We've had Silestone Lagoon in our kitchen for 7+ years. No etching, super low maintenance... there is a little bit of yellowing underneath one spot that always has a cannister over it (whereas the rest of that area gets sun exposure, this one spot doesn't).

We had a dark granite before this and it got that cloudy look despite sealing regularly. 100% would do quartz again.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:When we built our house, I tested quartzite (Super White), because we are messy people. The builder had an off cut, so I poured red wine, spread ketchup, mustard, crayon, pen, marker, spaghetti sauce, etc. It both etched and stained. I had had quartz in my old kitchen and know it is so durable, that when the Martians land on Earth in 3 million year, it will be the only evidence of civilization remaining. So we went with quartz - Cambria - Ella:
https://www.cambriausa.com/quartz-colors/#!/design/Ella

Very happy with it already 4 years.

After how long did it stain and etch? Did you clean up the spills immediately? After 5 min? Longer? We are building now and really like quartzite but am concerned about durability, especially with young kids. We haven’t found a quartz we like.

I left them overnight - mimicking a good sloppy party or a dinner on a hectic night that didn’t quite get cleaned up alright. Oh, there was also lemon juice, balsamic vinegar, olive oil. It was a good spread. Looked atrocious afterwards, unfortunately. I still love the look of Super White but it is not for us.

Check out all the Cambria designs - there is a lot of variety. But not cheap.

Thanks. Overnight is a pretty long time! I can't really imagine ever leaving a significant (or insignificant) liquid spill on a countertop made of any material for that long.

np. You truly can't imagine that there could possibly be a spill on your counters that went uncleaned for 6-8 hours, or more?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:When we built our house, I tested quartzite (Super White), because we are messy people. The builder had an off cut, so I poured red wine, spread ketchup, mustard, crayon, pen, marker, spaghetti sauce, etc. It both etched and stained. I had had quartz in my old kitchen and know it is so durable, that when the Martians land on Earth in 3 million year, it will be the only evidence of civilization remaining. So we went with quartz - Cambria - Ella:
https://www.cambriausa.com/quartz-colors/#!/design/Ella

Very happy with it already 4 years.

After how long did it stain and etch? Did you clean up the spills immediately? After 5 min? Longer? We are building now and really like quartzite but am concerned about durability, especially with young kids. We haven’t found a quartz we like.

Anonymous wrote:I regret Taj Mahal quartzite by my farmhouse sink.
A few chips in 5 years where i need to always wipe off the water.
Other areas are fine and love natural pattern.
It seemed like the dealer did a lot of filler and finishing to our slabs before install. But it seems fine except at the sink.i can see fill on the edges of the counters

I read something about this previously and chose to get an under mount sink. I think it’s only the farmhouse install that is a problem.

I have Cambria and LOVE it. Most of the time, I just use a microfiber cloth and water.

I regret Taj Mahal quartzite by my farmhouse sink.
A few chips in 5 years where i need to always wipe off the water.
Other areas are fine and love natural pattern.
It seemed like the dealer did a lot of filler and finishing to our slabs before install. But it seems fine except at the sink.i can see fill on the edges of the counters

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’ve had quartzite for 4 years now - no issues through toddler years of being messy and banging pots/cups. Yes, it got dinged a couple of times when the keys were used to bang on the counter but you really have to be looking to find the marks. No staining with red wine, coffee, pancake batter, ketchup, grease, oil, or hot cast iron skillets resting directly on the stone.

Just doublechecked…..we have super white! I know a lot of folks say don’t get it because it’s softer but we really haven’t had any problems.

You have dings! That's a problem for a lot of people. Glad it isn't for you!

We have quartzite and actually have not had problems. No dings, no stains, no etching.

Super white is actually a marble or Dolomite. It is not quartzite. Quartzite doesn’t etch and is a hard stone.

True quartzite like Taj Mahal is beautiful and durable.

True quartzite is the hardest stone you can find. It doesn’t etch but can stain. But no worries, over time the stain just disappears.

About two years ago, we went a bit nuts looking for material for our kitchen counters in a new build. We went to 10+ places, some multiple times, to look at materials. We started on quartz, but wanted something more alive. We wanted light color, which ruled out granite. We almost went with marble, but we tried some samples and the staining/etching was too great.

Near the end, we found a lot of this Bianco Superiore at Gramaco: https://www.gramaco.com/product/bianco-superiore-b4645/ (And despite the similar name, Gramaco and others swear that "Super White" and "Bianco Superiore" are very different products.)

Our fabricator, while recognizing a risk that quartzite can have large marble quantity, guessed that this was likely real quartzite. We took a chance. Our fabricator later told us that it was one of the hardest stones they had cut in some time, and the guys in the shop were convinced it wasn't marble at all and true quartzite.

We've been living in our house now for 18 months, with little kids. No staining, no etching. It's been absolutely wonderful. To be sure, we try hard to clean up spills quickly, but wine rings have no doubt been on the counter for an hour or more before we notice/clean--no observable damage.

I put a very small chip in one edge by the sink when I wasn't careful and caught the edge hard with a pan. You have to look to see it, and it was entirely my fault. That is the only observable damage thus far.

I'd absolutely make the same choice again. I think this board steered me to quartzite. Not budget friendly, but it was the only option we found that offered both the aesthetic and performance we wanted.

I have granite and never want anything else. I don’t have to worry about it at all.

We have both quartz and quartzite in our kitchen (the island is the latter). I would do it again. We have had it for twelve years and it has held up fine. Red wine drips left very faint stains that pretty much are inobservable now. The only thing i have had an issue with was things with turmeric, but a lot of scrubbing got that off. We have never sealed them.

So it has been pretty low maintenance, though obviously not as easy as the quartz.

Anonymous wrote:I’ve had quartzite for 4 years now - no issues through toddler years of being messy and banging pots/cups. Yes, it got dinged a couple of times when the keys were used to bang on the counter but you really have to be looking to find the marks. No staining with red wine, coffee, pancake batter, ketchup, grease, oil, or hot cast iron skillets resting directly on the stone.

Just doublechecked…..we have super white! I know a lot of folks say don’t get it because it’s softer but we really haven’t had any problems.

You have dings! That's a problem for a lot of people. Glad it isn't for you!

We have quartzite and actually have not had problems. No dings, no stains, no etching.

Granite 4eva!

I don't have quartzite but can tell you I did extensive research into all countertop materials before selecting quartz. If you compare material characteristics, you'll have the information you need to make your decision. Of course, cost varies, as does the appearance of different products, so you have to incorporate those dimensions into your decision-making. Quartz is engineered, and there's nothing inherently wrong with that. It is especially popular in more modern kitchens; other materials may suit other styles better. You can and should select your product based on how you want it to perform, what it costs, and whether you like the look.

If you prefer granite, marble, or quartzite, those would be valid choices, too. Just be sure you know the pros and cons of each so you make an informed decision.