Designing Kitchens and Bathrooms - Breakfast Bar Countertop

I have a room divider separating my kitchen and living room, with cabinets below the laminated countertop, a 2 ft. (or so) space above, and then more cabinets. The existing countertop is only about 15 inches wide with maybe an inch overhang,

I want to replace this countertop with one with more overhang to use as a breakfast bar. I plan to cover the new core with plastic laminate and have oak edging. All of the books I have seen say to use particleboard for the core.

My question is wouldn't MDF be a better choice than particleboard - smoother surface to cement the plastic laminate to? My only concern is that with an overhang of perhaps a foot, the MDF might be so heavy that it would sag.

Does anyone have any suggestions?

JImC

Use the particle board, its smooth and the laminate is smooth. Besides, its the finished surface and laminate does not telegraph.
Paint the underside or laminate it as well.

MDF will absorb contact cement at a high rate and may not give the adherence you want on the first application, so the particle board may be a good choice. I would prefer 3/4 plywood, but any of the choices are good for counter top. Be sure to support the overhang with decorative corbels, since Uncle Joe has a tendency to lean on the edge of the overhang, and he weighs in at 250 lbs.