slow cooker? I had no idea! I don't recall my new crockpot getting that hot but I know my old one did. I'm curious to hear some responses.. Overly cautious perhaps? I mean a crockpot builds temperature, KWIM?

I am currently crock-potting on my laminate counters without any issues, and I would never put a hot pan or dish on my counters. FWIW, my crockpot is about 15 years old, my counters probably a little older, and I've never, ever had an issue. The counter does feel hot to the touch under the crockpot right now, but I've never worried about it in the past, and I'm not gonna worry about it today.
hth...

This thing

cracked my granite in my old condo. A good 6 inch long crack.

In my new kitchen, griddles and crockpots will only be used on the cooktop :)

I worry about this too. When I used my crockpot on my new granite, I kept checking the temp of the countertop. I figured that if I could comfortably hold my hand on it, then it wasn't getting too hot, but I don't know if that's truly a good test.

New crockpots cook hotter than the old ones did.

Someone just posted that her electric skillet cracked her granite.

I think this is mostly about weasel words. It's not that it will usually be a problem but that it potentially could. If they tell you not to do it, it's not their fault if something goes wrong. Just like when they say to dry clean silk, which is very washable and ironable, but you have to know what you're doing. If they say to dry clean it, and you overcook it, they don't have to pay. If they say use a trivet, and you don't and get a mark or something, they don't have to pay.

In quartz, it's not so much about thermal shock, although that can be an issue, especially above seams, as it is about the resin (plastic) component of quartz. Quartz companies love to tout the 93% quartz statistic, but that's 93% by weight! Quartz is a lot heavier than resin. By volume, it's around a 40/60 to 50/50 split, depending on color. That means that quartz really has more in common with an acrylic solid surface counter like Corian than it does with a solid rock countertop like granite. Resins can "ghost" at temperatures about around 250� if left in sustained contact with the hot object. At temperatures above 350�, some light scorching can begin. You can keep progressing right up the scale to full fledged deep burn marks.

Any honest countertop fabricator specifies that you use trivets and cutting boards as everyday care for your counters. Anyone who pooh-poohs the risk is assuming that statistics don't apply to them. Well, they apply to someone! If you're that 1 out of 10,000 that loses the bet with the crockpot or the cookie sheet on your counter, that won't help your pocketbook come replacement time to know that 9,999 people had no problems doing the same thing you just did.

Thanks everyone. So cracking is a real possibility with either quartz or granite. Good to know! I'd hate to be the statistic. I have wondered how much of the engineered surfaces are resin as I've thought they'd have to mix in a bunch to get the granite to mold together. Thanks live wire oak.

More things to ponder. Guess my Crockpot would be fine on my induction cooktop, right? There are some aspects of my (chipped, textured, icky-grouted) tile counter I'll miss.

I've never even thought about putting a trivet or cutting board under my crockpot which is 34 years old. I've used it on my current formica counter for 18 years.

I ruined an old laminate countertop with a crockpot at my old house. it looked a bit burnt and kinda bubbled up.

when we redid that kitchen, I used silestone. They told me to put the crockpot on a trivet and you better believe I did!

that house was a bit crazy about crockpots. not sure what was going on there, but I had to search and search to find one that would work well there (I had a theory that the current wasn't steady)... that being said, I discovered all crockpots are NOT equal. Some run much hotter than others. the newer ones are not made like the older ones.

I have had Quartz for 3 years. Absolutly no problem with my crockpot. As an engineer, I can say that quartz is more durable than granite. Granite is a natural process where the bonds are ot consistant across the material. This makes it more prone to chiping and cracking. Also in my opinion a lot of the granite surfaces are have just plain ugly color combinations. the Black colors tend to ruin granite.

Quartz is man made and the bond is uniform across the material, meaning the stress concentration is uniform. more difficult to chip or crack.

Look at like this: When opening the cellophane on a CD it is very difficult to pry apart or tear until you poke a hole in it. Then it is easy. Those holes equate to tiny microscopic voids of varying size in granite slabs. Granite is tough but is more prone to chipping.

Add in the fact that quartz has a microbial benefit and radiation concerns that some granite had and Quartz is better. My opinion is that the hang up on Quartz is that it is not the "norm".

i am getting ready to build a new house and am only considering Quartz.

We have quartz countertops, and we hav a cutting board that stays out all the time. It is simple and flat and has a lip that hooks over the edge of the countertop, so it looks nice. Whenever we get out a small cooking appliance (crock pot, toaster), it is used on the cutting board. I figure better safe than sorry.

Wow, Live Wire Oak, thank you for telling me (well, all of us) about the amount of resin. That certainly is sneaky, isn't it? Not many people would stop to think, "What else could the company mean when they say that there is 93% quartz?"
I will definitely buy some trivets!