I have soapstone counters. I love them. But you just have to accept what it is so you don't get annoyed. What could be annoying? It is soft and chips or gets "dings" in the surface. There are water rings of its not wiped down. You do need to maintain the surface with food grade mineral oil. Not a big deal to keep that gorgeous rich luster. It's not so much that it gets darker over time it's more that the oil seeps into the stone.

Soapstone is a wonderful product, but you have to understand it is a natural product so if you looking for some perfect magazine cover looking counter, you may be disappointed. Soapstone has the look of an English kitchen, one that gets used over time and therefore has a lived in look. If that is what you want, you will be happy with soapstone.

marcommon you mentioned you did a lot of investigating on soapstone. What do you like about it & what are your concerns? I love my SSCT. It looks great and is awesome when I am making bread rolling out dough putting oven hot casserole dishes on top of it w/o thinking twice. After all it's what's used in chemistry labs. I vote yes!

I just had my soapstone installed a month or so ago. I love them. I left them natural at first but decided to wax them the other day. The dark color is beautiful. As long as you can live with the idea that they wont look perfect forever then I would say yes do it.

I think if you can live with the characteristics of natural stone it is so beautiful!!

Thanks for all your comments!

The research I had done was about durability, price, resistance to heat, etc. I understand we'd need to use a cutting board..

I do prefer it to stay lighter - my kitchen doesn't get direct sunlight so a softer look is what I was going for - but between olive oil and body oils, I'm definitely concerned. We will probably sell in about 7 years. So what about Virginia mist granite in a honed or leathered finish?

Thanks again for your input.

I would do honed Virginia Mist or Absolute Black granite and call it a day. : ) Easy, lovely. Great with natural maple .

Oh how I would love to call it a day!!! #overthinking - but it's a lot of $$ and I want to do it right! Isn't there potentially an issue with fingerprints and oil with honing too? I do love the matte finish (as in soapstone). And I want to be as light-medium gray as possible..

Thank you.

There is NO perfect marriage of matte, stone, light, and zero maintenance. Pick three of the four "issues" . Or live with gloss, get a glossy granite or quartz surface and THEN call it a day : ) At some point you'll drive yourself nuts.

Personally, I'd have oiled the soapstone and been done last week. It's beauty IS its softness!! It's been in laboratories with chemicals of all sorts for a hundred and fifty or more years. A simple soapy sponge cleans it up....... a piece of fine sandpaper removes virtually anything! A dab of mineral oil and proceed with life. Yes......at some point it's all agony. It's seven years, not the remainder of your life, and nothing in this kitchen will go with you to your grave. That's the truth. : )

Worry more on adequate and lovely lighting.

go for soapstone

If you want to be as light grey as possible perhaps soapstone is not for you. This will be a lighter color when delivered but it will darken over time with or without oiling

I've never commented on these messages before, but I've found them so useful in determining my choices that I had to add my "two cent's worth." I've had my Brazilian soapstone countertops for a full year now and absolutely love them. I have never oiled or waxed them, as I love their dull gleam, and I've never had oil damage, or water marks, as some speak about. Occasionally, if direct olive oil, etc, does get on them, it will leave a mark, but this comes out with just a touch of Dawn dishwashing liquid. But this is rare, and our skin oils do not leave marks. I am not at all careful with them, oftentimes rinsing dirty dishes and leaving them sit overnight on them to load in the morning. The only irritant I find is that you have to put pads under your glass storage containers, as they will scratch if you pull them across the counters and I put my dishtowel under cans as I open them, which has become a habit now. Countertops were the toughest decision of my new home, but with a farmhouse, soapstone seemed timeless and I'm glad I didn't allow the few downsides to dissuade me. For the record, granite is not foolproof...I managed to chip mine in my last house.

I wonder if there is a place you can see soapstone (and marble for that matter) in its "lived in" not so perfect state. I think I can live with the used look but I'd like to see exactly what that look will be. Most photos are of spotless new installs.

just wondering if you decided on anything?

Thanks everyone for your continued comments. I'm 99% decided on the soapstone due to all your feedback and constantly envisioning it.

I apparently decorate in the winter since I spend the warm season dealing with the garden. I've looked at tile backsplashes that look great w soapstone.

