I have Caesarstone quartz counters, my first solid surface counter. My understanding is that you don't need to seal quartz and it's a lot hardier than granite. I never cut or put hot things on my counter, more out of habit than anything else. I love the feel of my counters, smooth as a baby's bottom. I've heard that quartz can cost more than granite, but I think it's fairly comparable in price, at least where I live. Have fun doing your research (my favorite part of a new kitchen).

Engineered stone/quartz is highly stain resistant not stain proof. If you buy a solid color,especially pure white,there is a fair chance you will stain it in a high use kitchen. If you buy quartz with lots of movement in a medium color chances are you will never see a stain.

Natural stone has various levels of stain resitance. Some need to be sealed regularly some people never seal their natural stone and don't have problems.

Engineered Quartz is 93% quartz and 7% resin. That resin can burn. Quartz manufacutres do not recommend placing hot pots directly on the countertop or even slow cookers for extended periods. Quartz never needs to be sealed.

The vast majority of granites don't have any problem with heat. Some specialty natural stones do.

If Consumer Reports has any value to you they rate quartz one point higher overall than granite.

In my area granite starts at $30/sq ft installed while name brand quartz starts at $40/sq ft if purchased a la carte. If purchasing cabinets/entire kitchen from same place it can be cheaper.

I researched for two years before selecting Cambria Dovedale. I have had it installed for two weeks. Love it so far.

Thank you so much. Its always nice to speak to someone who has the product.

oh yeah, quartz is harder.

Granite can fissure or have micro cracks that turn into visable cracks. This is rare.

Never heard of that on quartz.

Silestone has microban. An anti-bacteria chemical.It is in things from toothpaste to grocery cart handles. Some people find it reassuring while it freaks others out.No other brand has microban.

Some granites are considered "hot stones" or have relatively high levels of radiation. These usually have reddish tones. These are rare but can come just about anywhere.Most natural things on earth have some level of radiation,including natural rock.

I just started planning too. Definitely pick up the current Consumer Reports Kitchen, I got mine at Lowes. It's been a great overview and starting point for me for counters, cabinets, floors, and if you need them, appliances.

We have Caesarstone and are very happy with it. As deeageaux suggested, they don't need sealing and are tougher than granite. I have used a crockpot on the surface without issue. I have put hot pots on the surface without issue but not for a long period of time but a quick cookie sheet out of the oven.

Quartz is more expensive than low end granite but less expensive than high end granite. It also cost us more to fabricate as it is tougher.

However you will not get the beauty of natural granite which can be like works of art. Man made is necessarily more consistent.

We went with caesarstone chocolate truffle which is made with recycled glass.

FYI that "93% quartz" is a marketing campaign. It's calculated by weight, not volume. If you factor in the actual volumes of the materials involved, "quartz" is likely to have almost as much actual resin in it as many "acrylic solid surfaces" that use aluminum trihydrate as the filler.

You are required to use a trivet with quartz as part of it's regular care. If you lay a hot pot or pan on it and it burns it (or "ghosts" it without an actual burn) you will be told that you subjected the counter to abuse and the warranty will not cover it's replacement. "Repair" of heat damaged quartz is virtually impossible, as the entire surface of the stone would need to be sanded down at least 1/16th, and this isn't really possible in the field without creating divots in the material. (It's not really possible to do in a shop situation either, but that's another story.)

In the instance of a burn damage, your Corian will be the repairable choice, with a section cut out and a new one patched in place. Or, the granite, which wouldn't have burned at all. But, if you use the trivets and cutting boards that are mandated by all countertop fabricators, you will not have to worry about incidental damage from those sources in any case no matter what the material.

Either material will make a fine counter for your kitchen, but buying into the marketing hype of one over the other doesn't let you clearly view the actual material's plusses and minuses. Make a list of the features that you want from your counter, and then tick off which will provide you with most of the features you seek. No material will 100% do everything under the sun well, so you have to be able to accept some drawbacks from whatever choice you make.

There is no such thing as "granite." Granite refers to a wide variety of stones. There is an enormous selection of actual granites, as geologists would call them; and perhaps an even larger range of stones sold and named as granite but are actually completely different stones. Some granites are quite bulletproof; other stones are not. You have to research the exact stone you wish to purchase, and preferably test it with your own abuse--staining sauces and acids, banging pans, cleaning products and all the rest.

My personal irony is that I've lived in two places with dark brown granite (not my choice) that I found hideous. However, those granites could not be stained, burned, scratched, etched or cracked unless you set off an actual thermonuclear device in the kitchen.

Short answer is, granites vary.

{{!gwi}}

I have had both now. I chose a dark brown DuPont Zodiac quartz in my previous house because it didn't need to be sealed, etc. I never put anything hot on it. It was great and I loved it. I ust redid the kitchen in our new house and we chose granite. We wanted a light color and had planned to go with quartz but found that the lighter quartzes just looked too "fake". Our house is set back in the woods and we wanted a more natural look so we reconciled ourselves to having to seal twice a year. The granite we picked, though light which is typically more prone to staining, is bulletproof. I tested ketchup and other things on an unsealed piece overnight and it left no stains. So,nas marcolo said,, every granite is different. For us the decision was largely one of aesthetics.

I've had Corian countertops for over 20 years, and it is nearly indestructible. I routinely put hot pans (up to 350 degrees) on the Corian, rolled out and cut miles of dough on it, used scrubbies and harsh chemicals, and it still looks great. Recently it got stained with ink from a food bag. Nothing seemed to get it out, so I used bleach and--voila!--stain was gone instantly, without any damage to the countertop. It is also fabulous for kneading dough; the dough doesn't stick, and cleanup is easy. When we added on to our kitchen after several years, we were able to patch on the same Corian without any visible seams or interruption. It's that consistent. I'm sure that granite would not have stood up to the abuse we've given our countertops.

That being said, I am now replacing my Corian with granite. Why? Simple: I like the look of granite better, and want to enjoy it before I'm too old to see the difference. Of course when we got Corian there were few color choices. Newer Corian is much better looking and more granite or marble-like. But I've lusted after the look of granite all these years, so I'm going to treat myself now. I have a feeling I'll be missing the ease of my old Corian . . .

On sealing granite: at one time you may have had to seal granite 2x/year or whatever, but the newer sealers do much better than that. Ours is good for a "lifetime," which seems to mean 15 years. Interesting wording.

On Corian: It's remarkable that repac could put hot pans on their surfaces, but I'm not sure that's a general experience. My brother has Corian in the kids' bathroom and there are a couple of burn spots. I suspect the girls' curling irons. The good news is that those spots can probably be sanded out.

My advise for you would be to go out and look and find a surface that you like the look and feel of. There are pluses and minuses to both granite and quartz, but none of them are deal-breakers or deal-makers. It's safe to go for the look that appeals to you.