I have mixed feelings. The white quartz in a summer rental I had looked beautiful and modern. But, every little drip and crumb shows up, and a rubber-footed appliance left sliding marks that needed special cleaning effort. I would hesitate getting it for myself (but not completely rule it out). I have a dark stone at home, and that's so much easier. If you have an effective cleaning spray and don't mind a little extra work, then go for it, because it does look really nice when it is clean. But if you prefer a lower maintenance product, you might want to consider something not so white or monochromatic.

I have a light quartz and I love it. I don’t do anything special. Including I don’t put hot pans on it. It’s always shiny and beautiful. I like it better than Corian I had I my last home for 20+ years (beautiful and functional, but scratched!). Quartz hasn’t scratched a bit, and I love it!

@Indecisiveness - I agree with your comments and realize quartz is largely plastic. I actually like the way Corian looks and all of your stories about it not staining are very persuasive. I think I’ve gone too far down the quartz path (mentally lol) and really like the shiny look of it generally and especially the one we’ve provisionally chosen. There’s definitely not one right choice. Thank you for sharing your experience!

No experience with light quartz, but there's lots of topics about quartz and quartzite and how to test them for staining and durability. We have Corian, as well, and it's pretty much stain proof. Same experience as SashaDog: We've gotten pretty much everything on it, and it cleans up just fine (sharpie? Soft scrub; wine? Wet paper towel; soap/hard water residue? Wipe's right off, too; mystery mark that probably transferred from wet label? alcohol wipe or soft scrub ...) It does get some scratches, but like a stainless sink, you won't even notice them pretty quickly; if there's a deeper, bothersome one, it can be fixed. One of our bathroom sink's has a ding on its edge where a plumber dropped a wrench on it, but I've been told that too is repairable, and it's more ding than chip, so not a pain to clean or anything. If you've got your heart set on quartz, then it sounds like you should go for it ... just make sure you've got a reputable fabricator and installer and get a sample you can abuse (you want to see it in your space anyways) ... get your husband to use it as a spoon rest for his sauces, dribble some coffee on it, etc.

I had Corian countertops in my previous home; 23 years and they still looked new. The color was gray with some speckles (Sierra Dusk which is not made anymore) and I will choose white Corian when I redo my kitchen this year. They don't stain and aren't noisy or cold.

I have light colored quartz with some light veining, and I love it. It doesn't stain, and the only thing I don't do is set hot pans directly on it. I have Corian in my RV, and it scratches. I much prefer the quartz. I had granite in my previous house, and loved it too, but it did scratch.

I have MSI quartz. It’s been in 3 years and doesn’t have a mark or stain on it. I’m a sloppy cook and do a lot of Italian sauces. I use water and paper towel to wipe up after every meal or cooking episode. I’ve never used any soap or cleanser. On the other hand, I’m older and no children in the house so not too many chances for rough wear other than rings from glasses of red wine but they come right off.

I have MSI Calacatta Laza Quartz and I love it. Cleans up easily, nothing stains or scratches our kitchen gets a ton of use - 3 kids, constant cooking. I had dark granite before, so I was paranoid when I got the white quartz with veins - but nothing stains. I haven't had to use it, but if necessary, you can even use Magic Eraser and Soft Scrub on it. Couldn't be happier. However, I do avoid putting hot pans directly on it and use a trivet.

I also have white quartz and have no issues whatsoever with it. I haven't been on this site in a very long time and was surprised to see a post about issues with quartz. I have none and use it just like a granite counter top. (I dont put hot pans on it)

@shars55 @Martha Edwards @Holly Rogers @Linda 117 - These stories are all so helpful! It's great to hear that others have found light quartz to be not only not a pain, but even low-maintenance.

@Holly Rogers - I think I am in the same situation that you were, I am paranoid that switching from dark granite to light quartz, especially with a high-traffic kitchen and 2 small children might be getting into a situation requiring more maintenance than I can comfortably handle. I am so reassured to hear that you haven't even had to make a special effort in cleaning your MSI quartz and that you are very happy with it - yay!

Thanks again for your feedback, everyone. I thought maybe my question was too niche, but it looks like others had the same concerns (considering the poll results). I am so glad I asked!

If I were going to have light countertops, I would want Carrara marble, even though it is less durable than quartz. I have not seen any light quartz tops that I like at all, and I chose very dark countertops when I had my quartz installed. This way they do not show dirt and are easier to take care of.

I think that anything that is very light or close to white should be natural. All of the light quartz looks fake and cheap to me, even though it is not cheap - it just looks fake to me. I do prefer quartz, but I only like the dark colors. I like the easy maintenance of quartz, but you will have fewer problems with dark quartz than with light. I do not understand the appeal of light colored quartz. If your kitchen is dark, perhaps you need better lighting.

I personally do not like man made quartz and prefer natural stone. That being said, my son had white quartz in his newly purchased home. When the kids got red food coloring and crayons and whatever else stain you could imagine, i was freaked out. Bar Keepers Friend and a non scratch pad worked wonders.

Honestly I think I agree with @Lars here. We just finished a remodel where we put in marble-look quartz. I was talked into it because my wife didn't like the maintenance headache with marble (even though we've had natural stone countertops in all of our prior kitchens and most of our bathrooms). I don't hate it, but I definitely don't love it, and I really wish we'd have gone with stone. To be fair, so far we have had zero durability or staining issues, so it is performing well in that respect. But I don't like the way it looks.

I have a light quartz with subtle veining (Hanstone Montauk) and it's been a dream to care for. I used to have black granite and it showed everything (especially hard water!). This has been so easy to take care of. There's nothing a little soft Bar Keeper's Friend can't get out (and I've had to do that maybe twice). I have heard horror stories and I always wonder if it's a different quality of quartz?

There are definitely different qualities of white quartz, and some look a lot better than others. That said, I've not seen any that really looked like the stone they were mimicking.

Black granite is bad for showing water marks, but black quartz is not. My counters are black with specs of green and tan. It does with the color scheme of my kitchen, which has nothing that is white, except for the porcelain sink.

I think proper education about your material is needed. When I got my quartz, I immediately asked them about the care for them. They also gave me a link about the care and maintenance of the countertop. Click here if you want to check it out. In addition, they also told me to call them in case I have more questions. Also, I think the manufacturer matters (plus the transportation). We don't know what happens during the transportation.