I have quartz and granite. Before that I had Formica. I have NEVER put hot pots/dishes directly on the counter top.

We have Zodiac quartz (Dupont brand, I believe) and I like it a lot. Easy care! I have probably set hot pans on it, and it looks the same as the day they installed it about 7-8 years ago.

My only caution is that it is very hard and if you drop something breakable on it, it explodes everywhere. I dropped a small juice glass once and found shards of glass in all the surrounding rooms. Of course, the same thing probably happens with granite.

Donna

I have Cambria quartz countertops in my kitchen, but mine are very dark, and so there is essentially no danger of dark rings appearing. They can chip, however, if you hit them hard enough, but minor chips are easy to repair with a clear epoxy.

The main reason I chose quartz is that it never needs to be sealed and is extremely easy to clean. I was also able to get it in a color that I like, and that would have been a bit more difficult in granite. I may have gotten granite anyway if it did not require resealing every year or so.

I cannot think of any cons regarding quartz.

If you understand the product, you won't have any problem with it. It's beautiful and easy to take care of. But never ever use abrasives on quartz. Mild soap and Soft Scrub Gel with Bleach for stains is the only approved cleaning method. Abrasives scratch the resin base, leaving a dull spot. Even professionals have trouble buffing scratches. I had such an issue as my fabricator scratched mine while using Barkeeper's Friend to clean off the epoxy. He returned and tried to polish it, then took five hours of Caesarstone training, came back and spent 2 1/2 hours of buffing before conceding it looked worse and replacing my countertops. For it to blend and disappear, he would have had to spend all day buffing my entire countertop, and it still wouldn't have the original sheen.

Same with hot pots. Ask Joseph Corlett in the Kitchen forum if it can burn. He's posted photos of burns he's been called to repair. But you can briefly put a hot pan down. I wouldn't put a very hot cast iron skillet down though. All this info is available on your brand's website, and you should know the warranty basically covers zip.

Cons would be buying Chinese quartz that doesn't use the Breton manufacturing techniques of Cambria, Caesarstone, Silestone, etc. That is a whole 'nother subject. Cons would be finding a large resin pool in your countertop, which isn't covered under warranty, so you want to be sure to see your slab and approve the template, just as you would with granite.

I have Ceasarstone countertops. I used to have granite (different home). I put hot pots on the granite all the time with no ill effect. Since I got the quartz, I have been more careful to use trivets, however, we tested the product before we bought it, and nothing affected it - not hot pots (including a cast iron skillet right off the cooktop), not ketchup, berries, lemon juice, wine, etc. When I did have a mark once (no idea what caused it) I used Soft Scrub Gel with Bleach as mayflowers said. For regular cleaning, we use Windex All-Purpose with Vinegar (no ammonia). I do have one tiny chip on the inside edge of the sink (I'd forgotten about it until now), but that can happen with granite too.

We have Silestone (dark), and putting hot pans on it has never affected it at all. I don't make a practice of doing that, but it has happened, and it's been fine.

I'm very happy with my counters (12 yrs now), and would definitely use Silestone again. I love the looks, the ease of cleaning/care, and how tough they are.

We upgraded from granite (very dark color which was in the house when we bought it) to Cambria Quartz in white about two years ago. I love everything about it. I have never been one to put hot pans on a countertop, so that was a non issue for us, and so far no downside to it. Easy to keep clean, looks great, and functions well! I really disliked our granite, and dislike our daughter's & son's granites, too. Hope that helps!

Well now I'm really wondering what brand of quartz we have! I was never one to put hot pans on a counter either, but when we changed out our counter-tops, that was one of the things they told us about the quartz. Since I have a smooth top stove and am careful about pulling something out of the oven and sitting it on the stove (always thinking of scratching!), I often put a just-out-of-the-oven dish on the quartz. Never a mark.

When we had our kitchen gutted and completely redone 7 years ago, we went with Silestone quartz counters throughout and a Silgranit double sink. I am so, so happy with them both and would do it again in a heartbeat. Like Lars, I can't think of one negative thing about either. Oh, and you absolutely can put hot pots on Silestone quartz counters. I do it all the time with no problems. The only pot you can't put on them are the cast iron pots. Those do get hot enough to possible do some damage. I got this information from the shop owner and from the installers.

