We had Corian in a previous home for about 12 years. However, ours was very light..."Glacier White"...and still looked new when we left. Never had scratches but I also used cutting boards and never put anything hot on it. I cleaned it with Softscrub.

Order a sample and scratch it yourself. Of course it’s true.

There are ONLY two surfaces I would have for my own home. Corian ( any solid white), or Soapstone. Both as indestructible as you will find. Both timeless....and both working with nearly every other everything. Jmho. If you want another perpetual? Butcher block.

Everything else has an issue. Just depends on your OWN issues to determine what/which those would be.

My Corian in "Vanilla" looks as it did the day it was installed 15 years ago. It's been sanded /buffed once, I'm not all that careful with the chop thing.. The bath has never needed it. Looks brand new.

I didn't ask my question to dis richrimall, just to ascertain what properties they're prioritizing that brings them to solid surface as a solution.

Corian would never stand up to the abuse my husband and son give our countertops. I think the best surface for my house would be quartz. I think it's also better for resale. Many people who come into our showroom agree, especially the realtors. I see a lot of solid surface in commercial applications, probably because it sanitizes so well. We are licensed to fabricate Corian but the market for us is business, not residential applications.

I agree with Sophie.....nothing beats hands-on personal experimentation! Order a sample of Corian, place it on a protected surface, and have at it with all your worst kitchen tools and events. Really see how it performs, for yourself. And have the fabricator slice off a piece, all the way through, so you can see whether (or not) color is solid ll the way through.

I had a medium gray Corian for over 20 years. I used cutting boards and it looked fabulous when I sold my house. This time around I think I will use Glacier White. Yes, quartz is nice but I see too many stories here about stains and problems. I don't want to have to worry or police my counters.

Your plastic prejudice is showing. If you didn’t try to sell against Corian because there is more margin in other materials, then you’d actually sell more of it for residential applications.

The very thing that makes it suitable for commercial applications is what gives it 50 years of life in a residential situation. Sand it every 10 years and you have the magic of brand new countertops.

Sure, it has its drawbacks. All materials do. But it will take hard wear and tear and come out looking brand new when refinished. You ain’t gonna do that with the chips in quartz.

Actually, no. Our clientele has no problem telling us what they want - mostly granite or quartz. And I've never had a client complain that their quartz was chipping. I've also had people come in who wanted to change out their solid surface for granite or quartz. Sorry, but it's the way the market is going. Please, by all means, do your countertops in Corian. I hope you pick a great color and get a lot of performance and happiness out of them. Whatever you pick, it needs to be right for you.

And to clarify, I did not say anything negative about solid surface, can anyone tell me why the reaction was so swift and harsh?

To answer the original question - saturated, dark tones in Corian and similar materials will have impact marks that appear white. Sliding a plate or ceramic mug across the counter will scuff it but should not produce a white impact mark. The edge of a dropped tin can on the counter, using the counter as a cutting board, etc. will likely create them. You can remove them, but it will require more elbow grease than a scratch in lighter Corian colors. Something to be aware of when considering a dark color.

About 15 years ago or so, I had a client that wanted an acrylic solid surface material (ie. Corian)...but she wanted the color to be BLACK! I recommended that she go with granite or quartz. I warned her several times...don't do it due to the scratching/abrasions. I can't remember which brand/color she went with but she called me just a few days after the installation. I'll never forget what she said: "I know you said it would scratch, but I didn't think it would scratch THIS much". What am I supposed to do with a client that won't listen to my recommendations....it was all about saving money. Now she has tops that drive her crazy....over a few hundred bucks.

To answer your questions....Yes, a scratchy bottom ceramic type dishware sliding across the tops WILL mar a dark Corian finish, like an abrasion. A knife will give a distinct white line. If you want dark countertops...go for granite or quartz. If you want white/light....go with quartz or corian.

