We have had this Caesarstone concrete in our kitchen for almost two years now. It is the worst product we have ever had in our home and we made sure it wasn't honed. They had to replace it three times within the first year because they were all defective. This third one is also defective but they have walked away. It scratches when you push dishes across the surface, it stains very easily, it takes several products to get it clean (not one natural product works), it gets white permanent stains if you place a hot pot on anything other than a cutting board (placemats are too thin), when you have people over, it looks terrible within the first 15 minutes from finger and hand prints Which means it looks terrible for the whole evening unless you get all the cleaning products out and start cleaning. We have regretted this purchase from day one. Wish we had read the reviews online before purchasing this terrible product.

The standard Caesarstone Concrete does retain fingerprints and oils more than other colours. In the case of our client's project, either honing it solved this inherent issue or earlier batches did not have this characteristic. It is also likely that our fabricator applied several sealer coats, which might change the absorption of the resin that bonds the quartz aggregate together.

The way Caesarstone Concrete retains oils is definitely a consideration and it is advisable to have your counter fabricator provide you with a sample to try, use and really test until you know how it will stand up to use in your home.

In some designs we welcome a live nature to finishes and in other spaces, we prefer a more consistent look. For example, in a few projects, we opted to go with Emtek's live oil rubbed bronze finish for handles so that the edges wear to reveal some of the copper beneath which creates a really nice patina. The current trend in the kitchen design industry is to opt for more maintenance free products, but sometimes a design calls for some patina. In the case of our project, it was a very modern space and we didn't want patina and minimal reflection from the counters, and our client was very pleased with the end results.

I hope that this helps.

BiglarKinyan Design

Hi jessadrian - We are sorry to hear that you're having trouble with your countertop. Please send us a direct message with your contact information and location (city, state) so that we can help you out. Thank you!