Would you consider Glacier White Corian? I think quartz is too much money for too little performance.

(Oops just saw the no black part.)

I would not spend the money for quartz if you have older, dated cabinets. It's putting lipstick on a pig. Most inexpensive granite (think "builder-grade") is ugly and busy and will not be an improvement to your kitchen at all.

I'd keep what you have as it IS cleanable after messy husband makes his drinks. And I'd start saving for a new kitchen. When you get to the point you can afford one, consider Glacier White Corian. It is cleanable and cannot be "ruined" by any stain as it is a solid surface. Coffee grounds left in the sink all day cannot ruin a Corian integrated sink. And yes, that is what my SIL does at DD's house. Thank God they have Corian!

Every product has an up side and down side. I find granite to be the toughest workhorse product. After 20 years, no chips zero stains. Zero problems. I’m finding my new quartz far more fussy. You can’t scrub them. I left the lid of a pot on the counter overnight and it left a very thin shiny ring. The lid was clean, just a little wet apparently. Nothing will take it out and yes I have tried everything. You will also get glass rings. I usually can get those out. It’s one of the white quartz.

Angiophilla - sadly, a "new" kitchen will never be in the works. I priced out new cabinets, and I thought it wasn't unreasonable...until I broached the subject with hubby. Not.ever.happening. So I am forced to work with what I have.

The laminate has a wood edge where the stain is completely worn away. I had the company that installed the cabinets to come out and do some touch ups but he would not touch the wood edge at that visit because it would have to be completely sanded down and restained from scratch. Not to mention there are a lot of cuts in the laminate from 20 years of use. It's showing its age.

I considered something like Corian but the only places that sell it around me are the big box stores and I want to stay away from them. One granite place sells the LG version but it was really expensive.

I'll have to see if any other places sell solid surface.

You might want to try the Corian website. They may have a ZIP code thingy to find a dealer nearby.

I have an LG Viatera quartz on my older wood cabinets. I've had it for 2 years - not one stain or chip. I have used Dawn plus "elbow grease" once to remove something - can't remember what. I do not use bleach, but rubbing alcohol is fine so I keep a small spray bottle of rubbing alcohol for disinfecting. I cook dinner every night and my somewhat clumsy husband often cooks breakfast and I have three young adult kids who also cook themselves stuff - so a busy kitchen.

My neighbor got her LG Aria from Home Depot for a reasonable price. You may also want to save up for a little longer. You have a functioning kitchen, so if you find something you like and works with the wood but cost more than you want to spend, delay and save.

My older kitchen:

https://www.houzz.com/photos/my-pics-work-in-progress-phvw-vp~110720042

My cabinets are in good shape and work with the style of quartz I picked. Make sure you take one of your kitchen doors with you and think about the style of your kitchen when shopping.

I also have a "wood kitchens" idea book which might have some inspiration.

Very important - if you do not have it, get under cabinet lighting. I only put it in between my sink and range - most cost effective, functional change I made which also makes my kitchen prettier.

I would consider replacing your old laminate with either new laminate or Corian. Both are much more user friendly, although Corian cannot take any type of heat (you have to use trivets under hot dishes and pots). If you can't find a local dealer for Corian, ask the big box stores which fabricators they use. They all sub out to local fabricators for material and install. My local Home Depot happens to use a very reputable fabricator-they're the same folks I bought my granite from directly who also installed it for me. Corian can be sanded down and re-polished to look like new after many years of use.

Laminate is not the product it used to be. There are all types of patterns available and you can even have them done with an undermount sink. My sister didn't want to spend the money on granite or quartz and chose a higher end laminate that looks just like a natural stone. It's hard wearing and can take a lot of abuse.

Since you're not replacing your cabinets, and they are in good working order, I truly think laminate or Corian are your best choices.

There are many beautiful laminates as well. Check out the new formica fix product or wilsonart HD....you may be pleasantly surprised at how far laminates have co.e in 20 years.

Corian is not a low budget choice.

How about some photos of your kitchen? Looks like we want to pick something out for you. :) But seriously, just because you're used to white, it doesn't mean dark won't look good. Perhaps something beet colored?

