Just get Corian and call it a day.

"I’ve long envisioned pure white counters" Go with what you've been yearning for!!!

soapstone is terrific but admittedly I am a light counter girl by personal preference - I’d do Corian but if I couldn’t source it (i am not able to at my current project) then I’d think about Cambria White Cliff, they do offer honed —my memory is there were some initial issues but they may have been resolved

hope you share pics of your kitchen as you progress ✨

Corian

The original Dupont Corian in white, Not Corian Quartz (and there are at least four good ones). "Designer White, Glacier white, Cameo White etc

Invisible seaming, no staining, I've had it for over 20 years, still looks brand new.

How careful am I? I do use a wood cutting board, as I want my knives to last, but NO issue setting a hot pan on it, whether from oven at 425 or boiling pasta water. Does ANYTHING stain it? No. I love the soft gleam, no water spots, no endless polishing etc. Spray , wipe, done.

Should be noted, the ONLY reason it ever fell from favored darling, was an obsession with yogurt swirl granite. : ( ugh.

And you hate water spots?!

Forget soapstone. A leathered OR HONED plain black granite ,MAYBE.

Taj mahal quartzite goeswith mostly everything

I have used plain white polished quartz in two master bathrooms, Cambria White Cliff. I color my hair at the sink and never had any issues removing hair dye from this white quartz, even when I find a stain a few days later. Spray with a bit of Clorox cleaner with bleach and the stain is gone.

There have been staining/spotting issues with matte/honed quartz products mentioned on this forum, so you might want to do some more research on that topic.

Even granite shouldn't have a hot from the oven pan placed on it. There is always the risk of thermal expansion and getting a crack. Always use trivets under very hot pot/pans on any counter surface. I don't see this as a reason to use, or not use a material, as I always use trivets.

That was my thought too bpath. My daughter remodeled a kitchen and it had MCM counter top. DH loved it so much (reminded him of what he had when a child in the 60s) he made a cutting board from a kept scrap. It was in darn good shape too!!

Exactly, @bpath . Mid-Century is Formica. Also, just in general, that is what I would personally use, if I wanted a plain white counter. But going by OP’s list of options, preferences, and concerns - I think Corian is the best fit from that list.

I agree, @chispa . I never put a hot pot or pan directly on any counter. I always use a trivet. Even with the granite that I have in my current place.

FWIW five years ago I had off brand Corian in white white white installed. There is one microscopic chip where I do most of the food prep. Smudges take a day to disappear but there is no discoloring.

After an endless search for the right countertop I ended up with Dupont Corian. I wanted a pure white. I have had it for four years and loved it so much I did a kitchenette in a second home with it too.

Zero smudging, no discoloration. Super easy to clean. The fabricator gave me a big sample slab to play around with. I tested over night egg yolk, red wine, vinegar, magic marker, ball point pen, coffee, spaghetti sauce, and they all wiped off immediately. I also have a strip of it running behind my range and no discoloration there either.

It was a huge 180 for me. My prior counters were marble. Never want that fuss again. And, I love a pure, pure white with no specs. I have lived with granite and the loud clanging noise just killed me.

@JAN MOYER - I had no idea I could put hot items on it! I'm well trained from childhood to use trivets so not a big deal, but nice to know.

I had a client who was just very keen on ruining her knives.... she chopped and sliced directly on hers for ages. Finally, in certain lights, the very very fine scratches bugged her.

In came the tech..... a super fine sand/buff and...like new.

I'm not suggesting you try to set it on fire, Just saying that the "hot pot" OMG thing has never happened here: )

The previous FORMICA? Had a huge burn mark from a friend whose ciggy rolled out of an ashtray and he'd walked away. He also did that on the Corian and the "burn" came off with soft Scrub. doesn't mean you should try that EITHER.

You know what, im actually now considering a black granite or ”galaxy” granite. =D

I did a mock up changing my counters from white to black and they look stunning on the rendering.

Jan said maybe a black granite would be nice and Granite is indeed harder, more scratch resistant and less likely to show water marks than soapstone.

so i now believe it may come down to White Corian or Black granite.

Just a vote to test your final selections of black granite - we had it in our last house and I felt like it really showed crumbs and streaks when cleaned, esp when the undercab lights hit it - seemed hard to live with but was likely just the color and finish of our slab

Thank you, that’s good advice. ive never tested a countertop material before, i wonder how that works. can you rent a 2x2 chunk and take it home? lol

You can BUY a large size sample of Corian, online. What exactly are you worried about? You don't want granite, you don't want a pattern, you want White: ) You don't want water spots, you want soft gleam, not shine........

