Let’s get ready to rumblllllllle! I put samples of quartz and granite to the ultimate test to see which material came out on top. There was a clear winner and I can’t wait to share the results with you! If you are looking to replace your current counter tops or building a new home, you don’t want to miss this comprehensive evaluation – my quartz vs. granite counter tops challenge!
Backstory
We are currently building a house and with that comes the picking and choosing of every little detail of our new home.
I was convinced that granite was the best product out there and had my mind made up until I saw the options the builder offered. I truly didn’t know much about quartz and thought all quartz looked like slabs of laminate with glass pieces embedded in them. Boy was I wrong! Once I saw the gorgeous counter tops made of quarts, I began my investigation and research into which product would be best for our kitchen counter tops.
I have done a lot of research and have heard that quartz is easier to maintain due to the fact that it does not need to be sealed regularly like granite. Because quartz is a stronger and more solid material, it is less prone to bacteria getting stuck in cracks. I wanted to test the durability of the samples in terms of staining and heat resistance. Since I don’t have a lab and can’t conduct a test on the growth of bacteria, I have to rely on what I have read and have discussed with our counter top vendor.
The Challenge
I was able to obtain three samples of quartz and one sample of granite.
Q Quartz- Calacatta Vicenza
Q Quartz- Cashmere Carrara
Cambria- Torquay
Bianco Gita Granite
The Wine Test
I dipped the bottom of a few glasses in some wine and set them on each sample to see how they would hold up to a wine ring. I left the wine on the samples for about two hours. Once the glasses were removed, I wiped each sample with a wet paper towel. Only the Cambria quartz wiped clean with a wet paper towel. Next, I used Lysol wipes and the other two samples of quartz (the two Q Quartz samples) came clean.
The granite still had a visible wine ring, so I used a sponge with soap and warm water and scrubbed the granite. It did not come clean and there is still a visible pink stain on the granite from the wine.
Winner of the wine test: Quartz
The Coffee Test
Similar to the wine test, I dipped the bottom of a coffee cup in some coffee and placed it on the samples, and let it sit for a couple of hours. All of the samples came clean with a simple wipe from a wet paper towel.
Winner of the coffee test: Tie
The Heat Test
I wanted to test the durability of each sample by placing a hot pot or pan on each sample. Since some of the samples were so small, I ended up using our stove-top espresso maker. I heated up water in the espresso maker and then placed it directly on each sample. None of the samples showed any damage from the heat of the espresso maker being placed directly from the heat of our gas range onto the samples.
Winner of the Heat Test: Tie
Conclusion
Overall winner: Quartz
Basically, it seems like the Cambria quartz was indestructible (or at least resilient to my tests). Unfortunately, the Cambria quartz was my least favorite in terms of looks. The Cambria quartz by far looked man-made and manufactured, not at all like marble (which is what I was looking for).
The Q quartz -Calacatta Vicenzawas also quite durable, but we found out it has been discontinued by the manufacturer.
We decided to go with the Q quartz – Cashmere Cararra based off of the durability of the quartz and the marble look of the slab.
Can’t wait to see counter tops in this kitchen!
There are so many options when it comes to counter tops. Make sure you take your time, research and look at as many samples as possible. If you can, take a look at an entire slab, not just a little two-by-two sample! The variations in both quartz and granite are huge and a small sample doesn’t always give you the best idea of what it will look like in your kitchen or bathroom.
Want to see our new home? Check it out!
