do not buy concrete quartz. it is terrible. quartz counters are best when polished and polished only.

I saw the sample today; it is exactly what I am looking for which is basically a honed/suede finish of Silestone Black Tebas. (MM is a *hair* lighter). I can't understand the big issue with unpolished quartz, but it comes up a lot. It's very smooth, its just not shiny. If I could get soapstone without veins I would :-)

what is the advantage of this over say honed absolute black granite?

It is soooo close in terms of look/feel, but the granite is a little darker. The granite also costs a bit more. There's a chance granite needs more in terms of sealing; I'm not sure of the implications of each of these surface finishes in terms of maintenance. Whenever the discussion of a honed type of finish for quartz comes up there is resistance that appears to be around cleaning etc but its hard for me to interpret (other than a general "it has bumps that catch the dirt").

In the next 48 hours I have to choose between the midnight majesty quartz mentioned on this thread, absolute black honed, and soapstone (self-imposed choices)....

Do you see these spots? Can you live with them forever? this is what you get when you go with quartz in any finish besides polished.

I can't speak for the cost, but my understanding is that absolute black (REAL AB) is not sealed because it cannot absorb the sealer. It can't absorb anything (therefore can't stain).

@catt thank you so much for posting the problem! Everything online is so damned perfect you can't get to the heart of it. The whole reason I did not want polished was because of the very large window I basically built my kitchen design around with direct light.

I ultimately went with soapstone - the dings and chips and splotches become patina, not mistakes!

Any update on this product? its quite pretty but we worry about the residual spots.Has this product changed?

@Jennifer I realize this thread is from years ago... I am making the same crash decision you made then. Any updates, pics? Would be grateful!!!

I went with the soapstone and love it, but it's not for everyone. We recently got our first chips as my son banged the edge while putting dishes away (which was a victory that made it worthwhile lol). I love the velvety feel and have a routine for cleaning it. I also LOVE being able to take a screaming hot pan out of the oven and place it directly on my counter. I will try to remember to post some pics.

I installed the honed finish of Sopastone Mist. It looks amazing. But what no one told me is that this finish, and color shows a living history of everything that ever touched its surface. Yes this is sarcasm, but seriously, water that splashes from the sink to the countertop has a high likelihood of leaving a shadow that will not come off. stand at an angle and look across the surface and there are countless water spots that will not come off. my countertop induction teakettle left a perfect shadow circle, and its designed for the countertops. i prepare my meals on a cutting board placed inside of a large cookie sheet. I'm trying to make sure something acidic like tomatoes does not come in contact with the surface. Oh, and i put the cookie sheet on a towel so it doesn't leave a mark. Another person commented on spots. I have those too. According to a care sheet i found while digging online, MSI states that on the Honed surface there may be a natural "patina" that will darken over time adding a natural, look! WTH!!!

I asked my installer how to care for this product, and she said its nothing special from any other product. When i showed her photos, she could not believe it. She sent her technician to look at it. He cleaned it with soft scrub. then used unsaturated alcohol , and it made no real difference. he could not believe this is how it behaves. i asked what he would ask them to do about it and he said, replace it.

my installer seems to be on my side so hopefully i get some recourse.

but my advise, DON'T BUT THE HONED/CONCRETE FINISHED PRODUCT.