You need to do some homework. Every material has it's pros and cons, and it all comes down to what you are willing to live with. "Best" is completely subjective. Frankly, if my DH had not felt so strongly about our using a "higher end" counter top (we ended up with engineered quartz) I would have done a laminate. They are durable, warm, soft, and very inexpensive. Completely low-maintenance if you are not careless about using them. Our quartz will be fine, and looks fantastic, but we spent nearly three times what we could have spent on a high-end laminate. IKEA has some DIY laminate for incredibly little cost if you are willing to put in the effort and will buy you plenty of time to do some research on your countertop options. Here is a link that might be useful: IKEA wood and laminate countertops

I have had Caesarstone for a couple of years now and I'll share some of the tips I learned from them and I've gotten over the years. -As much as you can, wipe up the spills. If you let it sit, you can soak it with warm water and dishwashing liquid. -Don't scrape hardened spills with razors or knives. Scrape them with a plastic ice pick. -Don't use abrasive liquids or solutions during cleaning. -Always use cutting boards and trivets whenever you're cutting vegetables or meat and when you need to remove a hot pot or hot pan. -Lastly, after cleaning the countertop, wipe down everything with a paper towel to prevent having watermarks. I hope these help!

I have a question for you guys. Is it too outdated to have a cointibayoon do the quartz for the badksplash(only the 4inches) without having to add any other back splash? I worry about making my kitchen Look too busy and having a hard time matching colors , so i was hoping to just install a quartz counter top with that extra 4 inch lip without doing any other backsplash . That is assuming my counter top isn’t too bland . Also, can I get away with a gray? What about the Silestone calacatta gold ? Are the speckled quartz outdated ? Thanks! My floor has to be changed because it’s got a lot of holes and pkaces that are showing the underneath black rubber. it also has stains . My dream is to have white cabinets , a Taupe counter top(warmer gray like), and wood floors . If calacatta gold form Silestone , Bianco drift from Caesarstone , cambria Torquay , or viatera “sol” would work with white or warm cabinets , I’d pick one of those maybe. It’s a small kitchen, and I don’t have a huge budget .. but I do want to make a big enough change beginning with the counter tops that were never sealed properly, flooring, (and our back wall behind the sink that needs to be replaced ) . Thanks, again. I like honesty .

Yes you're right! So I had the old Carrara marmi and they were getting a new lot in June that would be whiter so I think that ended up being the difference. They said the company switched manufacturers and the whole lot they had received was the off white tone of marmi. It's identical to the first picture! I had no idea there was a new vs old. Luckily they were very helpful and are allowing me to pick out any quartz from the show room and replace it for $300 whichever I choose. I could have gotten the new marmi but I would have to wait until June when it comes in. This felt like a great option to me though as the higher up quartz was not really in my price range at all. So I am happy with that and I got to look through many different styles of white quartz slabs in the warehouse and bring a few home to decide. They are going to replace the whole thing. Now I just have to choose between Cararra Morro and Calacutta Clara!