granite vs silestone

Silestone is lower-maintenance than granite (non-porous, no occasional sealing [that means a coat of plastic] required, more stain-resistant). Granite will impress people who think "real" is necessarily better. Granite prices vary wildly. Silestone is a bit cheaper than nearly all slab-size granite.

Me, I'm sticking with Formica -- I don't need a long-lasting material when kitchen styles get 'old' looking in ten years or so. Just not that ugly integrated backsplash for me, thanks.

I just completed my kitchen and even though my contractor swore up and down as to why I should use granite, I went with Silestone. For me it was that I have a busy tile floor and backsplash; I didn't want a busy grainy/marble looking countertop. With Silestone there were so many colors and patterns to choose. I also didn't want to do the "usual" kitchen Granite/Stainless Steel appliances. I wanted something different.

I picked a simple but elegant Capri Limestone Silestone color and the room just came together and looks awesome! It's easy to keep clean and really shines under the light. I am so happy with my decision.

I did the opposite - less busy tile and emerald pearl granite. You dont really have to worry with dark colored granite on maintenance either. . . .

So it depends on the whole look. With the less busy tile - i liked the luminesence of the granite. It is more textured than the manmade stuff. . .so depends.

you might also want to check out "absolute black"

I used unhoned "rough" granite which looks much more like stone than the glossy, borderline cheesy stuff most people associate with granite kitchens. It has held up incredibly well and adds a ton of texture to a kitchen. I highly reccomend it -- nice samples at Home Depot for a good price . . .

op here... so how much more expensive is granite over silestone? i like the less care required aspect of the silestone. and yes, it looks more homogenous and less unique, but i think the silestone looks fine...

It's all about looking for bargains - the price different I got was not great enough so i just picked what i liked the most. In the end I choose granite for texture and the colors.

OP again... any suggestions on where to look? I know nothing about renovations, kitchens etc. If its not at Home Depot... well, I dont really know about it. 8-) Help appreciated.

Some friends recently redid their kitchen & went with silestone from Home Depot & had them do the installation, as well, & they're very happy with it & the silestone is available in some amazing colors. The price, I don't know, but he's very frugal so it must have been good.

I didn't find home depot to be the best priced for any of the above. . .you have to do some research and find people usually through your contactor.

So, #11, what vendors (and/or vendor-installers) did you find to be better priced than HD? I'm sure they'd appreciate the referrals, and we'd appreciate the resources. Thanks in advance.

Is it true that you can put hot pots and pans right off the stove onto both granite and silestone without damaging it? But I thought granite required periodic sealing (?). Isnt that like a layer of ... I dont know... stuff? And wouldn't the pan melt the stuff?

i put hot stuff on it all the time - just do research. . it is one of the hardest natural surfaces.

I ended up using a small vendor which I would rather not list here since they are so small. They dont even have a shop or website - just a husband and wife team. I know there were decent prices also at Swan Tile and Ideal Tile.