When it comes to countertop selections, it all boils down to customer preference and application. While some love the look and uniformness of Quartz, Granite is “one of a kind” as no two slabs are alike. Folks seem to have a “love” or “hate” relationship with Marble.

Quartz

Quartz, a semi-gloss surface, offers a neat, clean look. With lots of colors from which to choose, it can fit almost any application. Extremely durable, Quartz can handle everyday wear with ease. Since Quartz is resin based, it has a lower heat tolerance, making it susceptible to warping and discoloration if exposed to extreme heat.

“The mix-and-match color options of Quartz make modern kitchens easy to coordinate and add personal touches,” says Cory Kroger, owner of Stone Artisans LLC in Indianapolis.

Granite

What’s nice about Granite is that it can take a beating and still look great. Given Granite’s high heat tolerance, one can set a hot pot directly on the surface without incurring any damage. Small cuts from knives can be polished out. And if the surface begins to dull over time, it can be re-polished back to a shiny near mirror finish.

“Granite is for ‘the cookers,’ who use their kitchen to its full potential,” explains Cole Wallace, an employee at Stone Artisans.

Marble

Some customers shy away from Marble because it’s porous and tends to absorb things that can cause damage and discoloration, including heat, harsh cleaning chemicals, acid juices, and, lest we forget, wine. Nevertheless, despite its notoriety for being the “stainable top,” Kroger insists that with the proper maintenance, the surface can last a long time.

Plus, Marble gains “character” in cut marks, etching, and staining.

Cost

Although size of the slab and availability of the material play the biggest role in determining the overall price of a counter, calculating the cost is not as easy as a + b = c, according to Kroger. For instance, purchasing something from a quarry in a remote part of Brazil will obviously cost substantially more than something that comes from a manufacturing quarry that is housing excess materials. And then there’s the question of availability.

“You may fall in love with gorgeous piece of quartzite, but if there is only one bundle of it left in the entire world, it’s going to cost a pretty penny to get it into your kitchen,” says Wallace.

To help direct customers toward the countertop selection that’s right for them, Kroger asks about usage and color preferences. If they’re heavy cookers, he suggests Granite. If they’re looking for a pure or solid color, he’ll introduce Quartz. He’ll also ask to see their chosen floor and cabinet samples to help grasp their vision.

“It’s a lot of mental visualization and artistic freedom on our end,” says Kroger. “I never try to ‘sell’ a customer on a countertop but rather help them see the end results from the stone they’re drawn to.”