 12 € per job, both quoted once we know the size and layout of the area.