Make idea books of black counter tops. You could always do a mix. Butcher block would be good for cutting.

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These are Honed Absolute Black Granite Countertops.

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Also called Jet Mist. Honed finish gives it matte look.

A couple examples. Best with some white cabinets.

“Is shiny black granite out of style?”

It’s not that black granite with a polished finish is out of style. It’s that people who have it report it’s a PITA to keep looking clean because it shows every speck of dust. A black polished finish is also very reflective which many people find annoying (see pics below).

If I were looking at black counters, I’d get a honed finish. I also would prefer something more interesting than a solid hunk of black. Soapstone is gorgeous. So are the granites like Virginia Mist or Jet Mist. Or a granite with some white veining like Titanium or Cosmic Black.

Honed is just one finish, there's also leathered and antique. Really beautiful,

If you want dark but not necessarily black, there is a granite called steel gray. Not only is this a moderately priced stone, but it is beautiful in the leather finish.

We had polished black Ubatuba for over 20 years and it was very easy to maintain. We never had streaking and even with a lot of light in the kitchen we really didn't see dust but that's because our counters are cleaned everyday, especially the island. It wasn't sealed and we only used a damp rag or Dawn to clean it. If considering a honed finish I'd get a sample if possible and test it for oil staining and fingerprints. This is an older thread with experiences across the board both good and bad. Also beware of slabs being passed off as Absolute Black as there have been reports of slabs being dyed to enhance the color. Although I love the dramatic look of black countertops I find the lighter tops that we have now easier on my eyes as I get older.

https://www.houzz.com/discussions/445930/had-honed-granite-put-in-today-husband-is-mad-help-please

When we remodeled our kitchen 2 years ago I could not wait to get rid of our shiny black counters and swore I would not get black again. Well, we saw a leathered black granite and that changed our mind. We love it and it is a breeze to keep clean.

Thanks. I currently have shiny black. They are easy to clean with a microfiber and alcohol-water spay bottle.

Here are my countertops... leathered (it’s also called brushed sometimes) steel grey granite. I love them! Super easy to maintain!

If budget is a concern, I had UbaTuba in a home for 10 years and loved it. The UbaTuba then was coming out of the mountain with a very deep green/black color, but the net impression was black. I loved it and it was super easy to keep clean. As stated above, I treated it with my personal favorite "sealer", Turtle Wax for cars! Yes, it worked fantastically. Probably only applied it every 9 months or just before parties and holidays depending on the workout it had, but it is on the low end of the granite price grouping and a real bargain if you ask me. Now, you have to look at the slabs and find the ones you like best for sure. But that's with any granite or natural stone you select.

We have had shiny black titanium countertops for about 7 years now. Just use dish soap and water which I apply with a sponge and a dry microfiber cloth to wipe. Keeps it looking nice.

I must admit that the thing that gave us confidence to go with black is the fact that we have a large skylight over the kitchen. Might have been a harder choice in a dark kitchen.

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I have never had an issue with polished black granite, as for dust I think I like to know it is there so not biggy. IMO still the best finish for stone is polished and granite really is almost indestructible, I would choose over quartz everytime. Of course no tripes to choose slabs right now. If you like a bit of copper I love Galaxy blk with copper flakes it is stunning and lets you add a bit of copper to your space. IMO no down sides to polished granite