I think the “cheaper” granites are often really busy and you risk making your kitchen look “older” rather than updated.

Unless you are really going to splurge on granite, I would recommend you go with your first inclination which is quartz.

I absolutely love the look of a wood kitchen with a white quartz. @jhmarie’s kitchen is a great example of why. All counters require some care (and I know there are photos floating around of damaged granite too) so there are going to be trade offs no matter what, but I have not personally known anyone with a white quartz to have issues like you are concerned with. Go with a polished quartz, not honed, and you really reduce or eliminate that staining concern.

You said you did some sample tests but you were not clear if you tried your own “real world” tests a la beet juice smoothie. If not get some samples and rub beet juice on them and see how they hold up.

And whatever your counters, tell hubby to clean up his mess! Who wants to have to scrub beet juice out later with chemicals and elbow grease because someone did not just wipe it up immediately? 30 seconds of work now saves five minutes later. Or, have him make smoothies on a cutting board (either a separate purchase or get fabricator to cut you a cutting board of same material as countertops) that is “his” to use and clean.

Random thoughts:

- I agree that putting expensive new countertops on old cabinets isn't the best idea. My cabinets are custom and were at one point very nice ... but that was when the house was built in 1970. When we moved in 18 years ago, the countertops were hideous -- genuinely hideous -- and we went with inexpensive laminate. It was the right choice financially, but I hate the stuff, and now it's quite scratched up. The cabinet doors are now looking really bad (not all close nicely), but at least the countertops and the cabinets "match".

- You mentioned chipping and breaking. Going with a simple edge can make a difference in this. And if you have any overhangs for seating, be sure it's nicely supported.

I don't believe that you need to change out your entire kitchen just because your counters aren't good. My MIL just put granite counters into her really old kitchen and she is thrilled. I think part of it is feeling that she has a good clean surface to work on now. I doubt she'll be in the house for 10 years, but in the mean time it is something she could afford and something she will enjoy.

I'm sure you've done your research and found that every surface has its pros and cons, and not even the owners of those surfaces agree! I for one thought that my quartz was bulletproof (Make sure that if you choose granite or quartz you get an edging that is more resistant to chips). I've never been a fan of the look of Corian, so I've no opinion on it as a surface. Laminates are also tough, and I love the look of some of them as well! Based on all the reading that I've done on this site over the years, I'd suggest that you can't go wrong with any of your choices, if they are in your price range. Just stay away from the Caesarstone Nouget if you're using lots of mustard. J

With regards to going dark, the salesman is right, it will be a shock, and you will likely hate it until you get used to it. Not sure it's necessarily a bad thing though.

Good luck with your choice!

Hi chocolate bunny-

A lot of people here have gotten Corian and are really happy with it, the manufacturer, DuPont reallly backs the product, even if there are problems with the fabricator. You can invite Joe Corlett, a Pro into this thread.

Here's a totally different way of thinking about it.

How much counter do you have?

You can get really large pieces of nice thick wood cutting boards made and put atop all the counters.

You can oil them with food grade mineral oil or a mixture of that plus beeswax. Look o line or in stores.

Oil frequently.

When they get too stained, go back to the lumberyard, and have them sanded, and voila, stains are gone, and if they are not, just get a new board, and don't even worry about it.

Wooden counters are all the thing these days anyway.

Remember, all Corian fabricators must be licensed by Corian, so a Big Box store is not risky for this product. My favorite Corian is Glacier White- it’s also in the lowest price category unlike Rain Cloud, which I also like- it’s one of the most expensive. I’ve had it for 33 years and still love it- it’s like a great white blouse.

No, one cannot set a pot straight off the stove on it, but that’s not advised for any surface. That has never been an inconvenience to me as I take my plates to the pot, not vice versa. When putting a pot from the stove into the sink, I run the hot water at the same time - no problems.

If money were no object, I’d still choose Corian as it looks good and is so easy to care for.

Find quartz or granite that you like within your budget I and go for it! It will be huge improvement over laminate....Find place that has remnants, you can mix and match.. still, over laminate you will like it a lot!

