Materials Guide
Countertop Materials, Honestly Compared
Four options and what each one is actually good at.
In this article
Engineered quartz
Non-porous, needs no sealing, and resists turmeric, citrus and oil well. It is not heatproof — a hot pan straight from the flame can mark it — so pair it with a granite or steel insert at the hob.
Granite
Heat-tolerant and hard-wearing, which is why it has been the Indian default. It is porous, so it needs periodic sealing, and the darker stones show water marks and oil more than people expect.
Marble
The best-looking and the highest-maintenance. It etches with acid and stains with turmeric within minutes. Beautiful on an island in a formal kitchen; a difficult choice next to daily Indian cooking.
Solid surface and sintered stone
Solid surface is seamless and repairable but scratches. Sintered stone is the most durable of all four and the most expensive, and it is genuinely heatproof.
Edge profile changes the perceived cost
A 20mm slab with a mitred 40mm apron reads as a solid stone counter at a fraction of the material cost. It is the single most effective detail on a stone budget.
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