You will see every pepper speck or crumb on white, and every crumb on black.,,,no MATTER the material. You clean as you go when ever the clean.

You're at over think: ) ?

Larger samples ..... 4" x 4"

https://www.4willis.com/color-collections/corian-solid-surface-colors/

Thank you!

If you go dark, go matte finish. I have Virginia Mist black granite (looks similar to soap stone, but a lot less expensive) but I chose gloss. The gloss goes with the more traditional/transitional look in the house, but shows EVERY smear. I would definitely go with a matte finish in your kitchen if you go with dark countertops.

I wish I had Corian, previous owner installed white ( which I like, the color ) quartz which I don’t like. Perhaps ours isn’t the best quality quartz but ours stains easily, I much preferred the granite ( no, it wasn’t “yogurt swirled” or speckled ), it looked like new after many years.

Content really comes down to level of desired durability based on your habits and needs. Have you considered/looked into the qualities of honed or polished cement and terrazo?

Regarding white or black: have you chosen the cabinets/backsplash/flooring as they have a huge influence. If selected, can you provide pictures.

Elizabeth, what did you decide? Are you happy with the choice?

I think white is probably going to be your best bet, though it depends on what color scheme you're choosing for the rest of the kitchen. https://seremodeling.com/how-to-remodel-a-kitchen 

I would actually do glossy white, which I think will look best with what’s in the kitchen now. I don’t think soapstone will work. Plus dark counters show every water spot.

I wanted an ALL WHITE kitchen for over 35 YEARS before I finally got it. I installed high gloss, fantasy marble - it is an all white marble with very little grey veining. I LOVE the LOOK - HATE the Maintance!

I noticed marble was not on your list and I get it. It stains WAY TOO easily. I installed mabel countertops and matching backsplash in my lakehouse kitchen. And in a small retirement home out-of-state I have Corian countertops with only sheetrock backsplash. Between the two contertops I would choose the corinan. Its TRUE it has a quieter sound and velvety feel. It is EASY to clean and to keep clean. I don’t see water spots nor staining.

After 35 YEARS of wanting an ALL WHITE kitchen my recommendation to you is to go with WHAT YOU LOVE - you’ll regret not getting white - if all you ever wanted was white!

Good luck. Keep us posted on what you choose.

I was going to suggest cement also. Are any of the pics your actual kitchen? Hard to say what color will look best.

Hi everybody, thank you for all your comments. a few of you have wondered what I decided to do.

It’s been over 6 months since this post. I realized many original options (dekton, soapstone, quartz) come with issues i just can’t accept for a kitchen. So, I’m left choosing between these 3:

1) Leathered or Honed Black Mist Granite (apparently excellent durability and arguably the most durable on my list)

2) White Corian (great for stains, not as great for scratches and heat)

3) Taj Mahal Quartzite, hand selected less-busy slab (better than corian for scratches & heat, still not as bullet proof as the black mist granite; also, not ”white” of course, but my builder said its a popular choice because many slabs are preceived soft/non-busy to the eye and add a natural touch over pure white)

So yeah - black granite, taj mahal quartzite or white corian.

My builder just put in for permits 2 weeks ago and right now we have a big allowance in the contract for the Taj Mahal quartzite, so we are covered no matter what we ultimately choose. Going with black granite or white corian will obviously save us money.

My next step is ordering samples of all 3 and playing with them in my current kitchen for a while. Permits will take 3-4 months to clear.

I would appreciate any feedback on my previous comment! Anybody have experiences with my 3 choices, good or bad?

We have quartzite (Taj Mahal ) in our current kitchen and absolutely love love love love it. Looks fabulous, very easy to keep clean. It always looks clean and I have to run my hand over it to make sure it is clean.

Yes, it is a bit noisy but I have a large " workstation " sink where all the washing and drying happens. And a cutting board for knife work.

We used to have Corian. Durable and easy maintenance but it looked plasticy, I didnt appreciate that look and love the current natural look much better.

I have experience with your first two options, having had white Corian in my main kitchen for 35 years and black leathered granite in a second home for 10. The beauty of Corian, despite its having been unfashionable for many of the years I have had it, is that it is the same throughout its depth; scratches and stains are easily removed with light scrubbing or a cleanser like Comet. I love it, and it still looks good. Black leathered granite is beautiful, but it would be a challenge in a kitchen that gets heavy use. Mine even shows condensation marks from a wet glass, and finding a product that works on it can be difficult.