Is price really the issue? If so , then why would people still put in marble tops? They scratch and etch similar to Corian? I think folks read what the popular consensus is and go with that.... its unfortunate - I used to sell alot of Corian - especially for shower walls! Looked good, sanitary and easy to clean.... now folks tell me you "have to have " tile in a shower...

Who am I to argue with their wants - I give them the information and let them decide their path

Sorry, Debbi, but Corian does not etch as does marble. Not even close.

Couple of YouTube vids and you'll be a decent Corian refinisher; not so with marble.

"And to clarify, I did not say anything negative about solid surface, can anyone tell me why the reaction was so swift and harsh?"

Carolina Kitchen and Bath:

I made an honest effort to answer your question. I reread my response and could not find any "harsh". Sorry if you took it that way.

Appreciate the feedback - I'm choosing Corian or another solid surface because I don't like stone - to me it's cold and I feel like I'm always going to break a glass on it...

I'm seeing that dark corian won't show white lines unless there's a serious knife cut, I can live with that.

How about using small "heat" appliances on it - like a toaster oven, crockpot, coffeemaker, grill/Panini press? Will the heat from these countertop appliances cause any damage to the surface?

Thanks all.

Richrimail, that's a good reason to choose Corian. Use what works for you.

This has been a really interesting discussion. I thought I'd share my experience, since I am just an average homeowner in a modest house, in the information-gathering stage for a full kitchen remodel. I started off thinking that I wanted a low-maintenance, solid-white counter for my kitchen - something I didn't have to worry about my six kids staining and chipping. I did a little research, and Corian seemed to fit the bill, so I popped into the Home Depot to have a look at it and see if I liked it.

The saleswoman called it garbage. When I asked why, she said that it is plastic and you can't roll dough on it - she said quartz is what fits my needs. Well, several people here really like Corian, so I was not convinced yet. But then I had a GC out to my house for an initial consultation, and when I mentioned Corian, he strongly recommended against it because it scratches so easily. He strongly recommended granite or quartz.

I must admit that after this second push away from Corian, I starting having second thoughts, and feel pressure to get quartz or granite. I am sure that getting a new kitchen is stressful and crazy, but it should also be fun. It's not fun when your being told that your counter top choice will be a big mistake.

Katie I had a light colored corian for ten years in our last house, and there wasn't a scratch on it when we sold. Don't use it as a chopping block, don't put hot pans on it, (which are things you don't do with granite or quartz either) and it will be fine. Incidentally, before having it put into our house, we'd had it in two apartments in Europe.

Corian died when the snobs took to granite. When granite went to the grocery store bath? The snobs went to marble and Quartz. Quartz is as "made by man" as Corian ever will be. Do the top that best suits YOU for your application . In other words ...... watch the veining in perimeter turns and seaming with Quartz . ..... Repeat !

"Will the heat from these countertop appliances cause any damage to the surface?"

Generally, no, but putting a trivet under appliances, whether your top is solid surface or quartz, isn't a bad idea. I've posted pictures of a Kurig coffeemaker discoloring black Silestone.

Katie, I've had the same run-around, and I kept coming back to Corian (solid white). We haven't started ordering stuff yet, but I feel confident this is the right material for my family.

I love our Corian. I like the look, the feel, and the ease of maintenance.

First - sorry to be a bit long winded here....

Look at how great this top looks....

Shame on the person who called Corian garbage... they are simply repeating what the quartz or granite reps are telling them...

Here's some simple information ( hopefully other will add to what I have left out) :

Granite: varied in color, needs to be sealed, cold to the touch ( not all the time ), natural, can chip or crack, may need visible seams, comes shiny, honed, flamed, no warranty

Marble : varied in color, needs to be sealed, cold to the touch sometimes, natural, will scratch and etch, may need visible seams, comes shiny or honed, no warranty

quartz - man made with 93% quartz, no sealing, more consistent in pattern ( larger repeat ), can chip or crack, cold to the touch sometimes, may need visible seams, comes shiny or matte, generally 25 yr warranty

Corian - man-made, many colors from solids to patterns, no sealing, no cracks or chips, scratches can easily be removed, seams are nearly invisible, can have a molded in sink, comes in a satin finish, has a warranty. I remember a commercial they used to do years ago where they let a cigarette burn into the top and showed how repairable it was....

