Uba Tuba is not actually black it is a deep green. They have a little sample of it in Lowes which makes it look black but if you actually see the slab you will see it is not black. Please see a big piece of it before you buy. I also was looking at that when someone warned me and I went to a place that had a big sample and it looked nothing like the piece they have in Lowes.

Having said that...it is still a nice piece. I just don't want you to think you are getting a black granite.

Here is a link that might be useful: this may help you

Thanks! I did see the actual piece which I really liked. I don't really have a budget so I was a little hesitant to go with the least expensive option in the showroom. I will use some leftover funds for an upgraded gas cooktop!

Uba tuba is a very pretty and functional granite. It's very dense, generally doesn't need sealing and is essentially bullet proof. Much nicer than Corian :-)

If I had cherry cabinets, I'd go for Crema Bordeaux, but that is not in the same price range as ubatuba.

People who know and care that ubatuba is the least expensive granite you can buy are going to be people who are going to know enough about granite to have their definite likes and dislikes. You probably won't be lucky enough to chose the exact granite they want anyway.

People who don't know that ubatuba is the least expensive granite are going to think "wow, a kitchen with granite!"

I sold my house to someone in the latter group after installing bargain-basement slabs of ubatuba.

Thanks! This kitchen looks great!

Cmml,
I think one thing that makes Granite look dated or not is the finishing edge you have on it. It is more obvious in person, but in my mind a true rounded bullnose looks dated.

I went with a flatter edge (I think it is called a modified Tfal). There are also some great ogee edges that people have done lately but they are for a more formal look.

What color are your cabinets? What are your door styles? Do you have carved corbels or columns? That will help you to decide.

We went with Black Pearl which is also inexpensive (didn't realize until after we picked it). If you want black,
it is a great choice.

My cabinets are a natural cherry stain that have very traditional doors-raised panels-no columns and traditional brackets on the island. My next step now will to be picking an edge. i think the bullnose is included in the cost of the granite.

If there isn't a difference in performance and you really like it, take the accidental savings and run!

I've always thought Uba Tuba was very pretty
and it sounds like a great choice for your kitchen.

UT is a really pretty and neutral granite. Up close you see the tan, gold, silver, green. Step back a foot and you see black. I think it will go very nice with cherry cabs.

I have Uba Tuba with cherry. I think the slight green tone and gold speckles look very good with that wood, and the no-sealing, low maintenance is a plus. Keep in mind that any polished dark granite will show more fingerprints and streaking. I've been using Windex for 4 years with no ill effects.

Uba Tuba is a really interesting granite color..msJay was right when she said that it is actually a dark green color. In some lighting and depending on your cabinets, color schemes -- the granite can appear to be dark like a black color.

Here is a link that might be useful: Uba Tuba Granite Countertops in Charlotte NC

My sister used Uba Tuba in her kitchen when they lived up near us. The fabricator had some slabs, they were a good price, and she and my BIL liked it. It looked beautiful, and looked terrific in her kitchen with natural maple cabs.

DH and I saw many really pretty Uba Tuba slabs when we were looking for granite. A lot of variation in the coloring from slab to slab and stoneyard to stoneyard. We didn't seriously consider using it because we didn't want to bring green into our kitchen (despite how subtle), but had that not been a factor, would have been very happy with it--"overused" or not.

Uba Tuba reflect really well with cherry cabinets. It is not a black color instead it is more of a greenish swampy color. Also Uba Tuba is a considered to be a harder granite compare to the others. It is a great combination. Good Luck!!!

I had uba tuba in my former house. I picked UT because i loved it. I had square edges, I also had maple slab cabinets in a nutmeg stain and a lighter cinammon stained hardwood flooring. I LOVED that kitchen. i'm having a new house built this fall & doing blue-grey stain as well as painted cabinets and an oak hardwood with a greyish/toffee stain but i'm getting my uba tuba countertops again. I don't care about what designers say, i like uba tuba, it goes with everything (even though it is green - dont know why). it is actually Charnakite even athough it's sold as granite and ONLY comes from Brazil, that means it's harder than granite, and stronger. It also does not have dramatic hard to match veining in it. One thing to note: DO NOT LET ANYONE COAT YOUR UBATUBA SLAB and don't let anyone talk you into sealing it - EVER! You will end up with a peeling mess. Some granite MAY need sealing, una thba does not. Wash up with mild soapy water and dry with tea towel. DONE.

Is there a reason you're bringing up a 4 year old thread?

Hi Canada, I appreciate your input on the uba tuba. I'm still considering counter tops and now this is another option for me to consider. Thanks! :-)

Since the tread is back up and current, I'll add my thought. My sister has had Uba Tuba in her kitchen for about 5 years, and it looks like new. I have a small piece in a small bathroom. I didn't buy it because of the price point, but because it went so nice with everything else. We have gorgeous Titanium granite in our kitchen which is a fairly expensive exotic and we love it. But I also love the Uba Tuba in that small bathroom and look at the rich colours in it every time I go in there.

Off topic but relevant -- if you google something, you can click the "Search Tools" option that shows up above the results, and enter a date range. When searching for things on gardenweb, I usually use a range of the past year.

I'm glad to see this thread popped back up even if it was originally started 4 years ago. We are considering Uba Tuba for our kitchen remodel. We don't care for the more exotic granites, most quartz is out of our price range, and we are partial to darker, more consistent, colors. We will have cherry cabinets in a medium stain. I'm amazed looking at pictures that this color looks great with such a wide variety of cabinet colors. My only concern is if it looks streaky when cleaned. Though I'm also thinking that is part of choosing a dark color. I didn't realize it was a harder granite. This is good to know!

I have to say that is the one complaint my sister has in her kitchen with Uba Tuba . It is a very hard shiny slab. It could just be her kitchen and dining room windows that show it so well. I don't notice it in the bathroom which is small and has no windows. And we don't have that problem at all in our kitchen with the dark Titanium. The Uba Tuba is a bit shinier or harder or something. I think part of it can be caused by different types of dish cloths or clean up rags. They need to be very absorbent.

I just replaced my Uba Tuba. Loved it but it always looked streaky unless I used a aerosol glass cleaner on it :(

We have uba tuba left for us by the previous owner. It looks black, and not really green. I have used every cleaning product under the sun on this stuff, that no one would ever recommend, like Windex, Method, and who knows what. Nothing harms this stuff! We have never seen streaks of any kind. I don't know if all dark granites are as tough as this stuff, but if sturdy and easy-care is what you're looking for, that's what our experience has been.