I have used both. Any marble/stone behind a cook top can stain from grease spattering. The split face mosaic looks best with no grout, believe it or not. Sealing prior to install can help to a degree, but nobody will guarantee no spots or stains, and it's certainly not as easy with split face to run a damp rag over a bumpy surface for a splash of spaghetti sauce. I use these when the cook is neat and willing to stand a cookie sheet behind the cooker, or where the cook top is on an island, and the tile is unaffected by all cooking spatters. In other words........you are who you are : ) You know best. A smooth and glossy ceramic or glass subway tile is a piece of cake to maintain and looks great too. Running your solid surface up the entire splash also looks great, ( no grouting at all), is another option that is sleek / great looking, and a cinch to maintain.

Bad idea.

Never in a kitchen

Thank you for your feedback. Not the answer I wanted to hear, but now I can avoid making an expensive mistake.

The products you picked can work but you'll have to keep up with spills and splashes. Split faced products (even when sealed properly) will have a tendency to absorb more.