Why are granite countertops such a big deal?

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I keep seeing granite countertops listed on real-estate listings, home improvement/remodeling project ads, etc. Why is this particular amenity so popular and considered such a plus? What are the alternatives and why are they inferior (at least, inferior enough not to be explicitly mentioned like granite countertops are)?

In: Engineering

20 Answers

Anonymous 0 Comments

I’m not a contractor, but I am a geologist, and I’ve been helping my mom redo her kitchen. First of all, granite can be really pretty, and adds a lot from an aesthetic standpoint. It’s on the expensive side, but it’s also stone, so it can handle having a hot pot set down on it better than most other materials can. After all, what’s even a 500°F cast iron skillet when granites form somewhere around 1500°F and up? It’s also relatively difficult to chip or scratch once it’s installed unless you’re really putting some effort into it, so it’s durable.

Most of the alternatives are man-made products. Laminate, solid surface, and even wood countertops don’t deal nearly as well with heat, though they tend to be cheaper. Engineered stone, marketed under different brand names, is what my mom eventually went for. It’s less expensive than granite, and more resilient to heat and scratches than the solid surface ones. They don’t quite have the aesthetics, but there are some that dont look too bad.

Anonymous 0 Comments

Granite countertops are not the best available, nor are they the worst. Granite is, however, currently quite trendy, in the US. When many home shoppers see “granite countertops,” it makes a home seem more appealing and desirable. And there are many other such features that are seen as trendy and desirable, such as “barn-door-style sliding doors” and “farmhouse sinks” and “stainless-steel appliances.” When people see certain features mentioned in a home description, they are more likely to want to see and maybe purchase the house, which leads more people to install and advertise such features, before listing a house for sale. Ultimately, it’s simple salesmanship–giving the people what they want.

If you’re still curious, here’s a good article from Zillow, explaining certain currently desirable home features.

[https://www.zillow.com/research/listing-features-that-sell-23814/](https://www.zillow.com/research/listing-features-that-sell-23814/)

Anonymous 0 Comments

they’re considered a luxury over the cheap plastic counter tops. they’re much more attractive and durable than plastic counter tops.

and “solid” granite (or other natural stone, like marble, quartz, etc) countertops are extremely expensive. but a lot of the times the “granite” counter top is just a thin layering on top with the bottom part just wood or other material, kind of like how jewelry has the “gold-plated” variety vs the “solid” gold variety.

Anonymous 0 Comments

Lol any counter top that isn’t plastic or laminate and is a solid slab of stone of considered a “luxury”

Anonymous 0 Comments

An alternative to granite is quartz. It has the same qualities and is the same price but comes in more colours and is easier to install.

Anonymous 0 Comments

Granite benchtops allow hot surfaces, such as hotnpots and pans to be placed directly on them, without causing too much damage, and they are easier to clean and maintain.

Anonymous 0 Comments

They look nice, they are heat resistant (you can put a hot pan directly on the counter), easy to clean….mainly the look nice part.

Anonymous 0 Comments

It’s a signal for luxury/high end kitchens. There are a few other terms that signify trim level, like stainless appliances (and even high end brands like Viking, Sub Zero, Bosch), crown moulding. They change over time however, and now seeing something like quartz counters may be seen even more favorably. It’s because it’s often too hard to descent qualitative aspects in photos

Anonymous 0 Comments

You can take a hot pot off the stove and set it on a granite countertop with no damage. This is much better than a plastic countertop, which would be instantly destroyed.

Granite comes in pieces big enough that the whole counter could be one piece, or at least only a couple of pieces. This is much better than tile, the other heat resistant option, which has grout lines which can be very difficult to clean.

Granite can be very pretty, with interesting rock formations in it, which it better than man-made quartz countertops, which share granite’s other desirable properties. Frankly, a lot of people prefer quartz, but htat’s a regional trend and highly subject to change.

Anonymous 0 Comments

Fucked if I know. I (well, the wife) watches a lot of US house remodelling shows and we agree that granite countertops generally look fucking awful. Way too busy-looking.