Both granite and quartzite are wonderful countertop options.

Pro's of granite: extremely durable, easy to maintain, virtually maintenance free, and it will look pretty much brand new for as long as you have it if you care for it properly. The con's of granite: there aren't any true "white" colors or marble look colors.

Pro's of quartzite: very hard stone, durable if cared for properly, and it has gorgeous white and marble-look color options. Con's of quartzite: the homeowner may need to be more diligent about clean-up on the countertop, and some quartzite colors can etch.

Overall, the choice between the two materials usually comes down to style/color versus wear/durability. Granite is extremely durable and maintenance free, but it may not offer the colors that you are looking for. Quartzite is absolutely beautiful, but it's principal flaw is that some colors can etch from acidic products (coffee, lemon juice, wine, etc.) sitting on the surface for an extended period of time.

If you are leaning towards doing quartzite, I would suggest doing your homework on the material and finding a local fabricator that you trust and has plenty of experience working with quartzite. Some distributors and fabricators will classify different "quartzite" colors as different materials. For example, Super White (aka White American and Vermont White) can be classified as marble, granite, OR quartzite depending on where you go. If you are leaning towards a specific color, I would suggest getting a sample from the slab and going home and doing tests on it. Let some pasta sauce, lemon juice, etc. sit on the material for a while and see if it etches or stains the stone. Then you will know if you are comfortable with the material or not.

Stoneshop's comment regarding granite not having the look of marble is key for me. I'm also not fond of the busy pattern in most granite. When we replace our countertops (tile) I'll most likely go with the Silestone mosshammock mentioned.

They are both good options, though obviously they have their pros and cons. I've always preferred granite just because I like the look of it and I grew up with it so I have seen how durable it is. I found this article and video helpful...it's from a local home builder here in Lancaster, PA. Granite vs quartz article: https://www.customhomegroup.com/quartz-vs-natural-granite-countertops-which-is-the-better-option/. Granite vs quartz video: Granite vs quartz budget and seams: I hope this helps

Well said Stone shop ! Not much more to add to that except one important thing. TEST a sample piece of stone first of whatever you wish to buy. Put some vinegar and let sit for ten minutes then wipe up with paper towel did it leave any mark ? Do the same test with oil and with a dark liquid like coffee. Many of my customers wish they had met me before their purchase. When you get your slab do the same test near an edge and confirm the same results you had as on the sample before installation. Not all slabs are created the same....
More tips in the article section on my website http://www.groutworksnj.com

I know this is an older thread but having just had my pricey "hard as granite" taj mahal quartzite installed 3 weeks ago and seeing that the slightest graze of metal leaves silvery scratches I am gutted! Not one of the 12 stone centers I visited while looking for my countertop said anything about this lack of durability! I did the glass scratch test and put oil and vinegar and lemon juice on the sample and it passed all those. Waiting to hear back from my fabricator...have no idea what is reasonable to expect or hope for. Had I known, I would have saved myself several thousands and gone with granite! ugh.

You're scaring me I just put five slabs in my new kitchen. Is yours the shiny kind or the satin or leather?

Suzya53--I had honed put in....I pulled out one of my polished taj mahal samples just now to see if a random staple would scratch it like it does my countertop and it looks like it doesn't. Whether it would stand up to the etching as well, I don't know.

I will copy something I found here on houzz an hour ago (a little too late for me..) I think it may explain what the deal is--I find it almost criminal. And I must add, several of the high end, national/international stone distributors I visited all said the same thing as we were sold on. Not what you are about to read below. :(

Once upon a time all stone sold as quartzite was actually quartzite. Gorgeous and durable, looked like marble...what could be better. Naturally, everyone wanted it, but supply from reputable and experienced suppliers was limited. So stone began to hit the market that was labelled quartzite, but maybe wasn't really "true". or "pure" quartzite. In fact, this new pseudo-quartzite had a lot of the problems that the true quartzite didn't. It was very porous and it etched when exposed to acids. So they began to coat the "quartzite" slabs with resin at the quarry. Made it look great, and at least temporarily prevented etching. Problem was, by filling the natural pores in the stone, the resin also prevented the sealant from being properly absorbed! So now this resined "quartzite" was hard to seal, and therefore prone to staining and then eventually etching as the resin wore off. I've even heard stories of thickly applied resin pealing off finished slabs!

There are still gorgeous slabs of durable, bullet proof quartzite out there, but it's buyer beware. Members on this forum seem to have either found it indestructible or very porous and prone to etching.

If it is etching, it isn't quartzite regardless of what the stone yard called If it is soft enough to scratch easily, it isn't quartzite. It sounds like you may have been sold a stone that is closer to marble., porous can be taken care of with sealing. Etching or scratching would be more of a concern - sealing won't change those. Quartzite shouldn't etch and it should take something about as hard as diamonds to scratch it. If you are interested in particular slabs, try getting a sample from the slabs to test. Put kitchen acids like lemon juice or vinegar on it for a few hours or over night. If you want to check for porosity, leave some red wine on it and see if stains. If something is very porous, just putting water on it will leave a water mark until the water evaporates. It means that the stone will need to be sealed.

as an update to my above post: I have since learned that the metal marks on my tops are softer metal rubbing off on the quartzite (ie: aluminum cans). So it isn't that the quartzite isn't as hard as granite but it isn't impervious to marks--albiet, not scratches. I have been told that the matte honed surface that I have may also be more susceptible to this kind of marking more than a polished surface as it.

You might be able to remove the marks with scotch blue scratchy side. Also razor blades.