Laminate - man-made, will have seams ( tight ), new applied edging makes them look better, many colors and patterns to choose from, less expensive, resists scratching and staining ( not like stone ) , glossy to textured, never cold, ( before everyone boos, many folks will say they remember their grandparents laminate top form the 50s - it lasted 30 years or more! The technology now of this product is way better than before. I had a top in a showroom I worked at that was Wilsonart and people used to come in and say " oh I love this - what granite is it? " and were shocked when I told them it was laminate.

No countertop should be cut on or have hot pots put on them... other than granite, you should have some sort of trivet under toaster ovens, crock pots etc - why risk damaging something you spent hard earned money on?

Final decisions are made on function and the look of your space and what you want - everyone will have opinions and want to give you their 2 cents just like I am....

Good luck with your decision and enjoy whatever you choose!

My sister, who cooks a lot, is getting new countertops. She likes a marble, I have let her know that marble is porous and soft and I recommended quartz and gave her a pros and cons list. She will make the decision that's right for her. You make the decision that's right for you. Don't let the feeling of "I wanted it and now I'm being talked out of it," affect your decision. Do a list of pros and cons and take into account what your individual needs and tastes are. Listen to others talk about the pros and cons, too. Let that list guide you, but remember it's not the last word on your countertop choice, you are.

Been shopping for a counter for a while. Got hung up around the holidays (ordeal of a kitchen window - a whole other story). Every single place I have been they have bad mouthed Corian. Its been around a long time.

People say its plastic, its out of style and my answer is so? Whatever they might tell you both Corian and quartz are synthetic. Don't let anyone kid you otherwise. They are a lot more similar than anyone would like to admit. What I see with quartz from my reading when it gets damaged its usually very tough to fix. Chips are not uncommon when there are sharp corners and around the sink. And yes it does stain no matter what they tell you. Not always but it does stain.

As for Corian, yes it scratches but its far more repairable than any other material that I can see. No seams, seamless undermount sinks via Karran. Corian is solid all the way through, I don't know what people are saying that its white underneath. Sounds like soap or dirt got in the scratch.

As for staining get a big piece & try to stain it yourself, I bet you can't. I got a 10"x10" sample piece of Rain Cloud from Dupont for like $10. No matter what I put on it, it does not stain. I have tried ketchup, tomato sauce, mustard - yellow, grey poupon & German, wine - red/white, olive oil, vegetable oil, turmeric, blue berries, strawberries, orange juice, Listorine, tooth paste, pepper. I can't even remember all the things we have tried - it does not stain.

I had pieces of both marble and granite. I etched the marble almost immediately. If a lot of things touch unfinished marble it gets into the grain and you can't get it out. Granite has been hit or miss - sometimes it stains, sometimes it doesn't. If you get olive oil on it, it leaves a mark. The darker granites are tougher than the lighter granites.

Thats why all these stones need staining. Don't let anyone kid you otherwise.

TJ Smith:

The fancy-pants designers can continue their irrational love fest with engineered stone. Corian has been around for 50 years and I'll bet it does another 50. I doubt estone will make the same claim.

I know Corian is disliked but I don't care. It has to many pros relative to the negatives - no maintenance as it does not need to sealed, does not need special cleaners, its sterile, it doesn't stain, doesn't chip very easily. Yes it can be scratched and you can't put hot pots on it. From my reading you shouldn't put hot pots on stone or estone either.

I have a feeling that quartz will turn yellow as it ages. It appears to have some kind of resin in it similar to whats in fiberglass. Anyone ever see what happens to fiberglass like on a surfboard or boats. It turns yellow and becomes very brittle. I have worked on both cars and boats with a lot of fiberglass, I have seen it. Thats why you paint it and gel coat it.

People say quartz is not like that - oh yes it is. I have read over and over to keep it out of the direct sunlight and do not store it outside along with it changing color.

