Granite vs Quartz Countertops: Which Is Better?
The short answer
Match the stone to your habits. Check who is making each claim. Ask to see the exact slab.
Written by the Chleb AI editorial team for New Granite & Marble. Every claim was checked against the linked sources by a second reviewer on November 11, 2026. How these guides are written and checked.
Published November 11, 2026
Shaped edge over a carved base. A job from the New Granite & Marble files.
Key takeaways
Quartz makers say theirs needs no sealing. The Natural Stone Institute says most granite does not need it either, though in many cases sealing makes sense.
Use a trivet on both. Every maker and institute care page we read says so.
Granite is the safer pick in direct sun, per the Institute's campaign site and MSI, who both have a stake. For a patio, MSI says quartz is not recommended outdoors.
Nobody has published an independent scratch or heat test we could cite, so choose on upkeep, sun and the exact slab.
Which is better for a kitchen, granite or quartz?
Neither wins every kitchen. Choose quartz if you want a repeatable color and no sealing question at all. Choose granite if strong sun hits the counter, you want the slab nobody else has, or the counter is outdoors. Per the Institute's campaign site and MSI, granite also tolerates heat better, but every care page we read still says to use a trivet on both.
Every source here has a stake. The Natural Stone Institute runs the Use Natural Stone campaign. Cambria and Caesarstone sell quartz, and MSI sells both stones. So we quote each group on its own product and trust the places where they agree. One popular comparison gives quartz a 300 degree limit and granite 1,200 degrees with no source, and the Caesarstone and Cambria care pages print no temperature at all.
How do granite and quartz compare side by side?
The table puts each claim beside the group that made it. Read it as what each group says, not as a lab test. We found no independent scratch or heat test numbers, so the table has none.
| Question | Granite | Engineered quartz | Who says so |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sealing | Most do not need it. Many benefit from it. | "Requires no sealing, polishing, or reconditioning." | Natural Stone Institute; Cambria |
| Hot cookware | "The use of trivets or mats is recommended." | "Always place hot cookware on trivet and hot pads." | Natural Stone Institute; Caesarstone |
| Direct sun | "Does not happen to natural stone." | Can fade or yellow within weeks; resins can discolor. | Use Natural Stone; MSI |
| Stains | Porous; sealing helps but is not stain proof. | Nonporous; resists staining without sealing. | Natural Stone Institute; Cambria |
| Scratches | The Institute care page gives no granite scratch rating. Ask the shop. | Cambria: "no stone surface is scratch-proof." Caesarstone: "Always use cutting board and clear away sharp objects." | Natural Stone Institute; Cambria; Caesarstone |
| Chips | Ask the shop about repair. | "No stone is chip-proof." Harder to repair. | Cambria; Use Natural Stone |
| Harsh products | Hydrofluoric acid attacks all stones. | Avoid strong solvents, acids and alkalis. | Natural Stone Institute; Caesarstone |
Does granite need sealing every year?
Usually not. Some retail pages say granite must be sealed regularly, and MSI's blog says to seal it regularly. The Natural Stone Institute says: "Most granite countertops do not need to be sealed." It adds that in many cases it makes sense to seal granite with a quality sealer, and that such a sealer should have a life expectancy of ten to fifteen years. So a flat "seal it every year" rule does not come from the stone trade body.
Sealing also has a limit. The Institute writes that it "does not make the stone stain proof, rather it makes the stone more stain resistant." If your slab is sealed, ask which sealer was used and its stated life expectancy. If a sealer goes on a food prep area, the Institute says to be sure it is "non-toxic and safe for use." Quartz owners skip this step: Cambria says its surface "eliminates the need for any sealing."
Which one handles hot pans better?
Granite is the stronger heat performer on paper, yet no maker or institute page says to skip the trivet. MSI says quartz is "not as heat-resistant as granite" and tells owners to use trivets and hot pads. The Institute writes, "While many stones can withstand heat, the use of trivets or mats is recommended."
Cambria is specific about where trouble starts: electric frying pans, griddles, air fryers, slow cookers, roaster ovens and heat lamps. It recommends "a closed-weave hot pad or solid trivet such as a breadboard." The exposed spots are the counter beside the range and the one under a small appliance. Two ranking pages go further and say granite barely needs a pad, which the Institute does not back. Our guide on hot pans and quartz goes deeper.
Sources for this section: 2 5 6. On this site: Can you put hot pans on quartz?.
Which one scratches, stains or chips less?
Stains: quartz takes less effort, because Cambria calls its surface nonporous and resistant to staining. Scratches: no one can rank them honestly, because no maker claims more than Cambria's "no stone surface is scratch-proof." Chips: Use Natural Stone says engineered quartz "can chip and it is more difficult to repair than natural stone because of the resin." Weigh that, since the site promotes natural stone.
Retail pages disagree on scratches. Marble Systems says quartz resists scratches more than granite. Granite Selection says granite resists everyday scratches. Both sell stone, and neither cites a test. Cambria adds a practical point: surface marks show more on monotone designs than on multicolored ones, so a busy pattern hides wear better on Cambria quartz.
Cambria says objects hitting edges, particularly at sinks or dishwashers, may cause chips, and that no stone is chip-proof. That applies to any stone, so ask the shop what it can do if an edge chips. Its repair page lists chips, cracks and stress marks. It does not say whether quartz repairs are covered, so ask before you sign.
Can granite or quartz go in a sunny window or outdoors?
