I don't think it will be an issue any more than granite or any other hard surface (Corian), etc would be, except obviously wood. My last 3 homes were in MN (I miss my wonderful home state!!) and I had Corian, Granite, Wood and Richlite counters amongst the three kitchens - each of the stone and synthetic materials got cold, but that's just in their make-up. Between your two choices, I highly doubt you'll see any difference!

On perimeter counters I wouldn't worry about the coldness or warmth of the countertop material. You typically won't be leaning on those counters.

If you're concerned about an island countertop where people might be sitting on stools or leaning on or against the counter, you might want to think about a trick I've seen done in several homes. In fact, it's an idea featured on page 18 in the latest issue of Fine Homebuilding magazine's Kitchen and Bath issue (available at your newsstand now).

Put an electric heat mat (the type ususally used for heated bathroom floors) under the stone countertop. The temperature control can be mounted in one of the island cupboards, allowing you to regulate the amount of warmth needed.

Voila! No cold elbows on the island counter.

The article is also available online if you become an online member of Fine Homebuilding's website. The article is called "Warming Up to Granite" in the Great Ideas section of the webpage linked below.

Here is a link that might be useful: Fine Homebuilding Kitchens & Baths Issue

I'm in MN and have Silestone in a bathroom and granite in my kitchen. They are both quite cool, but not uncomfortably cold to touch or lean on, in my opinion. The cooler temperature makes these surfaces wonderful for working with pastry, too.

Put in some Xenon under cabinet lighting and take the chill out! Halogen would warm them up even more, but you don't really want to the candy bar that someone leaves on the counter! :)

Sue

So Les in Minnesota are you any closer to making a decision?

I've lived with both Corian and soapstone, and IMO, there IS a noticeable difference between them, with Corian being much less cool to the touch. So if it's important to you, I do think Corian would be warmer. However, I also feel my soapstone is probably cooler to the touch than most granites, though perhaps not noticeably.

There are surprising differences in the way different countertop surfaces respond to changes in temperature. I have an area in my kitchen where I have soapstone, granite and butcher block in very close proximity to each other. (So same room temperature, no heat sources or direct lights overhead.) I put three 'identical' ice cubes on each of the three surfaces, and the ice cube on the soapstone melted very quickly; the ice cube on the wooden butcher block melted very slowly, and the granite was in between. Very interesting little experiment...

jill 2006, we haven't met with the counter guy yet, so I suppose we're still technically undecided. But, my hunch is we will decide that my husband's fear of scratches showing on the Corian will outweigh my fear of cold Silestone. Neither of us wants to be the recipient of "I told you so". ;) I'm hoping the counter guy will have some insight on this as well. More hopefully next week......

Why not get a sample of silestone? They have them at most places that sell it, inlcuding Home Depot if you have one near you. Put on your current counter top for 24 hours and see how it feels.

Sue

les, how cold IS your kitchen? I have never heard of anyone having countertops that were uncomfortably cold, no matter where they lived.
I can speak to your concerns with experience. I have Silestone in my kitchen, Corian in my bathroom, and I live in MN. Although I do like the Corian (for looks and ease of cleaning- esp. the shower surround) I would NEVER put it in my kitchen, because it does indeed scratch very easily. I have a few scratches in my bathroom countertop and I have no idea how they got there, but I can assure you, my kitchen surfaces take much more rough treatment than my bathroom. I can only imagine what they would look like by now. Oh sure, you can buff them out- do you want to add that to your home maintenance routine? Not me.
Yes, quartz and stone products feel cooler than the cabinet surfaces they sit on, but I don't see it as a positive or negative feature, it just is.
I would like to share a neat "trick" I learned from my SIL who has Cambria and also lives in MN. Ever forget to pull something out of your freezer to allow for thaw time, so you now have to change your dinner plans? Put a frozen item on a quartz countertop and you will be amazed how quickly it thaws. This has saved me on several occasions, and I kinda consider it to be a bonus to my decision.

I think you're right to be concerned and I would consider james' electric mat suggestion - Warmly Yours describes the application - I don't remember if it was their website or in response to an email I sent. I would also be adding heat to the room.

My brother's kitchen is very poorly insulated and the previous owners did some weird things - you can feel the cold air blast in when you open the base cabinets. His granite counters get icy cold and radiate that cold. It is not a comfortable winter room.

I don't have Silestone so I can't speak to that. I have Corian on perimeter and granite on island - in MN. In the winter the granite is uncomfortably cold - almost painfully cold - if you put your arm on it without a thick sleeve you take it off right away. Not to mention your coffee or anything else you set on there goes cold quickly. I think this is more of an issue if you use a setback thermostat and turn your heat down for extended periods of time like we do. If you keep your furnace cranked up 24/7 I don't think you'd have this problem. Knowing what I know now I'd have thought seriously about something to warm up the slab in the winter. I thought about in floor heat but never considered the ice cold granite slab.

I've compared the Corian to the granite out of curiosity - it definitely does not feel as cold to the touch. I don't find scratches to be a problem with Corian but some people may be harder on their counters than we are - or more preoccupied with looking at the counter at the right angle, in the right light to see what looks to me to be thousands of scratches that become a "patina" of sorts.

here is the correct link on warming a granite countertop: https://www.finehomebuilding.com/2007/10/05/warming-up-to-granite My best friend warned me that her dinner dishes are cold when she serves dinner on granite in her North facing Philadelphia home.