We have Silestone. I did loads of research before we picked it out and felt quartz was the way to go and liked Silestone the best. That was almost 13 years ago and I don't remember the exact reason I chose that brand over the other quartz, but I've been very happy with it.
We do have two small chips that happened early on, before it completely cured. You have to feel to find them though. I'll be fixing them with epoxy now that I know that trick. Thanks Lars.
Though it was recommended to us by the dealer not to put hot pans on them, the young man that came out to measure told me they make trivets out of the scraps to sell. Personally I've always used hot pads. I lived long enough by the time we got quartz counters that there was no changing that habit. It just seems wrong to put a hot pan or bakeware down without a hot pad.

Silestone advises in their warranty that cracks can occur from thermal shock by placing hot pots on the counter. You're also not supposed to place electric skillets and crockpots on the counter. I put my crockpot on a cutting board.

I don't put hot pots on the counter directly...I have wood boards for that, except briefly I might with a hot baking sheet. I have Ceasarstone and it's wonderful. 5 years in and not a sign of wear or tear. Never needs sealing.

Right now I'm helping someone with their kitchen and have been looking at the cambria quartz...it is amazing stuff. While DH would never go for a new counter only 5 years into it, I sure would love to replace what I have with some of the new stuff. It has so much random color and pattern to it that it looks quite natural.

We put in Caesarstone counters when we did our remodel last year. CS recommends not putting hot pans directly on the counters. That's the only con I can think of for quartz counters aside from brands not made with Breton machinery. And it's not an issue honestly. Like others, we put them onto trivets, cutting boards or onto a cool burner on the stove top. I love our CS counters. We had tile before and I hated them. The grout lines were a pain to clean, stains showed on the grout over the years, rolling out dough was awful. I love having seamless counters that are a breeze to clean, don't stain and look fantastic.

I used this repair kit from Amazon to repair my chip. I think it is easier to work with than Epoxy, and you can also watch some YouTube videos to see how to repair a small chip. If the chip is small, you do not need to call a repair person, and the kit is large enough to repair several chips - I only had one, and now I am more careful not to bang anything into the edge of the counter top.

Thank you all SO MUCH!! This really helps!

I think that last point is marketing manure. If you keep your countertops reasonably clean, seriously, what do you think will happen? Wouldn't everyone else be dead from their infected counters?

I have 4-year-old Caesarstone. No chips, dings, scratches, nothing. It's dark, so if there were marks of any kind I doubt I'd see them.

I don't put hot pans on it, don't need to, don't want to. I wouldn't put hot pans on any counter surface.

This is interesting, as I had not heard this, and definitely had not heard not to use a crockpot on the counter! I have never seen anyone put a crockpot on anything but a naked counter.

We put a quartz counter in the main bath, and I am embarrassed to say I never did know the brand. I hope it is not Chinese. We got a recommendation on a stone guy, he came over with his boards and I picked the color I liked best. I went with quartz because I didn't want to seal it and I wanted a detail in the edging. I've been very happy with it as it looks great, is easy to clean (and I have two boys and tons of little kid friends using that bathroom), and seems to be standing up well. No idea about the hot pots, as that isn't an issue, unless one of these boys starts using one of those CHI hair straighteners. Those get pretty hot.

I've also always used my Crockpot directly on the counter. It has feet so it's actually an inch or so off the counter. The metal outside is hot when it's on but the plastic base and feet are room temp.

Donna

I use my Crockpot directly on the counter, too, and have for 20+ years (Formica, then Silestone).

I'm curious if Clorox/Lysol disinfecting wipes can be used on quartz...we usually use them daily on our laminate counters to sanitize, especially after handling any raw meat or eggs.

Silestone says you can. You have to read your use and care info and warranty. It amazes me when people buy a product they've never used before and don't read about how to take care of it. Cambria, on the other hand, barely lets you use anything but soap and water. They want you to call customer service if you get a stain.

I am planning on Silestone, on the recommendation of my brother, who has had quartz in his kitchen for somewhere like 12 years. He's never had a problem with it, but he does put a hot pad under any really hot object he removes from the range or the stove. Maybe out of habit?

All the big brands use the same Breton technology. The only difference is color and pattern, so I'd shop for the best fit for my project. I only found one Silestone I liked for my bath, Quasar I think, but it was priced $1000 more than other quartz patterns. You also have to buy the entire slab with some companies where others will sell half slabs of some patterns.

