Either will make a fine counter top. I don’t care for the look of quartz so would not use it in my kitchen. If you like the look of quartz over granite then go with it.

Yes, you are and mizlizzie is spot on with the opinions you will get. I like granite, but you are limited somewhat, you will find beautiful slabs that always seem not to be granite at all. Quartz is truly limitless with its many colors, textures and designs. I did a mix of materials in my kitchen with a natural stone on the island and a quartz on the perimeter. Quartz is nearly indestructable as long as you dont put hot pans directly on the surface, and use common sense. You will find something you love and you dont need to seek others opinions to justify your choice. good luck with your kitchen.

Yes, I meant to say I had settled on Quartz but am now wondering if I should get granite. Sorry for the error. I can't figure out how to edit the post.

Ease of care there is no comparison IMO a kitchen counter needs to function with hot pots so no plastic and honestly polished granite requires no work to clean or use and comes in 1000s of choices and is as close to bullet proof as you can get . The only other material that is the same is soapstone

Have you been to a stone yard with full sized slabs? We fell in love with a leathered granite but your counters are one of the largest pieces of your kitchen, don’t choose based on a small sample. I’m lucky to live near a Cambria warehouse so can view full size samples of that too (their new leathered finish is amazing!)

I haven't been to a stone yard yet, just looking at small samples. I guess that's what I need to do to get a better idea of what I want. Your comments are all very helpful.

A Houzz contributor and geologist, @karin_mt, has written a series of helpful posts on different counter materials. Here's part 6, which has links to the previous posts. And here's one she published elsewhere about testing stones: Be Your Own Stone Sleuth.

Happy reading!

I think a lot of people hear the word "granite" and their mind automatically goes to the speckled stuff of years ago. If you haven't been to a stoneyard lately, go -- you will be amazed at the different granites available; sure you'll see some of the speckled stuff, but you'll also see stones that are subtle, wild, and everything in between, in all sorts of colors and price ranges. You'll probably also see some quartzite, soapstone, and marble at the yard -- other stones you may want to consider.

If you want quartz, then get it. Or Corian or laminate, or whatever. It's all fine and comes down to what YOU want and think looks good. They're all perfectly functional.

Do your homework on the quartz and make an informed decision, though -- there have been reports of yellowing after exposure to UV light (read: sunny kitchens).

I am a fabricator and my shop does various natural stones and the engineered products like "quartz surface" (Hanstone, Cambria, Silestone, etc.) plus products like Dekton and Neolith. The various options have different material properties so you may want to spend a little time understanding the differences. A good fab shop will educate you on the products they sell but will naturally steer you to what they offer. I tell my customers to search for the "look" they want and then evaluate the different material options based on the intended use. Any of the aforementioned materials can make a fine countertop. Unfortunately there is a lot of bad info out there like the comment that tea will stain a quartz surface product. You will also come across statements about how natural stones take a lot of maintenance which is untrue unless you pick a marble or limestone. my 2 cents.