Quartz is a pretty universal product made of 93% ground-up quartz stone and 7% resin. The difference between manufacturers is basically the aesthetics. In other words, just pick something you like. Since you are limited by what's available as a remnant, just see what you have to pick from and go with your favourite! :)

Quartz is more resilient/easy care.

Thanks for replying - much appreciated! Will now definately go with quartz!

100% agree with Granite Grannies. I am an artist and have several time come across situations, where the client had put manufactured material instead of natural stone and they DO STAIN, as per what my clients claimed and now they were back to change it to granite!

I agree with Granite Grannies as well. Any polished black surface is going to be difficult to keep clean. Dust and smudges are going to be noticeable, whether on granite or quartz. We have a solid black quartz countertop here in our showroom, and we have to clean it often.

While quartz is a great product, it is only SLIGHTLY more maintenance free than granite. Yes, you should seal your granite once a year (not necessary, but encouraged), but most people do not understand that it is a 20 minute process maximum, ONCE a year. Wipe it on, let it sit, and then clean it off. The routine care for quartz and granite are very comperable. You clean your quartz with soap and water or a mild cleaning agent like Windex, and you clean your granite with stone cleaner that you can purchase in a spray bottle. That's it!

All quartz manufacturers make solid products. Whether you like Cambria, Silestone, Ceasarstone, Compac, etc, the only difference is in price and appearance. Pick whatever you like and go with it.

Best of luck!

Hey granitegrannie...a question...corian? I am getting ready to either put quartz or corian for the look I want. The two I have chosen look like Carrera marble, kind of. Corian is $1100 cheaper...that's huge!

Hey granitegrannie...a question...corian? I am getting ready to either put quartz or corian for the look I want. The two I have chosen look like Carrera marble, kind of. Corian is $1100 cheaper...that's huge!

@suzlanuz I'd say natural stone or quartz. I've been told by realtors (I haven't triple checked this fact myself) that corian is one of the few surfaces that will actually decrease the value/sell-ability of your home. It's not as long lasting as the quartz, and it's not nearly as pretty. While we prefer working with natural stone, some of the Cambria/ Caesarstone products are really beautiful for the right project. I'd go with those if you want to do an engineered material. 1100 is a big difference. Is this for you kitchen? I'm assuming that's why your going with a man made instead of actual white carrara. Have you checked out quartzite? It's a natural stone that has the durability of granite, but looks like marble most of the time. On our page you can see White Macaubus Quartzite and Super White Quartzite (although lately Super White has a lot more gray). At a fabricator who work with high end stones regularly, quartzite can cost the same if not LESS than man mades. Also, if you want the look of a marble, but don't want to fork out for the expensive quartz, do some looking around for a granite that looks like marble. You'd be surprised how many stones are out there. Your fabricator will have a limited selection of stone, but they buy from suppliers who have lots of unique choices. Taupe White Granite is one of those. You might also look at stones like Typhoon Bordeaux Granite, Persa Avario Granite, Taj Mahal Quartzite, River White Granite, River Valley Granite. Here are links to two granite supplier whose websites you can look through to get an idea for what is really out there: http://www.italianstones.com/ and http://marvamarble.com/ . Keeping looking until you find something that's worth paying more...something you're happy to spend the money for. That's when you know you've gotten a good value. There is always something perfect for your project out there.

Wow thanks so much granitegrannies!! I really appreciate your response. I will absolutely look at those granites! It's not that I don't like granite, I just have that Carrera marble look in my head and hadn't seen any granite that is vainy like the marble. BUT you have shown me otherwise! Thank you!

Super white is a quartzite however it WILL etch just like marble. Its also known as Vermont White and White America. Many vendors have been selling it as the miracle granite... It's still great for a kitchen but not maintenance free...
Whats etching? Ever see stubborn "water marks" or "glass rings" that won't come off a marble surface. Thats etching. It is the reaction of natural calcium in the stone with some sort of acid. It may be as mild as hard water, but it will cause etching none the less.

This all being said we fabricate a ton of marble kitchens. We let every customer know that it will scratch, etch, possibly stain. The key to maintaining a white marble kitchen is cleanliness. You cannot let food or liquids sit on the surface. We also recommend that you opt for a honed finish as opposed to a polished finish when going with a marble in your kitchen. What this does is it helps reduce the impact of the etching as it happens.

The good news is that all stone surfaces can be repaired in place should you need refinishing down the line. I am new to Houzz, but not to stone. Check out my houzz galleries for some marble kitchen ideas. I have attached some pictures of Vermont White (aka Super White) quartzite, as well as some other alternatives to Carrara - Imperial Danby, Misty White, in kitchens to very satisfied customers. Merry christmas.

Rye marble - thanks for the great info! I am going to look into the 2 colors of granite you mentioned. Merry Christmas to you, too!

@suzlanuz the colors that I mentioned were marble. Hope I didn't disappoint. The color in the top right is Vermont White aka Super white. Its a calcium based quartzite which will etch like marble, however it is more durable than some marbles. The top left is Imperial Danby honed (very clean lot) and the bottom is misty white honed which has been a really hot color both here in NY and in Palm beach.

Ohhhh! No worries, rye marble,inc! I thought it might be too good to be true! LOL. I do love that misty white honed! Think I will look into that! Just got back from NYC for Christmas! Our son is in manhattan...had a fabulous time!