Ive had honed black granite in my last kitchen. Easy to clean, no problem with hot pots or staining and I never resealed in the 7 years we lived there. Easy easy easy,easy low maintenance countertop.

Avoid dark - difficult to see spills and stains, and eventually people will come to their senses and realize how ugly black and grey are inside a home. Hurts resale value to use dark counter tops - people are waking up to the ugliness of black/grey. White is great. All mine are white and I love them!

Go white, not black. Light bounces off white, which makes prep and cooking so much more visible while you're doing it--dishes, chopping boards, utensils stand out while you're cooking. Black sucks up light. I had white Corian for nearly 25 years and it still looked great in a former house.

North Oaks Revitalized MCM · More Info

North Oaks Revitalized MCM · More Info

Mid-Century Modern Ranch Kitchen Remodel · More Info

I have leathered black granite and love it!! It doesn't show anything! no crumbs, coffee grounds, nothing!

Corian yellow with .

I have had a leathered black granite on either side of my cooktop and quartzite on my island. Love the look of the quartzite, but the granite is a workhorse! Love it Heatproof and cleans so easily. 7 yrs

Everyone just please take soapstone off your list 🤣 It scratches so easily. It should be on a banned countertop list for hard working kitchens imo!!

Generally you get what you pay for with a quartz. A cheaper brand is cheaper for a reason! Our and our relative’s Cosetino Silestone quartz brand white countertops were a splurge comparatively but never get water marks. Cheaper white quartzes can!

We do get stains when wine is left on ours but it comes right out with Cerama Bryte.

Good luck!! Kitchen remodels are SO hard with all the options!

Of your 3 options, I'd choose Corian.

I have honed Jet Mist granite on my beverage bar and it's very nice. Easy to clean, no chips or scratches, never sealed. Not sure I'd like a dark color on all my counter tops, though.

Taj Mahal quartzite doesn't seem like it works in a MCM kitchen--to me it's a very formal material.

That being said, none of these options are truly authentic to the 1950s. Formica would have been the choice back then. And to go one step further, it would have had a metal edge.

I guess I should have said “MCM-inspired“ because youre right— true MCM would have been formica!

I puffy heart Corian and it is what I hope to have, so that's my vote.

I would 100% go dark, the picture you posted with dark honed counter is perfect.

White is no doubt the safe choice but to me its been overdone (including by myself).

I have had every material on your list

My preference are granite and soapstone

granite is unkillable

but from a personal standpoint I prefer soapstone for its patina and for how it feel to the touch HOWEVER If you go with soapstone go with stormy black it contains less talc and don't scratch as easily.

Did you make a selection? Would love to see how it turned out.

For all of you proclaiming soapstone shows water rings and scratches easily, you’re just revealing your ignorance about, and inexperience with this awesome material.

A properly finished soapstone counter will never show lasting water rings. Any condensation sits atop the counter, and can easily be wiped/lightly rubbed off.

Soapstone comes in many varieties. Some are very soft and will scratch and chip easily. Others are quite hard, and resist scratching and chipping. Get a hard variety, like Anastacia (which my son has), Stormy Black, or Belvedere (which I have), and those issues are nary a concern.

For goodness sake, unless you have vast experience with soapstone, stop making blanket, misinformed statements about it.

, this happens all the time on this site. I find it annoying when they make blanket statements about marble when they’ve never had it. Talking about the “upkeep.” You clean it that’s the upkeep. Just like you’d clean any other countertop. Marble like soapstone comes in lots of varieties and thinking that they all behave the same is just misguided

Amen, @Diana Bier Interiors, LLC!

Each material comes with pros and cons there is no perfect material.

I love soapstone

no sealing required

heat resistant

Stain resistant

Soft to the touch

Natural material

Get patina

Not overused

I had corian and it wasn't for me but I have friends that love it we're all unique

It's late to be voting but this is the first I've seen this thread, so...

I have had Glacier White Corian for 6 years. No scratches, no stains. Scratches can be sanded out, and I haven't had a stain yet that I wasn't able to get out easily. An added bonus of the material was that the one seam that was needed is essentially invisible. I can't see the seam from close up at all, but if I look from a distance at the proper angle I can just make out a ripple where they sanded the seam. You don't get that with other materials.

I'm seconding the white corian - if you've been wanting white counters, get the white counters https://seremodeling.com/how-to-remodel-a-kitchen