The sample must have been small enough to expand without cracking. Give it a while to not smell.

Yes yes that’s why I was testing on a sample. I wanted to see what would happen in the event of an accident- we’re making final decisions between stone and quartz and have young kids that will inevitably grow up to cook in the kitchen. Who knows what may happen!

If it was a larger sample, would it have cracked? Would the smell ever come out?

Please re-read what Darbuka wrote. It was to the point. Quartz is made of resin. Resin melts or burns when exposed to heat, as you have seen. The Quartz manufacturers exclude location near a heat source from their warranties.

Not sure what more to tell you than what you have seen for yourself or read. When exposed to heat Quartz will show scorch marks (perhaps faint, or perhaps not), it will burn, it will crack - which of those outcomes you get depends on the intensity or not of the heat source, the duration of exposure, and the proximity of the heat, but you will 100% , "in the event of an accident" as you said, without a shadow of a doubt, sure as the sun rises in the east, have one of those outcomes from exposure to heat.

Having said all that, Quartz is a lovely counter, and as long as you do not use it as a backsplash behind a cooktop, and you use trivets, like thousands do, you will be fine.

Yes, it was good advice for the future and I appreciate that. What I am asking is that in the event of an accident, short of replacing the counter, is there a solution to remove the resin smell?

Not really, you have burnt the resin/plastic.

Burnt plastic is always burnt plastic. It’s ruined.

Do not place hot items directly on any countertop surface, whether quartz, granite, marble, etc. Thermal shock can cause any of these surfaces to crack.

I am wondering why do a heat test? With all the threads posted about people ruining their quartz or other counters with something hot.... and all the manufacturers' warnings about putting hot things on counters (except, I guess, soapstone)... why test it? I don't get the purpose of it?

@Mrs. S - It was just a sample, I wanted to see what would happen and how much heat it took to mess up Quartz vs compared to granite as we make our final decisions.

“Do not place hot items directly on any countertop surface, whether quartz, granite, marble, etc.”

Not true. Soapstone is the exception. Soapstone is a bulletproof surface. It will not etch, stain, burn, scorch, or suffer thermal shock. Soapstone does not need, sealing. Get a hard variety like Belvedere, or Anastasia, and it will not scratch.

Tracy, if you’re that concerned about your kids possibly placing hot things on your counters, choose something other than quartz.

We have quartz in our vacation home. We did not pick it, I would have never picked it. It looks fake, it is basically fancy plastic, and in some ways very delicate. While it’s easy to clean, I treat it more gently than I do any stone surface I’ve ever had.

I wonder if there's any kitchen surface capable of resisting the destructive experimentation of posters here.

worthy offspring speed cooking

I wouldn't call soapstone "bulletproof". It's softer than most stones and can dent and scratch. I think those little imperfections add to the character of the stone. But it's a specific look and doesn't necessarily fit in style in some kitchen designs. If a dark top does work in your design, it does withstand heat better than the other options I mentioned.

Stainless counters are used in a restaurant for a reason.

@Kristin Petro Interiors, Inc...did you read my entire comment? I said to get a hard variety of soapstone, like Belvedere, or Anastasia... Neither variety will “dent”.

My Belvedere counters are nearly six years old. Ours is a hardworking kitchen, and yet after all this time, the only imperfections are two small chips at the inside edge of the main sink, where my husband knocked a large cast iron pan into it. A cast iron pan will chip any stone, be it granite, quartzite, marble, or plastic infused quartz. Fortunately, with soapstone, a black Sharpie pen fills in the small chipped areas, and no one is the wiser.

@darbuka - your soapstone countertops are gorgeous!

Thank you, Tracy! They have green and white inclusions, which we love. Here’s a closeup of the baking center section (baking center is the first pic I posted).

So unique and beautiful! We’re hard on our kitchen (hence my silly experiments as we decide on a stone for our remodel), but now you have me pining over soapstone!

Where are you located? We got ours from M. Teixeira, the largest soapstone dealer in the US. They have locations across the country. We got ours at the NY/NJ location. If you’re within 3 hours of any of their showroom/yards, it would be worth your while to take a drive. In putting together all the elements of our kitchen reno, our experience with M. Teixeira was the most professIonal, and enjoyable.

There is no soapstone exception to the Natural Stone Institute's trivet use recommendation.

Ah, @Joseph Corlett, LLC. We’ve had this discussion several times before. It’s even been pointed out to you where you can find the exception. I’ll be darned if I’m going to waste my time finding it again.

You are an impressive contractor. Your sink replacements, and stone repairs are second to none. But, soapstone is not a material you have much experience with.

There's a difference between heat and thermal shock. No one is going to recommend pouring boiling water into a cool soapstone sink. Heating a soapstone wood burning stove to 1000 degrees, no problem.

That said, I always put hot pans on our soapstone counters, and poor boiling water into the silgranite sink.

"Use trivets or mats under hot dishes..."

Trivets: While many stones can withstand heat, the use of trivets or mats is recommended.

Page 17-2.

Here are three Natural Stone Institute links; none exempt soapstone from trivet use. I've never seen such an exemption here or anywhere else.

Off topic... but could I see a couple pictures of your snow white quartz? Upclose and from afar. We are thinking of choosing it for our kitchen. Thanks!

Interesting topic and glad you brought it up and tested it! I never thought about a burned smell....that is a total turnoff. Many distributors/vendors don't keep QUARTZ out in the sun at slab yards because they bend/warp from the heat. I was at a national brand quartz facility and they had all their slabs indoors... hummmmm, no thanks to quartz. Real stone all the way!

Laura:

The resins impregnated into "natural stone" at the slab processing plants are just about as succeptible to UV degredation as those in engineered stone. There is no modern natural stone industry without plastics.

MDF and particle board really stink when burned, too. Because of the resins used.