See if you can put butcher block on some part of your kitchen. (An island? Or one section?)

Then get your fun quartz, or a pretty quartz, on a smaller part to save money but still improve functionality and have fun. Definitely have the quartz or granite in the sink run.

Hi. I'll attempt to post a couple of picture.

I wouldn't mind laminate again but i was told I would need a metered seam in the corner, which I do not want.

Yes, I realize the refrigerator sticks out too far. One of the granite I like is Blue Pearl but I'm afraid it might be too dark. Sorry for the typos as I'm on my phone.

I also love Uba Tuba Gold but it's too dark.

Here's one of the quartz I like called Fusion by Hanstone.

I have a similar sized run with laminate without a mitered corner, so I would check again to make sure it's not doable.

Very nice Katie. I was specifically told I'd need the corner metered, but probably because I wanted a more rounded edge. Is yours square?

chocolatebunny123, you will find complaints about every single countertop material there is. Really, you will. I did exactly the same thing, almost, that you are considering. I moved into my 24 year old house, 20 years ago. IFinally decided to replace the laminate counters that actually didn't look too bad considering their age. I did the research, and wound up with LV Viatera quartz. Yep, it can chip, if you really bang something against it. I had a glass with a sharp cut crystal bottom fall out of my cabinet and land just right, and it chipped the counter. But it's tiny ( I did not even notice the chip until a few days later), and I did a repair using suggestions on this site. No one would ever notice that chip if I didn't point it out. Many wind up with chips due to an improper edge profile, so do your homework there. Also a positive reveal sink helps minimize any banging. Granite is not impervious to damage - take a hammer to granite and see what happens. :-)

I agree about most granite not being very attractive - there are some I have seen on this website that I would like, but they were never in any of the stoneyards I visited.

I don't think there is any quality difference between the major brands - and I would really roll my eyes at any salesman that said that.

I think you would be perfectly delighted with quartz. Bring home a sample and try a few things with it. My quartz is white, and I've never found anything that stains it. Nothing. Coffee wipes right off - NEVER stains. You can leave it there for weeks and it will simply wipe off.

http://inplacestudio.com/quartz-countertops-pros-cons/

mine has a bevelled edge. I'm definitely not a pro so I'm not sure what determines whether it can be done or not. I just know I was able to avoid a mitered corner with mine. good luck with your choice. stone and quartz were not in the budget for me so laminate was my only option .

chocolate bunny-

Soapstone is non-porous, and I think it look marvelous, and needs no maintenance.

If you like it to look darker, you can oil it, but that is optional.

You can get it with more veins, or less veins, darker and lighter.

It definitely won't show coffee or beets, it doesn't etch or stain..

For any scratches you just oil it, or a deep one you can use a piece of sandpaper.

You can put a hot pot right on it.

It's been used in laboratories for ages.

Here are some photos in kitchens with wood cabinets

Below they even use it as a backsplash, maybe a good idea for your carefree husband!

http://greenmountainsoapstone.com/homeowners/

http://vermontsoapstone.com/

Well, seeing your kitchen, it certainly doesn't show its age. It's well laid out and your cabinets look like you could have installed them last year! If you want to make the investment in granite or quartz, I would say go ahead and do so!

I agree that the Uba Tuba and Blue Pearl might be a little dark. Do you like something like Typhoon Bordeaux? I have it in my master bath and love the colors in it. I think it would be beautiful with your cabinets and flooring.

This is Tropical White.

We have blue pearl with similar cabinet colors to you; we love it although we were originally looking for a lighter granite...it really sparkles with undercabinet lighting. However, the blue pearl we bought was a group D granite so not really a budget choice (I am not sure how much more expensive a quartz would have been)

Absolute black granite. You'll never have to worry about it staining or being too busy. It's impervious to mustard, spaghetti sauce or beet juice. Honed or not.

Everything else can be white.

"...although Corian cannot take any type of heat (you have to use trivets under hot dishes and pots)."

