White Marble or Granite or Quartz Kitchen Worktops – Which is the ideal pick?

White kitchen worktops have always been preferred and desired as white is considered to be synonymous with perfection, light, purity, cleanliness and goodness. Granite, marble and quartz are all widely used materials for kitchen worktops and offer a number of options when it comes to colour white. All these three types of worktops are aesthetically appealing, durable, long lasting, and can be easily cut and polished to suit any kitchen layout or décor theme. Now the big question here is – what could be an ideal pick – white marble worktops or granite worktops or white quartz kitchen worktops. Well, the answer to this question depends on certain factors as discussed below:

I. Maintenance

Although white kitchen countertops have their own merit in terms of aesthetic appeal, class and elegance, there are also concerns related to maintenance and daily up-keep as white work surfaces are more susceptible to stains and scratches. These concerns are totally justified and assume great importance when deciding on the material for your kitchen worktops. Let us see how the three choices of countertop materials flare on this aspect:

• Granite – Granite is one of the most low maintenance kitchen countertop materials. It is not only durable, but also completely resistant to stains and scratches. Granite countertops can withstand heat associated with cooking or serving food, and also does not break, crack or show water marks even after day-to-day wear and tear. Granite work surfaces do not fade or discolour with time.

• Quartz – Even if you go for white quartz kitchen worktops, you do not need to worry about maintenance as quartz is non-porous and does not stain easily. It does not require any top coat applications or polishing once installed and is virtually maintenance-free. 

• Marble – Natural marble countertops are the most porous of all three and can easily get stained from spills acidic in nature. It is also sensitive to potent chemical cleaners and can reach instantly causing stains. White marble worktops hence require high maintenance in the form of professional sealing once or twice every year.

II.    Beauty & Aesthetics

Both granite and marble (excluding engineered marble) are natural beautiful stones found in different parts of the world. This means each of them has its own unique grains, veins, flecks, patterns, textures and colour variations (white, off-white, white-grey combination) offering several options when it comes to choosing a unique and elegant white countertop for your kitchen.

On the other hand, quartz surfaces are made from 92-94% crushed quartz and 7% resin. These surfaces also consist of coloured dyes as without colour enhancements they tend to look dull. Quartz countertops hence cannot be said to be 100% natural.  Unlike natural stones, they typically feature a uniform composition with relatively little amount of veins, grains and flecks. However, you get more number of options in colour shades in white quartz worktops for your kitchen.

It is also important to note that each of these materials is available in a range of quality levels and hence pricing options. Make your decision after thoroughly understanding your functional, aesthetic and budgetary needs and assessing the properties of these worktops. Pick the one that best meets your requirements.