[billybek]

I put down about 700 square feet of laminate in the basement during the renovation. Bought what was sold as a commercial quality high traffic product.
It has lasted 4 or 5 years with only one little hitch. Water. Small leak from my furnace room blistered a couple of boards that are now located under a rug.....
Mine will chip if a hard sharp object hits it just right but I think there is only one chip after all the use.
I wouldn't use a laminate in the kitchen unless I was flipping the house.
I also have real hardwood (oak) in the kitchen. After almost 20 years it looks a bit rough and I am not sure that I would do hardwood in a kitchen again. I would go with some sort of tile that could take some punishment.