I have Sonoma Tile crackle in a light cream. My stove also has about a 10" riser (which I've grown attached to). My b/s has been in for about 16 months and I haven't had a single problem with it. I was warned that it needed to be sealed before installation so that grout wouldn't seep into the crackles. The tile guys said they sealed it but I'm not convinced they did. Anyway, no grout got into the crackles at all. The surface looks the same as the day it was installed. I don't fling spaghetti sauce every which way when I cook. The crackling in my tile is very fine. I don't really see it unless I get up very very close. Instead it just adds a little life to the surface.

Wow! $18 for a 5-inch piece? Is it 18K gold veneered? It MUST be gorgeous! LOL. I should talk...me, with a 4-inch wide inset border around my fountain (OUTSIDE on the tiled 900 sq. ft. patio) that I call my "$400 border". Twenty pieces of tumbled travertine 4" x 12" pieces.

We just put in the Sonoma crackle a couple of months ago. We sealed before we tiled, sealed cut edges as we went along, and sealed everything after it was grouted as per instructions. We put a large plastic drape over the island and used that as a work surface. I've been canning tomatoes recently, which is a bit of a mess. I tend not to notice incidental tomato splashes on the tile until "later" and have not had any problem at all with wiping them off. We may someday seal it again, but I'm not worried about it. Sonoma Creamy Crackle: 3" x 9" approx. $16/sf (it comes listed as $3.28 per piece) We live just a few miles from Sonoma County which is where I presume they make it. Stellar Stone Blue Crackle 2" x 4": $1.51 per piece, so approx $27/sf. (this is special order)

Quick update for anyone who might care or finds themselves in a similar situation... I ordered some more matte finish tiles to play with and while playing I thought I would grab some of the leftover tiles I already have and try it with the grout I had bought at Lowe’s which was Mapei Flexcolor CQ in pearl gray. Well needless to say the crackle issue did not appear at all. So I’m assuming it was the unsanded grout that was recommended to me when I ordered the tile that was the problem? The Mapei grout that I used does not specify sanded or unsanded but there are no visible lines after grouting with it.