With more people choosing to invest in quality worktops, the two most popular worktop choices for a high-spec kitchen are quartz and granite. As the debate continues, here is an explanation of the between the two, and is one really better than the other?

What is granite?

Granite is an igneous rock formed by the cooling and crystallisation of magma underground. All granite includes the minerals mica, feldspar and quartz in varying proportions and compositions, which accounts for the varying patterns and textures visible in granite worktops. Granite is mined in large blocks across all continents of the world, cut into slabs and polished to create worktops. It is a truly natural product.

What are the properties of granite kitchen worktops?

Granite is a very dense, hard rock which accounts for the many properties sought after in a kitchen worktop. A granite worktop offers heat resistance, scratch resistance, and when correctly sealed – stain resistance. The smooth, dense structure provides a hygienic environment that is easy to wipe clean with little or no areas for bacteria to thrive.

What do granite kitchen worktops look like?

Being a naturally occurring stone, no two pieces of granite are identical. The different minerals within the granite give rise to the different colour ways, with many colours featuring such as whites, pinks, greys, greens or yellows. You can check out lots of worktop images here

Quartz kitchen worktops

What is quartz?

Quartz is a hard crystal found within the Earth’s crust in abundance, which is crushed and combined with resin form kitchen worktops. Combined in a typical ratio of 93% quartz to 7% resin, a host of different textures can be achieved by varying the size of the crushed quartz from fine sand like grains to coarse gravel like particles, and different colour ways can be achieved with the addition of colouring agents.

What are the properties of quartz kitchen worktops?

Quartz is non-porous. Quartz kitchen worktops are both heat and scratch resistant. These are extremely easily maintained and exceptionally difficult to damage.

What do quartz kitchen worktops look like?

In contrast to the individuality of granite worktops, it is possible to create perfectly uniform quartz worktops in almost any colour of your choosing, including pure white. Whilst smooth grained quartz results in a very uniform worktop, coarser grained crystal result in its sought after sparkle.

Which is better – quartz or granite kitchen worktops?

There really is very little in it.

To stay in first-class condition, a granite worktop will require a little maintenance periodically to ensure it remains sealed, whilst a quartz worktop – if cared for of course – should require no maintenance whatsoever.

It’s all in the aesthetics.

It really does all come down to aesthetics and personal style. If you favour natural beauty, adore the variations found only in a naturally occurring stone then a granite kitchen worktop is definitely the choice for you. If you crave uniformity of tone and texture, or are creating a modernistic space with vibrant-coloured, sparkling worktops, then it has to be quartz all the way.

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You may also like our 5 simple ways to transform your kitchen post on this blog. You’ll also enjoy our Home Improvement page on this blog.