If you’re planning to redo your kitchen, you have many choices to make, and one of the most impactful is what material to choose for your countertops. Counter surfaces have a major influence on the look and feel of a kitchen and on how you cook and clean. You need to think not just about whether the material matches your preferred design style, but also about its durability, ability to resist stains, and how much maintenance it will require.
Quartz, granite, and marble are among the most popular countertop options for kitchens, but which works best in your home? Here are 4 questions you should ask before you decide.
How Stain-Resistant Is It?
QUICK GUIDE:
- QUARTZ: Very stain-resistant
- GRANITE: Very stain-resistant—so long as you regularly reseal it
- MARBLE: Not very stain-resistant; requires regular resealing and quick attention to spills
It’s natural to focus on how a stone surface looks, but think too about how porous your choice is, because that determines how easily it will soak up spills.
Quartz countertops are extremely hard and nonporous, making them naturally resistant to staining, though you’ll still want to quickly wipe up spills like coffee, red wine, and spaghetti sauce. One drawback of quartz is that it’s not as heat-proof as granite and can be discolored by hot pots and pans placed directly on the surface, so keep a supply of hot pads and trivets handy.
Granite on its own can stain somewhat easily, but with regular resealing (more on that below), it becomes highly resistant to staining and heat damage.
Marble, one of the most luxurious materials you can choose for a kitchen, is soft and porous, which means even if you regularly reseal it, stains happen quickly and are hard to remove. You’ll need to be conscientious about wiping up spills as soon as they occur using a stone-specific cleaner such as Weiman Granite & Stone 3-in-1 (Clean + Polish + Protect).
.
Will It Scratch or Chip Easily?
QUICK GUIDE:
- QUARTZ: Extremely durable
- GRANITE: Extremely durable, though edges and corners can chip if you’re careless with heavy cookware
- MARBLE: Chips and scratches easily
No matter how careful you are, cooking puts a lot of wear and tear on a kitchen counter: knife cuts, dropped pots, and stools banging into the corners. You might consider those nicks and scrapes a desirable part of the patina—imperfections that are well-earned. But if your goal is pristine surfaces, what they’re made of is a key consideration.
Quartz is not only exceptionally hard in its natural form, but for counters, it’s crushed and then bound together by resin, making it even more impact-resistant. This is the surface to choose if you need your kitchen to absorb tons of abuse. Granite is nearly as hard as quartz overall, but its beautiful veins and variations—the very reason it’s so appealing to the eye—are also places where the stone is a little softer and thus more prone to cracks and chips if struck with something heavy.
Marble, the softest of the three, is, not surprisingly, the most susceptible to damage. You’ll want to set down heavy cookware carefully on trivets and use cutting boards to protect the surface during food prep.
Will It Need to Be Resealed?
QUICK GUIDE:
- QUARTZ: Never needs to be sealed
- GRANITE: Needs resealing once a year
- MARBLE: Usually needs resealing twice a year
Do you want to fuss over your countertops or never give them a second thought beyond wiping them down?
If you’re already meticulous about maintenance, you won’t mind marble’s need to be resealed every 6 months or so. You can hire a professional to do the job or handle it yourself. Weiman Granite & Stone Sealer sprays on easily, but keep in mind that it takes 4 to 6 hours to cure, so perform this task on a day when dinner is an eat-out occasion.
For a completely carefree maintenance routine, go with quartz. Because of the resin holding the crushed stone together, it’s essentially already permanently sealed, so you never need to think about resealing at all.
Granite lies in the middle. As with marble, daily usage will eventually break down the protective sealant layer that was applied when it was installed, and you’ll need to reinforce that barrier. Granite typically requires resealing about once a year.
What Should I Use for Daily Care?
QUICK GUIDE:
- QUARTZ, GRANITE, and MARBLE: All your natural stone surfaces can be safely, effectively deep-cleaned with Weiman Granite & Stone 3-in-1 (Clean + Polish + Protect). For quick daily touch-ups, try Weiman Quartz & Stone 2-in-1.
You’ve gone to great lengths to select your prized stone surface, so when it comes time to scrub down after dinner prep, don’t just grab any old spray bottle from your cabinet. Household cleaners, even some that say they’re all-purpose, can contain chemicals that might damage quartz, granite, and marble.
Weiman, an industry leader in cleaning products, has cleaners specially developed for specific surfaces—not only stone, but also wood, stainless steel, glass, and many others. For your stone counters, it’s a great idea to keep Weiman Quartz & Stone 2-in-1 on hand to safely wipe away small spills and the day’s daily drips and spatters. For more thorough cleaning, use Weiman Granite & Stone 3-in-1 (Clean + Polish + Protect). It’s a powerhouse that wipes away food spills, grease, and water marks, plus the non-acidic spray polishes stone so it’s shiny and free of streaks—and actually even more stain-resistant for your next cooking session.
