Black Quartz kitchen worktop - yay or nay?

[ZingDramaQueenOfSheeba]

We are in the process of choosing a hardwearing kitchen worktop and pretty much settled on quartz (I fell in love with the black with mirror flecks)

If you have or had quartz please tell me if you are happy with it or not, whether you had any problems plus any advice & tips that would be useful.

Also what's the best/most reliable UK supplier

[HisBetterHalf]

With the black quartz you can see any 'wipe' marks unless you polish to within an inch of its ;life but you can see every crumb etc However, I love its versatility, dont have to worry about stains or putting hot pans down on it as it withstands them all

[pickingdaisies]

Zing, is it the resin content that has made it so easy to scratch? Granite is, well, granite! I'm jealous, because DH talked me into getting wood counters. Bloody hate them.

[meggyg]

Hi there,
I'm very new to mumsnet but in need of some advice.
We're wanting to get a new kitchen but we're on a budget. A company called unitsonline is coming up as the cheapest but I can't find any independent reviews. All of the reviews are on their website so could be fake.
Has anyone out there come across them or use them?
Big thanks!

[Nat1971]

Hi so I'm just debating whether to get the mirror chip quartz in my kitchen this week and have been reading all these comments and can anyone tell me how they are getting on with it and does the dust settle reply quick on it?I had a brown granite before and that was ok to clean.please give me your honest opinions 😃

[HeartsTrumpDiamonds]

Zing - have sent you a PM

[ZingDramaQueenOfSheeba]

lime

Yours looks beautiful too!

[ZingDramaQueenOfSheeba]

Buttwing

(First of all kudos on your name
Your kitchen is lovely!!

DH said that it was something really bad like cracking or such insurance would cover it whether it's granite or quartz or something else.
So I'm a bit more relaxed now.
Plus I spoke to 3 eldest and surprisingly all 3 looked at me like I'm an alien at the suggestion that they would ever consider cutting food without a chopping board or a plate!
In fact DS2 is a bit of a clean freak, he said he'd never ever put any food directly on (and would definitely never cut on! ) a black surface as he couldn't see if it's clean or not! Go figure!
He even said we'll have to buy a really big chopping board just to be safe and that I wouldn't worry...aawww

So my heart says lets not give up on mirror quartz. It's so so cheerful.

Heart
Hey sweets!
We have tons of time, builders only started a month ago and it's a 8-10 m job. Kitchen won't go in until almost the end. But we need to research and get quotes and there's so much stuff to choose and consider - it's s lot of fun!
Do post a photo when back, would love to see it!

Thanks all for advise and comments, much appreciated!

[HeartsTrumpDiamonds]

Hi Zing.

I wish I could remember what our worktops are. We've had them since we renovated in 2011 and they are still as shiny, sparkly and unmarked as the day they were installed. I chop on them and put hot things on them all the time without even thinking about it. From the photos I just googled, they look most like beige quartz worktops but their durability is making me doubt that they are in fact quartz. Definitely something man made though. I'll ask DH, he might remember. (We are away from home right now otherwise it would be easy to look up in our renovation file, but we won't be back for another 2 weeks and this sounds like you want to make a decision more quickly than that!)

[limesoda]

We have just finished an install, rubbish picture attached. I researched and researched and researched all of the different stones and in the end chose mirrored quartz because that was what was cheap at the stone merchant (Ireland so probably no use).

I thought it was lighter until it arrived but I ADORE it. The mirrored effect makes it way easier to keep clean and smear free than my Mum's black, flecked granite, IMO.

[Crikeyblimey]

Thanks. I really love it. We have a black induction job too and it virtually 'disappears'
We have pale grey floor tiles which seem to compliment it but really boring cream walls (nee house) which I want to get round to paining soon.

We (me, dh and teenager) haven't caused any damage to it yet - I caught a wine glass on the way out of the dishwasher and broke it quite spectacularly though.

[wombattoo]

Oh, and buttwing your kitchen looks lovely

[wombattoo]

Mine is definitely granite Zing and we have chopped on it etc. We do mainly use chopping boards. When we got it, the fitters left a bottle of something and told us to use it once a month to reseal. We did that for the first year but haven't recently for a long time It was really easy to use. Just spray it on, wipe all over then rub with a soft cloth. I would definitely have granite again.

[harridan50]

look at getacore durable and hardwearing. german designed and manufactured

[Buttwing]

That's my granite, it's been for 8 years and not well looked after chopped on etc...

[ZingDramaQueenOfSheeba]

crickey

That looks beautiful.

We'll have matte cream units, I just love the black and cream look!

[ZingDramaQueenOfSheeba]

red

I think you are right! I need Kevlar worktops!!

Just to reiterate I know that DH & I will be careful and no way we wouldn't use a chopping board (in fact whatever I can I cut with scissors anyway).
It's the teenagers I don't trust.
I really don't want yet another source of stress and arguments and ultimately tears when it's ruined.


The guy got back to us about this just now and said that some scratches can be polished out from quartz. Hmmm.
But honestly it was just so easy to scratch I'm wary of it now.

Pfft, I don't know. We'll have to reconsider granite.

[redhat]

It wouldn't be my choice, we have walnut and marble (softest stone ever so don't go there), its just you seem to want something very hard wearing that you can also chop directly onto and don't need to maintain. I think you're asking the impossible if you won't consider granite (and even granite will scratch if you're chopping straight onto it).

It doesn't look even vaguely plasticky though so maybe you've seen a different effect. It looks like marble/quartz/granite even wood depending on how its done.

[Crikeyblimey]

Well, it is shiney just not sparkly.

[Crikeyblimey]

We have black Quartz but the less shiney stuff. I adore it. So long as I keep it wiped and every couple of days use method granite cleaner to polish it, it looks amazing and is really easy to manage.

[Buttwing]

And I ve never resealed it.

[Buttwing]

I have shiny black granite and it's bloody indestructible. I've got four kids and a not very careful partner we put hot pans on it and chop on it and no marks or scratches.
That said I bloody hate it as its a total bugger to clean you can't wipe it with a wet cloth as it looks streaky So I'm continually spraying and polishing it.

[ZingDramaQueenOfSheeba]

wiifit

Yes, thanks. That's good to know.

[ZingDramaQueenOfSheeba]

I've seen polished concrete, both worktops and floor and don't like it, sorry redhat

I admit the laughter was coz I imagined a rough piece of concrete... i forgot about polished. It looks plasticky.
Plus it's even more likely to break or chip

[Wiifitmama]

but my point was that our granite has been totally fine with no resealing and with hard wearing of it.

[ZingDramaQueenOfSheeba]

wiifi

Granite is natural stone.
Quartz is usually 93% quartz bits bonded with resin.
Totally different stuff, quartz is imitation granite in a way