Sun: granite is safer. Use Natural Stone says engineered quartz can begin to fade or turn yellow within weeks of direct sunlight and that this does not happen to natural stone. MSI says the resins that bind quartz "can discolor with long-term exposure to sunlight." Both have an interest, so treat the timing as their claim. It still matters for a bay window or slider that bakes one section of counter all afternoon.
Outdoors: start with granite. MSI, which sells both stones, calls quartz "not recommended for installation outdoors." We found no source on winter freeze and thaw for either material, so we make no claim about North Jersey winters. The shop's website says it works in natural stone indoors and outdoors, and its gallery has barbecue and bar top pages. Ask the shop what it recommends for your exposure, and tell it which way the window faces.
Sources for this section: 3 6. On this site: Outdoor kitchen countertops in New Jersey winters, Gallery.
How do you pick, and what should you ask before you sign?
Busy family with no time for upkeep: quartz. Heavy cook with a loaded range wall: granite, with trivets still in use. Strong afternoon sun or an outdoor bar: granite. One exact look: either, but pick the actual slab in person, because natural stone varies slab to slab and a small sample can mislead.
Before you sign, get a written estimate, the exact slab named, and the contractor's New Jersey registration number on the written contract. The state's consumer brief also says to get warranties in writing, to have the contract name the brands or grades of materials, and to ask for a copy of the commercial general liability insurance. Registration is not an endorsement, so check reviews too. Our guide to choosing a New Jersey fabricator covers the rest.
- Which exact slab, and what can I see in person before it is cut?
- Is the estimate built from my measurements, with sink, cooktop and backsplash shown?
- What is your registration number, and will it be on the written contract?
- How much deposit is due, and when?
- How do I care for this material in the maker's words, and what voids anything?
Sources for this section: 7. On this site: How to choose a countertop fabricator in New Jersey, Granite countertops, Quartz countertops.
How does New Granite & Marble handle the choice?
The shop in Hawthorne fabricates and installs granite, marble and quartz from Cambria, Silestone, Caesarstone and others. Its process page says to visit its stone yard, so ask what slabs you can see there. For the written estimate, email your measurements and a drawing showing your sink, cooking surface and backsplash. The estimate can change after template if final measurements or material choices change.
The process page says the work takes 3 to 5 business days from the time the shop has a deposit and your picked slabs. You get a 3 hour arrival window, and installation typically takes 2 to 4 hours. Sink, faucet and cooktop must be on site at template. Browse finished work in the gallery.
On this site: Process, Gallery.
More on this site: granite countertops, quartz countertops, our process and the gallery.
From this shop
The shop says its catalog holds over 300 types of granite, and it names Cambria, Silestone and Caesarstone among the quartz brands it fabricates. Cambria's own dealer locator lists the shop as a Cambria Premier Partner.
Source: Cambria dealer locator, Premier Partners, read November 11, 2026.
Questions people ask
Is granite or quartz better for a kitchen?
Neither wins every kitchen. Quartz needs no sealing, per Cambria. Granite is the safer pick in strong sun, per Use Natural Stone and MSI, who both have a stake. Use a trivet on both, then pick on upkeep, sun exposure and the look you want.
Does granite need to be sealed every year?
No source we read from the stone trade body says so. The Natural Stone Institute says most granite countertops do not need sealing, though in many cases it makes sense, and a quality sealer should last ten to fifteen years. Ask your fabricator about your slab.
Can I put a hot pan on granite or quartz?
Use a trivet on both. The Natural Stone Institute says trivets or mats are recommended, and Caesarstone and Cambria tell quartz owners to use trivets or hot pads.
Which is better outdoors, granite or quartz?
Start with granite. MSI, which sells both, says quartz is not recommended outdoors because its resins can discolor in long sun. We found no source on winter freeze and thaw, so ask a fabricator about your exposure.
Which scratches less?
We cannot say. Retail pages disagree, and Cambria says no stone surface is scratch-proof. Caesarstone tells quartz owners to use a cutting board; ask your fabricator about granite.
Sources
Each source below was opened and read. The line after each link says what we took from it. The numbers match the "Sources for this section" lines above.
- Sealing StoneMost granite does not need sealing; in many cases sealing makes sense; sealer life expectancy ten to fifteen years.
- Care and CleaningTrivets or mats recommended; sealing makes stone more stain resistant, not stain proof; sealer in food prep area must be non-toxic and safe for use; hydrofluoric acid attacks all stones including granite.
- Granite vs. Engineered Quartz CountertopQuartz less heat resistant than natural stone, can chip and is harder to repair, can fade in direct sun; association bias.
- Quartz mineral surfaces care and maintenanceAlways place hot cookware on trivet and hot pads; cutting board; avoid strong chemicals, solvents, acids, alkalis, oxidizers.
- Product care FAQNo sealing; no stone surface is scratch-proof; closed-weave hot pad or solid trivet; appliance list; no stone is chip-proof, edges at sinks and dishwashers.
- Which Performs Better: Quartz Or Granite?Granite regularly sealed; quartz non-porous, not as heat-resistant as granite, use trivets; quartz not recommended outdoors; resins can discolor in long-term sun. MSI sells both.
- Hiring Home Improvement ContractorsRegistration required and not an endorsement; written contract with registration number; liability insurance copy; warranties in writing; brands or grades of materials in contract.
- Quartz vs granite countertops: which is betterClaims quartz resists scratches more than granite and gives unsourced 300 and 1,200 degree limits; retailer claim, no test cited.
- Granite Selection pros and consSays granite handles heat better and resists everyday scratches and needs regular sealing; seller claim, no test cited.
