DuPont, Corian's manufacturer, doesn't play the low-price game. If you want lower priced generic Corian, virtually exactly the same stuff, get Livingstone. Both are excellent products, but you've gotta pay for the Corian name.

There isn't a "better material", there are only tradeoffs. Corian scratches relatively easily, but they're inconspicuous and easily removed. Quartz is more difficult to scratch, but when you do, you're calling in a pro and the results may be mixed. Corian is very repairable, quartz is not, especially from heat. You can get true solid color Corian; I've never seen solid color quartz.

This Corian was installed almost 20 years ago. It was literally new when I left; the old top was in my vacuum. Less than $300.00. And none of this floor/countertop/backsplash clash dilemma we see here so often

The house we moved into had a Corian top and embedded sink in the bathroom. The counter top was relatively undamaged, but the Corian sink looked horrible.

Corian is soft plastic. Quartz is basically bullet proof stone.

Corian pricing is indeed in line with quartz and granites. The fancier the colors or patterns the higher the price.

Go to home depot or lowes and just compare the material pricing. You'll see that most counter top material is in the $50-90 a square foot with in each category.

I went with HD because I only had to pay for my square footage, not a slab I wasn't going to use all of.

Compare from a couple of places, make sure you are comparing the same material to the same material to get a more accurate quote/budget.

I had a local fabricator tell me he could do quartz for one price, but the same "price level" of carrara would cost me more for fabricating and install. So even though the stone house would have charged him the same sqft price, he'd upcharge because the marble required a bt more care for fabrication and install???

I have a Corian kitchen sink as does my daughter. She also has Corian bathroom sinks. Did I mention that she has two teenage boys and a husband who is a total slob? NOTHING has harmed any of these sinks and I think the ones in the bathroom were installed about 25-30 years ago - kitchen sink about 11 years ago. Coffee grounds sit in that kitchen sink all day long and a quick whisk with detg and they are gone and the sink is spotless.

There were many sinks that sort of looked like Corian put in back in the 90's - in fact, they were more like cultured marble. Those do NOT hold up at all.

We put Corian in my mom's house around 15 years ago. With an integrated deep double sink. The sink looks brand new again with a little soft scrub with bleach. Or a quick spray of bleach cleaner.

I love the feel of Corian. It's soft and warm. I still rub my hands across it when I visit. I loved it when I used that kitchen every day for over 10 years.

We have the Livingstone version counter -- volcanic ash -- with a big single bowl integrated sink. It's been about 9 years but everything still looks great. The sink basin has a chip from dropping a knife point-down but it always cleans up really easily. I like the translucent, glittery look of quartz, but not the cold feel, and overall I prefer the subdued low care reliability of the Livingstone.

Joe, cor rectangle me if I'm wrong but it seems like some of the countees that mimic Dupont's Corian may be inferior. DH's aunt had the Menard's brand with integrated sink installed about ten years ago. Granted this lady is a serious gardner, canner, baker and sells all of her wares, but the sink looks bad. The edges of the sink almost looks like thr top layer is wrinkled and peeling.

I wonder if people reporting on bad 'Corian' are mostly looking at other brands because it seems like everyone has one now. Having said that I'm not a fan of the look, but it does seem to be a durable surface.

Corian can have issues but they are not wrinking and peeling....I would guess Iowacommute is correct and it is not corian.

"Corian" gets the blame for imitation polyester, not 100% acrylic sinks, constantly. People see an integrated sink and assume "Corian"; they are sometimes wrong.

How does the cost of the Livingstone, Staron, or Hanex compare with Corian?

"How does the cost of the Livingstone, Staron, or Hanex compare with Corian?"

Any fabricator in his right mind is going to try to sell you Livingstone and the others at just a few dollars per square foot less than Corian. I sure would. Just because your fabricator is paying less for the material, don't assume he's going to share much of that savings with you.

Are scratches in the darker color Corians particularly noticeable? Is it a bad idea to go with a black or a dark grey for that reason?

Scratches are more noticeable the darker the solid surface. Solid black is nearly unuseable for a working countertop.

Joseph Corlett, LLC thank you for your honest answers based on your experience!