We are in the midst of an ever-growing remodeling project, and one of the many many many decisions (more posts to come) is what material to use for the countertops.

Here is a general list of possible materials for your consideration:  Laminate, acrylic solid surface, polyester solid surface, engineered stone (“quartz”), granite, soap stone, slate, concrete, stainless steel, tile, glass, wood, & paper composite.

From this list, we were particularly interested in granite and slate.  After hours and hours of research, we found mostly confusing and contradictory information about the durability and stain resistance of these materials, so we obtained some samples and did our own testing.  Here are the initial results:

Stain Testing

Countertop Stain Test Substances: Tea, Blueberries, and Turmeric

Stain resistance:  3 highly staining foods that we use frequently were tested:  tea, blueberries, and turmeric.  These were mixed with water and left overnight.  The slate was completely unstained, (as was the soapstone), and the granite was easily stained.  Note however, that the granite was very likely not sealed.

Tea and Turmeric Stains in Granite Countertop

Closeup of Tea and Turmeric Stain in Granite Countertop

Blueberry Stain in Granite Countertop

Closeup of Blueberry Stain in Granite Countertop

Durability Testing

Iron Disk ("Salamander") Used for Durability Testing

Durability: A small (~2″ diameter) iron disk (actually the traditional way for carmalizing sugar on creme brulee, called a salamander) was rested on its handle with the disk on top and allowed to drop on the varioius samples.   The slate was slightly chipped, the soapstone was more badly chipped, and the granite was completely unscratched.

Chip in Slate Countertop

Closeup of Chip in Slate Countertop

So, where does that leave  us, other than with the realization that there is no perfect material.  We certainly spill staining stuff a lot more often than we drop iron objects, but they say if granite is sealed, it won’t stain, but the chemicals have very toxic sounding names, not something we would be happy about for food preparation surfaces, and it needs renewing periodically, with possibly the only warning being a new stain.  On the other hand, one slip with a cast iron frying pan may be the end of a slate countertop.