Good suggestion to look up "used" countertops. Going to do that now.

if possible please post a picture of your soapstone slabs: for the Soapstone passionate people

I love soapstone: a different natural element at home, its soft touch, its texture awakes the senses

I thought I'd just add my own two cents here. While I was deciding whether or not to go with soapstone for my counter tops I was a bit scared off by a lot of the comments I was reading about them all over the internet. I was worried about the amount of maintenance they seemed to require...oiling, waxing, spotting, water marks, chipping and scratches. I went ahead and chose soapstone, anyway. Everyone seemed to agree that oiling or waxing was essential, so I bought a tub of bees wax/mineral oil. The day my counter tops were installed I really loved the way they looked naturally, and I decided not to wax them...and I never have. I have never had a problem. Sure if something oily or greasy gets on them it will leave a dark mark, but I just wipe it down with some Dawn and the spot is gone. Yes if you leave a water ring or drop to dry on it's own it will leave a watermark, but a damp cloth clears it right away. I use a solution of Dawn diluted in a spray bottle of water to clean them and I never have any marks or splotches. I'm cautious not to bang them or treat them roughly, but I showed the same care with my old laminate counters. It seems that soapstone that is oiled or waxed requires more labor. You're putting a layer of surface over the stone that gets compromised, and that requires some fixing beyond a wipe. You have touch it up with more oil and wax. Personally, I thought the oiled/waxed look was too conventional. I much preferred the earthy natural look. So really, it's your own choice, but don't fall for the oiling or waxing is needed. It's not. I've had no issues with mine kept in their natural state, and the care has been easy.

The commenters that have soapstone countertops, can you post pics? I am also interested in putting them in my home and would love to see the "non-oiled" countertops some of you have said you have had for awhile now!

This soapstone counter is about 10 years old. I have oiled it, but not in the last three or four years. The first close up shows nicks at front edge of sink where large, heavy pots have hit it as well as scratches where a drinking glass is kept by the soap dispenser. The next close ups show the lighter color by the backsplash where oils from hands, food prep, etc. do not normally reach and slight scratching from opening cans and wine bottles (which I usually do on a dish towel).

It scratches really easily. And a honed/leather finish will never be as easy to clean as formica (any smooth surface). I dislike the honed/leather surface for that reason alone. And keeping it non-oiled is a pipe dream if it abuts the stove or the sink. It's going to get oil on. Count on it.

Oh wow. Thanks for sharing those photos. I'm not all that good at being careful in the kitchen; I'm a "passionate" cook. Hm.

And, I finally got my first quote and had a bit of sticker shock. I'm wondering if the granite mentioned up thread would be more reasonable.

Koyse call me crazy but I love the lived in look of your soapstone. That's what I've been wanting to see as all you ever see are the new installs. I wish I could see the same for marble.

I spent last semester admiring the soapstone counters in my microbiology lab. They certainly weren't pampered, but they looked wonderful. Dribbles of stains, careless use of heavy microscopes, and even a minor incident with a Bunsen burner (I plead the 5th...) didn't do anything terrible to it. I am already planning on using soapstone in my next kitchen!

I too like the lived in look of soapstone but we are looking at resale down the road and I can't count on it not being a deterrent. So hard to make the right decision.

If you know you're going to sell in 7 years, you have to ask yourself if the soapstone will help or hinder. If you were staying forever, or at least thought you might, then absolutely go with with the SS. I think those of us here on houzz are a special breed who appreciate those type of touches a lot more than the average home buyer. Most people just care about it being easy to care for and looking good. My brother and sister in law couldn't tell you what material their kitchen counters are made of if their lives depended on it, and they are marble!! I'd say save some money and play it safe with some light colored granite.

@emilie I have been through it all with the granite - cannot find anything I really like so far and am super frustrated. I don't want it to look - granitey. But....may to start there again.....

Hello! This thread is (kinda) old but new to me :)...just wondering koyse what KIND of SS is that in the pics? I am in love with soapstone and have been researching how the hardness effects its chipping and scratching as well as the various veining involved. I have had a sample of Green Mountain for about a year and have been stabbing it, dropping it, washing it, etc and it looks EXACTLY the same save for one small scratch I managed with scissors. I am also considering remnants instead of a slab due to the significant cost reduction. M Tex offers remnant at 22.50/sq ft vs full slab at 59/sq ft. This does not include fabrication, delivery or install of course.