I really wanted marble my center island countertop, but chose a white quartzite after performing my oown tests on samples. They confirmed what everyone here had been saying: you can seal marble against most stains, but not against the etching that comes from acid foods such as tomatoes and lemons.

I think the reason marble is less expensive than soapstone is because the slabs tend to be a bit thinner than soapstone or granite. When I was looking, I came the conclusion that most granite & marble shops really did not know that much about soapstone and the infinite range of characteristics based on where the stone was mined. I wound up going with M. Texeira in NJ for the soapstone and a local co for the quartzite.

If you haven't seen my kitchen, here is a link to my original posting:

Here is a link that might be useful: Nuccia's Kitchen

Nuccia, your kitchen is beautiful! The marble my fab uses is 3cm, so it would be the same as the soapstone. What exactly does etching look like? I am having the island marble honed, and thought I read somewhere that this helps hide any etching.

Nuccia, OT, how do you like your fridge and freezer. That's the configuration that I wanted, but I've read so many negative things about the Electrolux pair that you have. Are you happy with them?

Etching looks a bit like scratching; there's a definite difference in texture and sheen level. I tested my samples by placing a few drops of corrosive liquids on different sections. I left them on at least overnight to simulate the worst case scenario. I used lemon juice, tomato, vinegar (think salad dressing), plus some I can't remember. I think honing should help, because that's basically unpolished marble. Try to get some small samples from your fabricator and perform your own tests.

I LOVE my Electrolux pair! I always research the heck out of everything before I buy, but there was not much out there 3 years ago. I had heard so many negative things about the reliability of Sub-Zero and Viking that I just could not see spending that kind of money, but at half the price I decided to go for it and hedged my bet by buying an extended warranty. The units have been flawless. The only negative is that they seem to be running all the time, but the manual says that is because the energy savings featured units are like that(?). My take on it is that since there are 2 units with 2 motors, I would naturally hear them run more frequently.

I absolutely love seeing everything at once, plus the shelves all roll out, so nothing gets lost! (not true--I've still managed to lose track of some things)

BTW, I haven't been checking into GW as frequently as before, so if I don't answer you, shoot me an email.