Quartz vs granite kitchen countertop??

amother

Blush

Sun, Jul 19 2015, 12:45 am

My non pesach-friendly kitchen countertop cracked. It's a very large crack and will be extremely $$$ to fix. Since it will be so expensive to fix, it makes more sense to just spend a little more $$ and just replace the entire countertop and while at it, also put in a metal sink (wish I could redo the whole kitchen, but out of our budget).

We're looking to put either Quartz or granite. How favorite color countertop we found so far is Quartz. Per our rabbi, Quartz is kasherable for pesach (heard that opinion can vary).

My question, anyone here have a Quartz countertop? Experience to share? One of my friends has had Quartz countertops in two different homes and she said it cracked on her when kashering it with boiling water! Has this happened to anyone else. Would like to here pros and cons of Quartz vs grantite.

anonymrs

Sun, Jul 19 2015, 1:22 am

Is it quartz or quartzite? I think quartzite is a lot stronger and more durable while quartz is more delicate. Granite is very strong, durable but if you have a lighter color, it could absorb stains unless you are very good about sealing it every 6 months or so. Quartzite doesn't stain and is not supposed to chip/crack though it is more expensive than granite.

lifeboat

Sun, Jul 19 2015, 2:34 am

There is some confusion in the information you got here ... I am an 18yr veteran kitchen designer - lemme try to set this straight for you.

Natural stones are like your skin, they are porous and breathe. Some stones are more porous than others, hence making them unpractical. Of the most popular stones being used today- marble is most porous, granite is least porous, with quartzite somewhere in between both (also, quartzite will largely depend on individual stone slabs, some may be porous, some may not, and it is not easily discernable ).

That being said, Quartzite (natural stone) is not Quartz! To attain consistency of design and color, the industry created a method in which they can have control in fabricating a material that is both desirable and durable. This method is called QUARTZ. The stone being used is crushed and with added glass particles (quartz) a slab is created. In other words, the material is all natural yet fabricated by man.
It is the strongest material on the market today, with proven guarantees of it being resistant to staining, cracking etc. (There are some knock down companies trying to get in to the same market which are definitely not as good as the originals). Companies like Caesarstone, Cambria, Silestone- have lifetime warantees.
I have heard of it being kasherable by some dayanim.

Hope this helps.
if any of you need more information, I will gladly help. You can email me springvalley27@gmail.com.

mom2six

Sun, Jul 19 2015, 3:01 am

We just got Quartz countertops and are happy with them, but the reason they are not kasherable is because you can't put anything hot on them - no hot pots and certainly no boiling water. Heat on Quartz is a big no-no. Granite is more expensive but can withstand heat without a problem.

etky

Sun, Jul 19 2015, 3:23 am

I have Ceaserstone Quartz counters and have been kashering them for Pesach with boiling water for 15 years w/o a problem. Many people I know do that without a problem. Ceaserstone is pretty ubiquitous here in Israel. Not everyone kashers them but those that do seem to do it w/o problems. That being said I am very careful with the counters during the year and never rest hot pots on them w/o a trivet.
The reason I got Quartz was I couldn't find granite light enough to my taste. I'm happy with my counter but I think natural stone is prettier.

Rubber Ducky

Sun, Jul 19 2015, 7:00 am

I am also a kitchen designer (and space planner) for many years.

Caesarstone and other Quartzites use plastic resin binders to hold the stone particle mush together as part of the manufacturing process. The addition of the plastic binders — which are integral to the counter rather than added to an existing slab as a strengthener (which is sometimes done with granite) — is why some Rabbanim and Star-K consider the product not kasherable for Pesach. So Quartzites are unpopular here in Baltimore, where Star-K is the local hechscher.

I hope you get some more first-hand reports, but anecdotally I have heard that Quartzite is less durable than granite — prone to chipping. But even granite is not bulletproof. A counter may contain hairline fissures that can crack under stress.

sourstix

Sun, Jul 19 2015, 9:55 pm

thank you lifeboat. I knew that the original poster had something wrong. quartz should not crack or chip. its excellent! I had it in my previous house. just moved. and I love love love love d it. I will imyeh' be doing the same in my new place. its great. I cant say how much I loved it. its not cheap. but well worthe the money. no staining. everythingcomese off of it. its great. I cover my counter for pesach with the plastic so it doesnt matter about kashering. be careful who you buy it from it should be original.

sourstix

Sun, Jul 19 2015, 9:58 pm

no it shouldnt crack rubber ducky. check it out again. everything can crack if you want to think about it. but its made very well and it shouldnt. of course anything can happen. but its great quality. no I dont work in this line and I dont make any commission telling everyone its good quality. I just feel its wrong to portray it in the wrong way when it isnt.

MiracleMama

Sun, Jul 19 2015, 10:06 pm

I would only use granite. The quartz countertops in the house we are currently renting are gorgeous but there are chips all around sink area from pots, you can't put down hot pots; it's simply not as durable. And from what I understood (and I know opinions vary) this is probably not something we can kasher for pesach which is really disappointing.