People should buy what they like. I am all about the low maintenance and no fussy cleaning.

Disclaimer: I like Corian but I also like quartz. Last house had corian, and as I said above, it was a no-nonsense, low maintenance surface. My experience with quartz so far is also good - easy to clean, good to work on, no stains or marks (mind you, I have a light, standard grade Caesarstone with no fancy finishes or complex "movement" to worry about). I've had it for three years, and there's certainly no yellowing; my step son has had a similar stone in his house for nearly ten, and while it's chipped in places (teenage kids - what can you do?) he has no stains and no yellowing either. I think they're both good surfaces, myself, and would have either of them again, with the usual provisos (I always used trivets under hot pans, and, thanks to Joseph, I now use them under my slow cooker and rice cooker as well).

I had medium gray speckled Corian for 18 years, with white Corian sinks. I liked it, but the gray definitely scratched, a lot. I had it professionally sanded/buffed twice, and we did it ourselves every couple years. (Hubby has mad DIY skills.) Sliding something across the counter was usually the cause. It looked best with regular polishing as part of my cleaning routine. I never cut on it. I had no issues with appliances like coffee maker, toaster, crock pot. Also, you can't buff out a single scratch or you get a dull spot. You have to do it all. I replaced with granite a couple years ago and like it better.

"you can't buff out a single scratch or you get a dull spot"

I'm wondering if this is the case for all colors and finishes. I recently buffed out scratches and stains from a test piece of glacier white (I assume in a matte finish, though it does have a little sheen to it). The place where I scrubbed is a little dull compared to the rest, but that didn't bother me. Maybe that is because the lighting in my current kitchen is so bad - a situation I plan on remedying in my new kitchen. Or maybe it was because I figured, with the way my family abuses the counter top, it won't take long for every inch to need a little buffing here and there - and then the finish will be uniform again!

I have 10 year old Corian in Tumbleweed pattern. I love the pattern and the feel of Corian and the clean up is easy, but yes it scratches and it's hard to take pictures of them. Here's my island. It gets used and abused. There are tiny scratches and I have one larger scratch on the island but not sure where it came from. It's just hubby & I, but during fall harvest I'm cooking for 10 guys nightly for about 6 weeks so then it gets used a lot! There's a seam in the island---can you see it? I thought the fabricator did a good job of hiding it. But the counters also have a seam under my microwave where I sometimes set hot things (on a pad) and it's "shifted" there a little. I called the installer about a year ago to see about getting them polished or buffed but haven't heard back and haven't pursued it. I can imagine that dark corian would scratch a lot.

If I had to do it over or decided to get new counters I think I'd go with quartz.

Anyone with a $39.99 random orbital palm sander and an 80, 180, 240,400, red and gray Scotchbrite abrasive protocol can get scratches out of solid surface.

Everyday use actually shines the factory finish. When you abrade a small area to remove a scratch, and probably don't go high enough on your grits, you're creating an inconsistent finish which is why it looks like you can't remove a single scratch. You can, you've just got to blend a larger area.

Unlike engineered stone, it's nearly impossible for a homeowner to screw this up. Have at it, please.

Thank you to everyone who posted their experiences with Corian. I'm not the OP of this thread, but it helped me in my decision process. I've decided that solid white Corian with integrated stainless Karran sinks suits me and my family best, despite so many pushing stone and estone.

I have reached a similar conclusion only we think we are going to do Corian Rain Cloud with the Karran. The appeal of no maintenance, no sealing and regular cleaning products is very strong. I have a big slab of it, its a lot tougher than people make it out to be.

I just ripped out 84 sq ft of dark brown Corian & I will never miss it. I would like it in the bathroom, but it's not for in the kitchen. The beauty of having so many choices is that YOU can pick what YOU want. Just because I hated everyday with my Corian doesn't mean that you will. Everything has it's pros & cons, but go with what you want & don't worry about what other people think is popular or trendy.

