Silestone Counter Tops:
A Buyer's Guide

Silestone Counter Tops are a man-made or engineered stone surface also called quartz countertops designed to look and perform similar to granite countertops.

Quartz countertops combine natural quartz from crushed granite with a binding resin and coloring agents to form a very hard and durable surface.

With characteristics nearly identical to granite and some unique design options Silestone counter tops make an excellent choice for your kitchen countertops, wet bar, bathroom countertops and more...

One caveat though is that like all quartz countertops, Silestone cannot be installed for an outdoor kitchen or outside at all since the resin and coloring will fade and yellow with sunlight exposure. Sunlight from windows is not a problem indoors though.

Other brands such as Zodiac countertops and Cambria quartz make essentially the same product as Silestone. They are all "quartz countertops" made pretty much the same way, however.....

Silestone is by far the leader of the quartz countertop market with more distributors, a more efficient production process and more colors to choose from, but the look, feel and function of Silestone isn't significantly different or "better" than the others.

Deciding which product/company to buy will likely come down to color choices and availability from a local fabricator or distributor, which can be an issue.

Some of the smaller companies may not have a certified fabricator/installer in your area.

Even though Silestone offers more colors, Zodiac, Cambria and others have different colors so you may want to check around, although....

I do recommend Silestone countertops for the reasons mentioned just above. As the major player in the market, Silestone is able to offer the best service, selection and price. So, unless you spot the exact color you want from a different manufacturer, I'd go with Silestone when choosing a quartz countertop.

Silestone Countertop Colors

Over 60 Silestone countertop colors are currently available in a broad range from whites to tans and browns to greens, blues and blacks. Silestone also offers a unique "leather" texture.

Pattern

Like a Zodiac counter top or a Cambria counter top, Silestone counter tops have a very uniform pattern. When compared to granite, engineered stone counter tops can seem kind of boring considering granite has an almost unlimited variety of patterns and colors (and "movement") to choose from.

However, many people prefer this consistent pattern over the entire countertop surface. And one advantage is that Silestone and all other types of quartz counter top slabs can be easily matched up at the seams without a shift in the pattern or color that can sometimes be seen with granite.

Also, Silestone has a few solid, bright colors like red, green & blue that are not found with granite.

Backslpashes are also available from Silestone in tiles or pre-fabricated mosaics.

Care & Maintenance

Resistant Not Invincible. Silestone counter tops are extremely resistant to chemicals, stains, heat and scratching (just like granite) but...

They are not heat or stain or scratch proof and can be damaged by intense heat or certain chemicals like bleach and food products such as... wine, vinegar, tea, lemon juice, coffee, soda, some fruits and vegetables if these substances are left to dry.

Really, it's not much to worry about. The truth is that you would have to try pretty hard and be very neglectful to do any real damage. Silestone quartz countertops can take the constant use and abuse of a kitchen, but damage is possible, so . . .

Always use cutting boards for food prep, trivets under hot pots and pans and wipe up spills before they dry.

Daily cleaning for Silestone is a snap. A sponge and hot water suffice for keeping things neat throughout the day. For more thorough cleaning it's best to use a natural stone cleaner (since Silestone is mostly quartz) like this Granite & Marble Cleaner which we find to offer the best performance and price.

In fact, using stone care products in general is best for Silestone and all quartz countertops.

Silestone does come with "Microban" which is an anti-microbial treatment. Nothing wrong with this, but it's benefit is hyped a bit. Studies show that granite and quartz countertops already are among the very cleanest of surfaces and do not harbor bacteria. Of course, microban does not replace normal cleaning and won't prevent food-borne illness.

Do not use abrasive powders such as Comet or abrasive scratch pads.
For more Do’s & Don’ts and general countertop maintenance, go to
Care & Cleaning.

Silestone vs. Granite

Good Marketing. Despite marketing efforts by makers of engineered stone to try and convince you otherwise, there isn’t any significant difference regarding performance, function, cleaning or price between granite and Silestone or other brands of quartz countertops.

Both types are excellent, but for a more thorough discussion try the countertop comparison page.

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