The most beautiful kitchens I have seen have marble countertops. I'm getting marble for my kitchen! I'm a little nervous about it, but I figure we can always change it in about 7 years anyway.

One piece of advice someone told me was to get a glass or clear acrylic chopping block/cutting board sort of thing and leave it on the counter so when you are in a hurry you can stash glasses and dishes there in addition to the sink. And since it is clear it won't take away from the marble look.

I have done a little research and found that many people are unhappy with caesarstone. I don't know if the other brands have the same reputation, but we were deciding between marble and caesarrstone and I read several forums of people saying they chose caesarstone instead of marble for the durability and they have been really disappointed because it has cracked, stained, chipped etc. I decided I would be so bummed if I picked something I didn't want as much as marble so that it would be more durable if in fact it didn't hold up well.

Also we are paying extra to get it sealed with two different products ( which won't help with etching , but will hopefully help with staining)

Anonymous wrote:if you wanted patina (aka damage) on your counters why is it delivered to you perfectly smooth and without stains.

Because you want your patina, of course. (Good point by the way.)

if you wanted patina (aka damage) on your counters why is it delivered to you perfectly smooth and without stains.

patina sucks

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Some people would consider the stains and darkening a patina which isn't a bad thing.

If that makes you feel better...

Some marketing BS made up to make people feel better.

The real definition is http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patina

pa·ti·na noun \p?-?t?-n?, ?pa-t?-n?\
: a thin usually green layer that forms naturally on the metals copper and bronze when they are exposed to the air for a long time

Good old wikipedia: the most reliable source of information on the web.

I actually feel better when I look up words in real a DICTIONARY. For example:

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/patina

a : a usually green film formed naturally on copper and bronze by long exposure or artificially (as by acids) and often valued aesthetically for its color
b : a surface appearance of something grown beautiful especially with age or use
2
: an appearance or aura that is derived from association, habit, or established character
3
: a superficial covering or exterior

.

Agree that pp was wrong but don't blame Wikipedia. here's the full Wiki definition:

Patina (/?pæt?n?/ or /p??ti?n?/) is a tarnish that forms on the surface of copper, bronze and similar metals (produced by oxidation or other chemical processes); stone;[1] a sheen on wooden furniture produced by age, wear, and polishing; or any such acquired change of a surface through age and exposure.

Wikipedia's reputation for inaccuracy is actually pretty misplaced. That site is a marvel.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Contractor steered us to quartzite, which is identical but not stainable.

Watch out, though. Two separate places swore up and down their "Super White" was quartzite, not marble. (Another insisted it was "white granite" and wouldn't stain at all.) Thankfully we got samples and tested before committing- all etched like crazy with all the acid samples we tried (lemon juice, vinegar, wine, etc). It was also incredibly soft - tapping a mug or bottle on it left obvious opaque dings. Too bad, it was pretty.
I second the recommendation for GardenWeb. (Which is where I found out that nearly all Super White/White Fantasy is dolomitic marble, not quartzite.)

We are in the process of picking a counter for our bathroom and I have been testing a sample of Super White and a sample of marble. The marble is easily staining and etching and nothing has stained or etched the Super White (including balsamic vinegar). I was able to scratch it with a piece of granite but the scratch isn't very noticeable.

You will have it for years -- get something that is lower maintaince. We have marble in our baths. It is 7 years old and no sign of wear. But it is on the floor and walls. The sink is granite.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Some people would consider the stains and darkening a patina which isn't a bad thing.

If that makes you feel better...

Some marketing BS made up to make people feel better.

The real definition is http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patina

pa·ti·na noun \p?-?t?-n?, ?pa-t?-n?\
: a thin usually green layer that forms naturally on the metals copper and bronze when they are exposed to the air for a long time

Good old wikipedia: the most reliable source of information on the web.

I actually feel better when I look up words in real a DICTIONARY. For example:

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/patina

a : a usually green film formed naturally on copper and bronze by long exposure or artificially (as by acids) and often valued aesthetically for its color
b : a surface appearance of something grown beautiful especially with age or use
2
: an appearance or aura that is derived from association, habit, or established character
3
: a superficial covering or exterior

.

Anonymous wrote:Some people would consider the stains and darkening a patina which isn't a bad thing.

If that makes you feel better...

Some marketing BS made up to make people feel better.

The real definition is http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patina

pa·ti·na noun \p?-?t?-n?, ?pa-t?-n?\
: a thin usually green layer that forms naturally on the metals copper and bronze when they are exposed to the air for a long time

Some people would consider the stains and darkening a patina which isn't a bad thing.

Marble is great if you don't cook.

We wanted the look of marble but I cook a ton and am not the most fastidious cook, so we went with Silestone (Lagoon color) instead. It looks great and has held up amazingly. I've spilled red wine, tomato sauce, you name it (even Sharpie!) and it has come off with no problem.

I'm getting Cambria Torquay - check that out as an alternative.

We used to have marble in our old home (it was a newly renovated condo) and ended up with lots of etches. The stone was sealed and polished: we did not have any issues with staining, but just about any kind of liquid (even plain water) would leave a mark on the finish. So glasses would leave rings and there were tons of splash marks around the sink. If you want to have shiny, perfectly smooth counters, then I would advise against marble. I think a honed, non-shiny finish will help make the inevitable etching less noticeable. And if you are okay with some imperfections and wear-and-tear, marble can be a beautiful choice. I found it kind of stressful, not because I'm a perfectionist or neat freak, but because we were planning to sell our condo in a few years and I was worried that imperfect counters would be a problem for resale. We also re-sealed the counter every 6 months to a year to protect against stains, and I found that process to be a bit of a pain. When we remodeled our current kitchen I went with quartz because I wanted something maintenance-free that I wouldn't have to worry about, and we have been very happy with it. There are a bunch of quartz options that are designed to look like marble (e.g. Cambria Torquay, Silestone Lagoon) that you should check out if you want a marble-esque look with fewer worries.

Get samples of the stones you like (marble, quartzite and granite) and test them for staining and etching using red wine, lemon juice, and vinegar. In my kitchen I'm using a honed black granite and a quartzite (brown fantasy) for my counters and island. Of the 3 stones quartzite is the hardest, and while there are marble-like patterns, it's definitely not marble. I really wanted marble too, but I'm an active and messy cook and I didn't want to be constantly worrying about damaging my countertop.