I love Corian. I've lived in homes with almost every kind of countertop. I like Corian because it's softer, so it's great for kneading dough and baking, similar to marble and wood, but it doesn't etch or stain if things are left on it. It also isn't as cold as stone and isn't as loud when you set things down. It gets scratched, but in my parents house (with 4 kids) it only got little scratches and it was pretty even over the whole surface so I never noticed it. My mom said she will probably get them sanded and refinished in a few years when my brother leaves for college. They last forever and look nice even if they aren't refinished. But you can easily refinish them every 10 years if you want to.

My Corian kitchen countertops are 20 years old and still look great. I chose a slightly shiny matte finish rather than a super glossy shine because I figured it would be easier to maintain. Stains and light scratches are easy to take out with ultra ultra fine sandpaper and water. There are also creams and polishes you can use on these solid surfaces to get the shine back. I do not cut directly on it - use a cutting board. If I had to do it over again, I’d still choose Corian because I just love the seamless transition into my Corian sink. Extremely easy to keep clean and maintains its newness for a very long time!

We're gonna do white Corian with a SS Karran as well. I'm glad to have that decision made.

stillpatpat - you and I will be doing many things the same. Not only white Corian with SS Karran, but also Ikea (I've been following your thread on Ikea with Scherrs), and I'm looking forward to hearing about your progress.

Emily, I love that you speak from your experience that it's great for kneading dough and baking because the saleswoman at Home Depot told me that it's terrible for rolling out dough - something about requiring a cold stone counter to do it properly!

To Katie---I agree with Emily that it's great for kneading dough and baking.

I'd have thought whatever surface you rolled the dough on would be the temperature of the room it's sitting in - stone isn't going to be any colder than corian is.

Katie, I noticed that too. I look forward to actually having some progress to post!

Stone is cold to the touch. It resists changes in temperature more than other materials so it stays colder. That property does help with rolling out buttery doughs that need to stay cool. But Corian isn't warm, it's just less cool. Word of wisdom: don't roll dough over an area with a heating vent.

Emily and picturebug, yes I think the saleswoman who told me that you can't roll dough on Corian was really just looking for reasons (true or not) to dislike Corian. Her real reason for not liking it seemed to me that it's not stone and she thinks stone is superior.

Bingo! I have had every kind of countertop and have rolled dough on all of them - no problems....

Although if I needed a chilled surface I had a marble board for that - I would put it in the ref.

Buy what you love!

I purchased a house with a Corain Master Bath Shower. I thought at the time " what where they thinking!" Now I know. It is a breeze to take care of. No grout lines and just squeegeeing it after each shower results in only a light cleaning a couple times a yr! And no resealing of the tiles every yr- I wonder how many home owners actually do that? From now on.. good by tile showers, hello Corian.

And though I haven't seen in person, it looks like Corian colors and patterns have come a long way by what I've seen on their web-site.

tedbixby:

When I redo our bathrooms I am putting in Corian instead of tile for the walls.

I have been down the road of fancy tile both porcelain and stone. Porcelain doesnt need to be sealed but the grout does. Natural stone is worse than porcelain. The stone itself needs to be sealed as does the grout. Did it myself multiple times. You can keep it.

The grout always has issues no matter what you do. The last time I used epoxy grout, it didnt stain but the dirt still got on it and you had to still scrub it. The heck with that.

We had one bathroom that had a fiberglass enclosure. Though it didnt look that nice it sure was a lot easier to take care of than tile/grout. We were at a hotel that had solid surface in the shower and guess what? ITS GREAT! I am sold on it.

TJ - My exact experiences mirror yours. I think once someone experiences it in a shower as far as the ease of upkeep, they won't go back to a different material no matter what the "trend" is. I've been in some beautiful hotels that have used Corian in the showers and they were done very nicely.

Corian and other solid surfaces remain the premium product for ease of cleaning, repairability, sanitation, and mildewproofness, especially in showers. Architects don't specify granite and estone for hospital surgical rooms for a reason.