Depends on the cabinets it's going onto, and the condo it's in, and the neighborhood the condo is in, and what city the neighborhood is in. Here, you cannot give away Corian. The low end builder houses have granite, and the middle of the road have granite or quartz. Upper end all has quartz. But none of them stick shiny new counters on tired old cabinets that just look tireder with new stuff.

I agree quartz , I have never liked corian

If the kitchen is visible from your entry into the condo, consider a pretty granite. It will give more of a look of furniture and yet function well. Depends on your furniture too. Very contempory will lend itself to quartz. Consider carefully but don't make yourself crazy by visiting every slab yard in the area.

A lot depends on your price point for the area and what is expected. Look at your comps.

Hi @mocarol! Congratulations on your condo remodel! You can't go wrong with quartz. I hope this helps! Wendi

www.inspiredinteriorsbywendi.com

I would go with granite or quartzite (natural stone); we don`t know what kind of additive they put inside these engineered quartz slabs.

Now after FDA released a statement about Triclosan, I wonder if someone will pronounce about the engineered quartz that have antibacterial agents.... and plus, even if the quartz manufacturer does not declare that he includes antibacterial agents in their formula... they include other chemical additives to prevent the engineered quartz slab to fade or to develop mold. These additives reacts with UV Light and may be impacting the health and life of people. I don't know.

We never know what they put inside that 30% by volume plastic mixture.

If you are using a design/build firm for your remodel, then they can help you with the decisions and get you to folks that can make the process less overwhelming. If you are on your own for this, it can help to find a local fabricator that handles both natural stone, quartz and solid surface products. They generally have people in their showrooms that can help to pull some things together and walk you through the pros and cons of each material.

Quartz for sure

live_wire_oak, you speak like you know the inside out of each industry: the one that keep intact full flawless sheets of rock, with a pulsing heart to our table... and the silica sand mixed and swirled which I cannot point from which cement bag it came

I like Quartz , only because I'm sick of granite ( we have it in our kitchen & 3 baths ....lol ) ...

@hbfan here, here

if we are going to start pointing fingers at the environmental impact of this vs that (and we should!) we're going to have to accept responsibility for participating in a website thats whole reason to be is 'tear out your perfectly good x because its all about y now, baby!'

HA!

I understand that quartz, if exposed to sun, will change in color.

Why would it be exposed to sun inside a home? I mean, unless you have full sun shining on it with no overhang, which is rare.

i have full west sun through single pane 145 year old glass onto my quartz counter. i've not seen any yellowing yet but do keep the blind down through mid afternoon.

My kitchen doesn't get much sun, but my family room gets lots of afternoon sun. We have UV film, but from what I read, those who don't, had their quartz affected by the sun. There was also a dilemma here regarding this,,someone had part of the counter yellowing and it was concluded that it was because of the sun. I have quartz in the basement, so no problems there

There are pros and cons to all counter materials; none of them is "bullet proof." Quartz is very popular now and comes in all manner of colors and patterns, but it can be quite expensive. It also can be damaged by hard water and can chip, especially around the sink. Because it contains plastics, it can also be damaged by hot pots and pans. Corian is all plastic, and can be just as expensive as quartz, but it is more forgiving if you drop something on it. Granite is extremely durable and heat resistant, but many of the generic, "builder grade" granites are not very attractive and are outdated. Honed black absolute or Jet Mist are two granites that are much more subdued and resemble soapstone. Be careful if you want a white granite--many of them are really mislabeled marble.

Bottom line, you need to do a lot more research on the pros and cons, and then visit stone yards to see and feel the materials in person before you make a decision.