As far as crockpot use, I doubt they'd burn a counter, but with the new pure white and marble-look quartzes, low heat for hours could yellow the resins. Obviously there's been instances of this occurring or they wouldn't specify it in their use and care info.

Lisa G, I can only speak for Silestone, but yes, I've used Clorox wipes on them often.

That makes sense, Mayflowers (the lighter colors yellowing). Mine is dark, and very forgiving! It was already here when we bought the house. I would have a very hard time picking between all the great colors out now.

I have Cambria Torquay and use Clorox wipes on them all the time. I use them to wipe down my counters, then follow it up with Method granite polish from Target (LOVE that stuff!) There is absolutely no streaking, haze, residue, discoloration, etc. I frequently put hot items straight onto the countertop, but try to use a trivet or pot holder most of the time. I'm not super worried about it, but I figure it doesn't hurt to use a little extra caution. I was given the option of having the sink cut-out finished into a cutting board, so I used that for a long time as a tester of sorts. It has held up to all stains and temperatures I've subjected it to.

I was advised by the installer to use a it of straight acetone for any stains that couldn't be removed with regular cleaner or by scraping with a razor blade. That was four years ago, and I have yet to find anything that didn't wipe right off. And that's saying something, because I have young children.

I absolutely love my quartz counters and would buy them again in a heartbeat.

For those of you using quartz in bathrooms, what DO you use to prevent CHI hair straightener appliances and curling irons from burning the counter surface? My wife is afraid to use quartz.

I've never had quartz but did have granite for ten years, never polished it all that time and after ten years it had the same sheen that it had on day one. I loved it because it had red garnet crystal clusters as inclusions in a varied beige matrix and it looked as though a cat with red-smudged paws had walked over it. I've never seen granite like it again and I really miss it. I've never seen quartz that had an interesting pattern but I haven't done any real research.

Joe M, I have quartz in my main bath, and nobody is using a CHI in there, but my understanding was that quartz is not easily burned. It is much like granite, without having to be sealed;) It can't be worse than laminate, which I have and lay my hair straightener on the counter. It is not like you are pressing the hot metal to the counter.

i have quartz in my bathroom and laundry room- i don't use hot appliances like curling irons or flat irons very often, but mine have little props so that the very hot part doesn't sit directly on the surface that it's sitting on... i'm sure it has tilted and rested briefly on the countertop, but the hottest parts don't sit on the countertop for long periods... i unplug when i am done. i also have set the hot iron on the counter in the laundry room to cool many times, but again, i don't set it with the hot plate facing down on the counter

from what i can tell, our quartz (cambria) is very durable.

This is my experience with Silestone. I had a crockpot crack my Silestone countertop. I was on the phone with my son when I heard a loud explosion. It was the countertop, a big crack under my crock pot. My tops had not been installed a month. I was devasted. The next morning the seam had come back together. Could not even tell that it had cracked. After that, I always used hot pads or trivets. Loved the Silestone and wish I had it in this house instead of white, textured formica that came with this house. Was so easy to care for and always looked great.

We put in Silestone Quartz a few years ago. Within a month we noticed a crack from the corner leading in about six inches. A mystery, never resolved between our installer and the supplier. Just yesterday I was cooking first batch of fall chili. When I was at the sink, cleaning up after chili had been simmering in crockpot (this time in a different corner), I heard a loud bang! Couldn't figure out the source of that strange noise, but hours later wiping up the countertop, I found a new crack had formed where the crockpot had been! We never had any warnings about not using crockpots on Quartz countertops! Never had any problems with my old Formica. It's on those little legs, so there's no direct heat. Very disappointed to learn about this crockpot connection!

Our house was apparently the first install of silestone in Georgia( other than show homes). We built in 1997, so our Quartz is almost 20 years old. Not a stain, scratch or chip to be found.

I put hot pans on it all the time, but usually just for a second while I find a potholder or something to put underneath. We've used a crockpot in the same spot for years.

Thanks for all this insight, I was looking at quartz, but the no hot pot thing is a deal breaker for me. We changed from formica to tile about 20 years ago and have gotten used to setting hot pots directly on the counter. The idea that a crockpot could damage it just reinforces it. Too bad, I like the color choices.