Granite or engineered quartz for a kitchen countertop?
Granite is a natural stone: it handles high heat, is hard to scratch, and every slab looks different. Engineered quartz is quartz aggregate bound with resin: it has an even, repeatable pattern and needs no sealing, but copes worse with hot pans and sunlight. The choice depends on how you cook and what matters more to you: the pattern of the stone or predictability.
Two different materials
Granite is an igneous rock quarried in blocks and cut into slabs. It is one of the hardest stones used in building.1 Engineered quartz, also called composite or quartz surface, is made in a factory: quartz aggregate, usually about 90–93% by weight, is bound with resin and pigments.2 Both end up as countertops, but they behave differently.
Heat
Granite handles high heat well. The resin is the weak point of engineered quartz: a hot pan placed straight on the countertop can leave a discoloured mark or a crack.2 Use trivets with both materials. With granite the issue is a sudden temperature change, with a composite it is the resin itself.
Stains and scratches
Engineered quartz is non-absorbent, so it needs no sealing. Granite can be more or less absorbent, depending on the variety. Most granite countertops only need everyday washing, and a water test tells you whether to seal.13 Both materials resist scratches, and a knife will go blunt on them before it scratches them.
Looks
Granite has a pattern that cannot be repeated: two slabs from the same block differ. That is why it is best to see the slab before cutting. Engineered quartz has an even, predictable pattern. If you want a perfectly uniform colour along a long run of cabinets, a composite will give you that more easily. If you want a countertop with character, natural stone wins.
Sunlight and a kitchen by the window
The resin in engineered quartz does not like UV light and can change shade over time.2 For a countertop in full sun or outdoors, granite or sintered stone is the better choice.
What to choose
- Lots of cooking, hot pans, a countertop by the window: granite.
- Uniform colour, minimal care, a kitchen without sun: engineered quartz.
- Not sure: we will bring samples of both materials and you can compare them at home, in your own light.
(Sources)
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Natural Stone Institute, Granite
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Wikipedia, Engineered stone
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Natural Stone Institute, Sealing Natural Stone Countertops
(Questions)
Is engineered quartz a natural stone?
No. It is quartz aggregate, usually about 90–93% by weight, bound with polyester resin. It looks like stone, but it is a factory product.
Which handles hot pans better?
Granite. The resin in engineered quartz softens and can discolour at high temperatures, so a trivet is a must with a composite. We recommend one with granite too, because a sudden temperature change can crack the stone.
Does granite need sealing?
Not always. Most granites only need washing and wiping dry. A water test on the actual slab decides whether to seal.
