Countertop Options: Your Best Choices

At Legacy Tile & Granite, we can’t overstate how important it is to choose the right countertop for your kitchen or bathroom. The countertop acts as the centerpiece of the room, and it’s where people’s eyes travel first—so you want to make sure the eye travels there for a good reason!

There are so many different countertop options to consider, ones that blend with traditional, contemporary, modern, and farmhouse kitchens—and much more. In this article, you’ll find details about three of our most popular countertop selections so you can get more familiar with them and get closer to deciding.

Marble

Marble countertops have never faded from popularity, but in recent years they’ve been on the forefront of people’s minds in a big way. When it comes to aesthetics and new-age development, marble is the top choice for many of our customers.

Marble instantly elevates the look of a kitchen and gives it an aura of prestige and luxury. It puts across a bright, clean, crisp aesthetic that’s hard to find anywhere else, and it’s available in many shades like gray, brown, taupe, and green.

What’s also amazing about marble countertops is the fact that no two are exactly alike. Since these are natural stones formed within the earth, they are given mother nature’s unique touch.

But while marble is beautiful, it does require a certain degree of maintenance. It’s a softer stone, which means that you should always use a cutting board when dicing food in order to avoid scratches. Along with being soft, marble is also porous, so it’s important to clean up spills as soon as they occur. Cleaning marble on a regular basis can help with its quality.

Bakers love marble because it stays consistently cool. If you’re looking for the perfect surface to roll out dough, marble should be your number-one choice.

Marble doesn’t automatically come with a high price. Certain types, like Carrara, are more affordable than ever.

Quartz

Quartz is a great choice if you’re looking for durability. This type of countertop is built to last—it’s an engineered stone that contains no materials that degrade over time. The surface is nonporous, meaning it never needs to be sealed. And it’s incredibly hard, likened to concrete in terms of hardness.

Quartz is a great investment because it can help your home on the market. Buyers across the nation are looking for quartz countertops, so having them installed could give you the leg up you’re looking for.

These countertops are a great compromise because they have the durability of an engineered material with a look similar to natural stone. You can get the best of both worlds with quartz.

Granite

Granite comes in a variety of shades from light to dark, with a wide range of patterns as well. This natural stone countertop has long been the standard for durability and strength, and people also love the fact that it’s versatile. Granite slabs can be cut into a number of edge choices, including square, beveled, ogee, half bullnose, and full bullnose. No matter your preference when it comes to edges, granite will make it look good.

Like quartz, granite doesn’t need much maintenance to shine. But unlike quartz, granite does need sealant in order to remain as durable as it is—and this is because it’s a porous stone. To keep your granite slab looking gorgeous, we recommend avoiding harsh cleaning products and sticking simply to soap, water, and a soft cloth.

What’s great about granite is the fact that it’s so incredibly heat resistant. Hot pots and pans are nothing to worry about with this countertop type. When you slice food, though, we recommend using a cutting board—not to save the quality of your granite, but to save your knife from becoming dulled.