Quartz: engineered and low maintenance
Quartz is made from crushed stone bound with resin, then color-matched in a factory. That process is its main advantage and its main limitation.
- Non-porous, so it never needs sealing and resists staining.
- Very consistent pattern and color, which is why Calacatta quartz is the go-to for clean white kitchens.
- Can be damaged by direct heat from a pot, so use trivets.
- Lacks the depth and movement of natural stone up close.
Quartzite: natural and heat resistant
Quartzite is a natural stone, mined and cut, not engineered. It is harder than quartz and stands up to heat, which is why it shows up in the design-magazine kitchens.
- Harder than quartz and very heat resistant.
- Every slab is unique; Taj Mahal and Super White are quartzite.
- Needs sealing about once a year to stay stain resistant.
- Price varies significantly by slab, which is exactly where dealer cost matters most.
How to choose
Pick quartz if you want zero maintenance and a consistent, predictable look, and you are fine using trivets. It is the easy-living choice.
Pick quartzite if you want a natural stone with real character and top heat resistance, and you do not mind sealing it once a year. It is the choice for a showpiece kitchen.
What it costs at dealer cost
Whichever you choose, buying your cabinets through STL Cabinetry gets you the countertop at our fabricator’s dealer cost, with no markup from us.
As a benchmark, the Taj Mahal quartzite that showrooms price at $130 to $150 per sq ft is about $70 per sq ft at our dealer cost. On a 60 sq ft kitchen that is a few thousand dollars on a single surface.