I went with granite because I didn’t like the uniform look of quartz and quartzite. I wanted a little more movement…especially on my island. For me, part of the fun was going and picking out our pieces of granite…and laying the template of what parts were going where in our kitchen.
Between 2 houses, we have all three stones. In both laundry rooms I used Quartz because it’s so carefree. I love having a countertop I don’t ever think about, but I don’t think either one has that much interest or personality. It’s fine for where it is. One is dark and one is white and there is no difference in how they’ve performed.
One kitchen has granite that was installed almost 15 years ago. I can honestly say it’s just as beautiful today as it was the day it was installed and I’ve done nothing but wipe it down. It was sealed when installed and I was told I’d never have to do it again and I haven’t. I cook and bake a lot so everything under the sun has happened to that counter with no problems.
My newer house has a Quartzite kitchen counter. It’s beautiful and unique and I selected it because I couldn’t find anything else like it. But it needs a lot more attention. Quartzite is harder than granite but hardness isn’t the same as porosity. As it turns out, my quartzite is very porous although I don’t think that’s the case for all quartzites. I had the fabricators apply a very expensive sealer at installation. I could tell immediately that water was seeping into some of the stone so they came and did another round of sealer. It’s been less than 4 years of seasonal use and I think I need another application. In general I’m much more careful with this stone and I’ve still had stains. But the good news is I’ve been able to get every single one out. First, I only use pH neutral stone cleaner made by the company who makes the sealant and carries the warranty. When something does seep in, I sprinkle it with baking soda and cover with plastic wrap. Leave it overnight and every stain has disappeared. It’s like applying a poultice that draws out the stain.
We had to use the stone clearer on one of our first granites - it was very light and porous, and even a glass of ice water would leave a ring on the counter that would take hours to evaporate. I hated it! We went with a darker, denser granite in the next house that looked exactly the same over a decade after install. I hope I don’t regret the current selection of quartzite but so far so good and red wine and coffee were both left overnight over thanksgiving and they wiped right up.
I have quartz in my bathroom. I touch up my own roots and didn’t want to risk getting hair color on a porous stone. It’s a breeze to clean up but it doesn’t have the movement of natural stone that I wanted in my kitchen.
Love my quartz. So easy to take care of and always looks nice. I was told you could put hot dishes on it but I don’t t. I have never heard of quartzite and we did our renovation last year.
We have a blanco sink which I believe is quartzite. I love it.
Granite is forever.
My quartzite looks as good as when installed. It is swirly but has no dots. Depth. One selects the slabs needed and which pieces go where. It is certainly not uninform. That said, my parents had blue pearl granite, which is very durable. That is one of my favorite granites. In my last kitchen, I had the black granite with the silver flecks. That is quite popular, but I’m forgetting the name.
We had quartzite put in our kitchen about a year ago. It’s white with gray veining but I was worried about staining. Like mentioned above, I was given a piece ahead of time and left wine, ketchup, lemon juice and several other things on it overnight and it easily came clean the next morning. We’ve had no problems and we love it.
We have quartz (caesarstone I believe) in two bathrooms and have a nice chip on the edge of one of the sinks. I do like it otherwise but, imo, many of the designs look somewhat fake/plastic-y.
We used to have granite in our kitchen and I would have gotten it again but fell in love the with quartzite we found. If you go wth natural stone, as suggested previously, definitely test a piece in advance. Stones vary so much with regard to how porous they are, how they’re sealed, etc.
I know you didn’t ask about this product, but we are in the process of choosing materials for a kitchen remodel in our new house. I’ve had granite for the last almost ten years, and it was great. But my designer this time around told me to look into porcelain countertops. No maintenance, doesn’t stain, and is pretty durable to chips, cracks and dings. I’ve been researching it online and am pretty convinced this is the way I’m going to go. Granite is pretty traditional, so if that’s the look you’re going for, go with granite. I just know that all granite is not made the same. In almost eight years, we never resealed our granite and it was beautiful when we sold that house. The condo we bought had granite, and I could tell the only owner had never resealed it in the 10+ years she was there, and it showed. It was very dull looking. Maybe that’s why I’m turned off of granite this time around. I associate granite with what I’ve lived with for almost three years now.
https://countertopguides.com/materials/porcelain-countertops.html
I’m glad my designer at least made me aware of this product. I’m 75% sure it’s what I’ll go with.
We went with Cambria quartz called Berwyn. It coordinated very well with the wall paint and the cherry cabinetry we finally got (and even with the awful painted stuff that was here before we refaced the cabinets). One late evening, someone left an open jar of pasta sauce on the counter… let’s just say my dumpster kitties got busy that night, and in the morning, the countertop looked like a murder scene!! Yikes. No problem. Sponge and soapy water removed everything without a trace. Yes, I am a big fan of quartz. 
We have a crushed glass & concrete countertop which is gorgeous and very durable. Another option for you.
Somewhere within the different lines by Silestone there is a product that is 75% recycled materials. We installed this about 10 years ago and it has worn like iron.
I knew I would get a lot of very informed opinions here. Thanks. I am so used to putting hot baking dishes from the oven or microwave on our currently tiled counters that I will likely do it again accidentally. For that reason I think quartz is out.
I like the natural rivers in granite. We are going to the granite yards again today to look at slabs. I will do the lemon test on any pieces for etching testing.
Also, being your Geiger counter. Just kidding. Ask about the country of origin of your chosen granite. Some places have higher than normal content of radioactive minerals.
And it is apparently a fallacy that one can bang pots and put hot pans on granite. Very informative article on granite maintenance:
http://thehtrc.com/2009/granite-maintenance-upkeep-geiger-counter
We have a mix of porous and impermeable granite in the master shower installed by the previous owner. While it looks awesome, it needs sealing. Our next shower will have solid, impermeable slabs.