It's all the same stuff regardless of brand. Chinese, Breton, non-Breton, blah, blah, blah.

@Joseph Corlett, LLC not helpful at all.

Why was Joseph's reply not helpful? You asked for an opinion on quality and you got it - it's all the same stuff.

EK:

Fortunately, you don't get to pick the answers you get here. I've told you the truth; I can't help if you don't like it. Perhaps if it had been what you wanted to hear, you would have considered it helpful?

@Joseph Corlett, LLC I'm just trying to better understand the differences (if there are any) and see what a larger piece of those three look like. I remember seeing a post (before we were looking at quartz) that was talking about the composition of different brands, some being more prone to chipping, some being more prone to staining, etc... Now that we are shopping for it, I can't find that post, and again, just trying to learn more- and hopefully see examples.

The best thing (i think) you could do is see the full slab in person, that is the only way to choose. Joseph is right, they are all basically the same quality if they are imported from china. Why are you looking at these particular brands? price? you get what you pay for.

Never buy a slab without seeing it in person. It never looks the way it does in pictures. The color is different on every screen you see it on and theres no way to see the depth or the size of any pattern. Its not great when a slab is installed and it looks nothing like what you have envisioned.

Those were just ones i like the samples of where I looked and the price fit our budget, but i didnt even know they were made in China. can you share the brands which are American made, or is there really a difference- again, I know very little and am trying to learn on the fly!

Higher end i think are cambria and silestone. Personally im not sure theres a huge difference in quality for the most part for quartz Joseph really is the person to ask. My point is that you really have to see full slabs to see what you need to see. A sample wont do it. Its a big purchase and you want to be certain that you get what you want. The entire kitchen will revolve around it. I personally ended up spending extra on a stone I loved. Are you considering a natural stone too?

I am surprised at the comments recommending viewing the Quartz slab. Are the commenters who say to look at the Quartz slabs actually having real life experience that this is possible? It is a rarity as far as I know. The majority of showrooms that sell Quartz do not have full slabs on display. In addition, the majority do not allow you to see the slab that you have purchased before it is fabricated and installed. The way that Quartz is marketed and sold is different from stone counters where you can view the exact slab you are purchasing. My daughter and SIL are going through this right now, and are frustrated with the process.

Ive seen plenty of full slabs, daltile in particular has a lot on display. You have to go to an actual stone yard.

The place we went only had slabs of what had been ordered by customers and they only had one of my three favorite selections (based on the small samples), which was the Misterio. I didnt even know stone yards would have quartz since its manmade. Still hoping someone can show any of these three in their kitchens and i will definitely check this week to see if any places carry any of these to go view a larger piece. For whomever asked, I absolutely considered quartzite until i learned the price was quite a stretch from our budget. : ) Thank you all again for your hep!

I guess it depends on where you live. We’re in Miami and there’s tons of quartz suppliers here. We redid our kitchen in 2018 and went to a few warehouses to see slabs in person. Makes a huge difference!

EK:

Chipping is a result of edge profile selection, not material selection with the possible exception of porcelain which has very limited edge selection and nearly irreparable chipping.

All engineered stone is 66% quartz and 33% resin. There are probably small variations in porosity, but a lighter color is going to be more likely to stain than a darker one.

Cambria is Canadian and I'm pretty sure DuPont's Corian engineered stone is too.

Hi Elizabeth, have you gone to the OHM website to see if you are within driving distance of one of any of their locations. I am in NJ and went to the NJ location and saw a ton of stone there. I believe they have quartz on display too. We needed to call ahead and make an "appointment" to be shown around and also gave the name of our fabricator. If possible, I would go look at the slabs before deciding. Regarding higher quality quartz, I have had silestone in my prior kitchen and bathrooms, and it was definitely good quality. I have heard that Cambria and Ceasarstone are also high quality. I don't know much about the brands you posted. Good luck!

I viewed my slab before it was fabricatedI. very helpful. This was in Orange County, CA.

@Joseph Corlett, LLC I've been learning more and did a dive into the world of Breton technology Food Safety regulations, etc. and am wondering if you would consider those things to set certain brands apart... or even though some use different technology to create the "stone" and may or may not be a food safe surface, do you still consider them all the same? I'm not being facetious either, I'm genuinely curious if you believe those factors should play into a decision on a brand of quartz?

I just paid for my quartz slabs after many months of research. My understanding is that most of the well known brands and a lot of the lesser known brands use the Breton technology because its proprietary. The difference between the brands is mostly style and marketing. I would have toagree that it’s very important to see full slabs. I live in Los Angeles so I was able to go to distribution centers to see full slabs of the samples i was interested in. The difference between the samples and the full slabs were quite remarkable. Good luck!

EK:

I don't doubt that there are subtle differences between brands of engineered stone. Maybe those differences are great enough to help you make your decision.

Imagine if Ford sold cars to dealers that then put their own brand on them. That's essentially what's going on in the estone business.

I agree with others- if you are in proximity to an OHM location or a stone yard that has the stone it's best to see the full slab. Those samples can be very deceiving vs seeing an entire slab.

We chose MSI which I believe is manufactured in china. Quality was excellent and was a fraction of the price of the same color from Caesarstone.

@agk2003 I'm actually going tomorrow to look (it's just over an hour away). In regards to MSI, I don't necessarily care where they are manufactured, but I'm still scratching my head on whether or not I should care if they use the Breton process to make it. I got on MSIs website yesterday and asked a rep about the colors I liked and all 6 were ones that are made with a different process. It could be completely fine and perhaps an even better, updated process, but it still makes me pause. Do you mind me asking which color you chose from MSI?

I'm not a pro, but while countertop shopping, what I noticed was that some of the veining looks pixelated or printed on, and some looks more realistic. For that reason, I think you'd want to see the full slab. Good luck, I know it's a big commitment!

Hi Elizabeth - just wondering if you ever went with the Quartz from Valiant as I am looking at that now. If you installed it, how is it holding up? Thanks!

@hsh2012 hi, no we didn’t. I went to the warehouse to look at the larger slabs and found a piece of granite that i love instead. we have four kids and needed something really durable and that i wouldnt have to baby when it comes to cleaning. our granite was less expensive than the quart too!

That granite is beautiful! Don’t forget to post photos of the final outcome.

@Joseph Corlett, LLC “I don't doubt that there are subtle differences between brands of engineered stone.” What I found out, is that some quartz brands are more highly polished or shinier than others. Unfortunately, I found out after installing my dull Hanstone quartz. Saw friends’ cambria with way more shine!

Whistle! Whistle! That granite is hot @Elizabeth Kelly. Where is the warehouse?

@shirlpp Louisville, KY

Elizabeth. That’s beautiful. What type of granite is it? Thanks!