As you do with engineered stone per the manufacturer's instructions and with granite per the Natural Stone Institute. Since you have to use trivets on all three, they are essentially equal regarding heat.

They aren't equal, however. This hot pot mark came out of this solid surface with a belt sander. You're never doing that with estone or granite.

We've always used trivets, even with laminate so I'm not concerned about putting hot pots on any new countertops.

I had not considered soap stone. None of the granite yards near me have it.

JG - your blue pearl is really pretty. I think it would have a similar look in my space.

Kat - I have not seen Tropic White in my area. I'll have to look and see if it goes by another name. Generally the Typhoon granites are too busy for me, but they are very pretty.

I'll have to give solid surface another look. Thanks for all the suggestions.

Chocolatebunny,

Those cabinets look great! You are lucky in that they are square which lends itself to the styles being installed today. Very Pretty and it will be fun to update that kitchen. I don't think you need to replace the cabinets.

I love the blue pearl, it is a beautiful granite. The Ubatuba is pretty too but it is a dark stone. If your are considering soapstone... Think about Virginia Jet Mist. It is a granite and when honed looks similar to some Soapstones. I look forward to seeing that you discover and install in your kitchen.

~boxer

Your cabinets look great! Nice counters would look great on them. We had laminate before quartz, and we love the look of the quartz but our lives were definitely more carefree with laminate! (We dinged ours up eventually with knives etc, but never stained it and never damaged it with heat.) We have a seam in the corner of our quartz but the only way to avoid it was to buy $800 more quartz, which we didn't do (we used the $800 to buy an awesome corner pull-out). So I am not sure you are going to avoid a seam by not picking laminate unless you spend extra money on extra stone.

I would not get a light quartz given the regular exposure to beet juice and your husband's carefree approach to the counter. We have to wipe up wine and strawberries right away. To keep your kitchen both bright and low stress, I would get another nice, light laminate. There are plenty of nice ones out there and it will save you stress and still look beautiful. If you are determined to get stone, I'd go dark because of the beet juice, but the darkness will be an adjustment and you might miss the feel of brightness. My sister has soapstone and although it is beautiful, apparently it chips and nicks easily. Also, the dark counters combined with two windows facing north make the kitchen feel a little gloomy.

Just to clarify, there is a difference between quartz and quartzite. Quartzite is a stone like granite. True quartzite is supposed to be stronger than granite but some marble, which is much softer is sometimes sold as quartzite. Marble is very easy to stain and etch.

Quartz is a manmade product containing a high percentage of natural quartz. A reputable quartz counter should not stain because the resins are pretty impervious. Setting a hot pan on the counter or not quickly wiping up a bleach cleanser can affect the resins and look like a "stain" - it is more like a burn - and not totally repairable. I've spilt lots of juices, mustard, curry on my quartz counters and no stain.

You should get a sample piece of whatever you are considering and give it a good dose of kitchen abuse. If it is a stone that should be sealed, seal it and then abuse it. Nothing is perfect, but I certainly do not feel like I need to baby my quartz any more than I was reasonably careful with my previous laminate.

Here is more reading than you probably want:)

These first two treads are by a very knowledgable stone countertop person:

https://www.houzz.com/discussions/countertop-geology-part-six-lets-talk-about-rocks-some-more-dsvw-vd~2692150

https://www.houzz.com/discussions/the-definitive-guide-to-quartzite-dsvw-vd~4426353

Some different opinions on light vs dark counters:

https://www.houzz.com/discussions/what-are-pros-and-cons-of-light-vs-dark-countertops-dsvw-vd~4715878

Thank you jhmarie. I know I should not be afraid to pull the trigger on quartz because my samples did not stain, even with beet juice. The only sample that didn't pass was Caesarstone Nouget, which was disappointing because it was one of my top contenders. I'm not super crazy about the marble-looking ones as I prefer the "dated" chunky/grandular looking quartz. Unfortunately none of the granite yards will give granite samples. Quartzite is too expensive and I'd probably give myself a heart attack worrying about it.

Whoever said I need beet colored countertops is right!

What did you finally get for your countertops? I'm in a similar situation now.