I've never seen Super White/ Vermont White/ Fantasy White etch or stain. They may be softer than granite, but softer than granite is still very hard. We've installed dozens of quartzite kitchens (along with hundreds and hundreds of exotic and relatively fragile stones and marble projects) and we've never had a product etch. That's not to say that it isn't possible, but the benefit and beauty of the product far outweighs the "risk." This blogger wrote a great article on marble on the counters, and marble is much more prone to etch, scratching, and staining than quartzite. http://petchhouse.blogspot.com/2006/03/sealing-marble-acid-test.html

@Rye Marble I do know that recently, any very white Super White is poor quality and is prone to issues. Perhaps you should consider the suppliers you're using. While some of our less reputable suppliers have told us they have a bright white Super White, the ones we trust have advised us not to buy any bright white Super White and that the greyer lots are a much higher quality. I know that we have less issues than many fabricators with stone issues, and I think that's because we are so picky about the stone we buy. Our suppliers know that if they send us poor quality, they'll be getting it right back. And our customers expect to pay more for a higher quality project. By the way, I looked at your work, and you guys are doing some gorgeous kitchens! I hope you load more pictures onto your houzz so we can see what other fabricators are doing. I've seen a lot of great work coming from the New York area.

@suzlanuz If you don't want any possible risk whatsoever of any damage at any time in the next 30 years to your counters, you should go with concrete. But that same principle applies to the rest of the home as well. You don't paint all your walls brown in case they stain or someone touches them. Likewise, we put tile and hardwood on our floors even though there is a risk of the hardwood scratching or the tile cracking. We put wood cabinets in our kitchen because we believe that the benefits far outweigh the risk of a little wear on the corners or a scratch here and there. Quartzite is not a miracle granite. It's not even a granite. But it's a great stone with wonderful durability. That doesn't mean it's right for you, but if you like it I don't think you should avoid it for any "risks."

Well thank you granite grannies! You are right! As I said before...I am willing to go with the white cloud corian but the feedback is horrible about corian! I am not too worried about the "risks" that go with corian but I do have to consider them because it is a lot of money no matter how you look at it.

Use the granite remnant it is most likely less money. It isn't really that hard to care for it's not that porous.

Super white etches... Grey or white. Still a great countertop material (as is white marble IMHO), but it does etch. no way around it... Put a bit of vinegar on it and see what happens... I will be uploading pictures as I take photos. I recently bought a new camera, and now all my old photos I've determined aren't worthy.... Haha.

@GraniteGrannies - Thanks for the compliment. You should come check out the SFA... http://stonefabricatorsalliance.com Awesome resource for us fabricators. We are essentially all about sharing knowledge among each other to better our businesses.

Here are some other SFA members houzz pages:

http://www.houzz.com/pro/boutiquegranite/custom-marble-granite
http://www.houzz.com/pro/dustinbruadway/bluewater-surfaces
http://www.houzz.com/pro/morrisgranite/__public
http://www.houzz.com/pro/rivercitystoneinc/river-city-stone-inc
http://www.houzz.com/pro/thetopshopinc/the-top-shop-inc
http://www.houzz.com/pro/chris-yaughn/yaughn-countertops

Granite Grannies, that is a wonderful blog article that you posted! I will have to show that to our customers who are hesitant about marble. Thanks for sharing!

Granite Grannies.. I am about to install new kitchen countertops...I have pickled white cabinets and was thinking about uba tuba granite but have heard so many negative comments on dark colored granite as opposed to lighter colored.. mostly on keeping it clean.. this is a one time option for me and I have to make a decision as to light or dark.. I love the look of dark counters with white cabinets.. and with my light cream colored tile floors I feel I need a contrast as I also plan to use the white subway tiles as a backsplash. Do you think another darker background granite besides black would be a better option.. like tropical brown or something along that color line..

I had black granite that was covered in dull patches just from water that wasn't wiped up quickly! Applied sealers and polish repeatedly to no success. Now I need black counters again but can't find black quartz without sparkles in it, which would be totally wrong for this house. Anybody know of a black quartz without the sparkles?

Rebecca, you may have just had low quality absolute black granite. Buy it cheap, and you may be getting basalt, which will react like you describe. A high quality Absolute Black should not react that way. That said, Silestone's Tao is pretty much the same look as an absolute black: http://www.silestoneusa.com/color/tao/ 

Granite Grannies... I have a question. As a clean freak, which is easier to keep and look clean.... a white/gray counter-top or matte black? I don't wish to be wiping the counters continually for it to look nice. Thank you in advance for your advice.

Rebecca Tuber-Foley
You might consider Blackwood by Cambria.

Oops didn't post Blackwood by Cambria....

Hello, we are so glad to hear you are considering Cambria for your kitchen counters. We agree with bjermo and recommend Blackwood or Oakhampton for another black quartz option in your home. For more ideas, check out the inspiration gallery on our website as well as our 'Dark Countertops' Pinterest board.

Many users have expressed concerns surrounding the ease of maintenance with Cambria counters, specifically whether a white or a dark quartz is easier to keep clean. Cambria quartz is nonporous and therefore maintenance free. Simply wipe the surface with warm water, and use a mild soap if desired. Unlike granite, it doesn't require regular sealing and is resistant to staining.

However, the preference for a lighter countertop versus a darker countertop is completely subjective and comes down to a customer's taste and lifestyle. For further assistance, please call our customer service line at 1-866-CAMBRIA. We'd be happy to assist with any further questions you may have.

Hi,

I want to know which Cambria black color counter top will look nice with hi gloss white cabinets. Please do not recommend Jewel collection counter tops as they are prone to so many problems.

Thank you,

Mindy

We put in Cambria Blackwood Quartz. We have white cabinets, walnut wood floor, and I put in. Travertine backsplash. Love it! The Blackwood by Cambria is very easy maintenance, and is much easier upkeep than solid black.

bjermo,

Are your cabinets hi gloss and frameless?

Do you mind showing the picture of your cabinets with Blackwood counter tops?

Thank you,

Mindy