ᐅ Kitchen consultation: granite countertop and Siemens appliances?

Pwnage619 schrieb:

I’m also going to take another look at quartz stone. It’s probably cheaper than granite, right?

High quality is generally more expensive.

Pwnage619 schrieb:

Does anyone know if ceramic is cheaper, more expensive, or about the same price as granite?

Even more expensive...

Pwnage619 schrieb:

Hmm, so would you say granite is better than ceramic? The kitchen studio currently has a very nice granite countertop on offer, so the extra cost isn’t that high.

BMW or Benz?

Yes, ceramic is different. Ceramic is great—heat resistant, very hard, can have a fantastic appearance—but it is also simply extremely, extremely expensive.
For me, granite is not really a kitchen material because of its sensitivity to acids.
I would choose either quartz composite (best of all worlds), solid wood (very beautiful if it matches the rest, but requires a lot of maintenance), or CPL laminate (if the budget is tight).
We will probably have to go with CPL laminate first and will choose a white wood-look finish. Last year, I definitely wanted white quartz composite, but both my wife, who suddenly didn’t want pure white anymore, and the construction delays with the resulting significant cost increases, put a stop to that plan.

So, we have a two-row kitchen with a two-tone design. The cooktop is on the island with ceramic, and the sink is on the back wall with Nero Assoluto granite. For me, it’s the perfect combination. Of course, it’s not the cheapest option. I really like the feel and appearance of ceramic. Both materials can chip at the edges. Our ceramic countertop has rounded edges for that reason. The Nero granite has a beveled edge. Recently, I accidentally scraped the granite countertop with a heavy cast iron pot. The bevel got a tiny mark. It’s not serious and not noticeable, but damage can happen with any material. If price is not the deciding factor (it might be worth requesting a quote), I can only say that I really love the ceramic countertop.

By the way, I would always prioritize practical experience like that of @face26 over theoretical considerations like mine...

Me again. Our sink is made of ceramic and unfortunately it has already cracked once. It was replaced, but now it has a chip again. I wouldn’t choose a ceramic sink anymore, especially since it was quite expensive.

With quartz, I don’t see any damage at all so far.

Tolentino schrieb:

By the way, I would always prefer practical experience like that of @face26 over theoretical considerations like mine...

Haha, thanks. But experiences are always subjective, just like tastes vary.
I’ve had experience with granite countertops for 15 years. Granite is pretty great. In our 15-year-old kitchen, the countertop (also Nero Assoluto) still looked like new (except for one chipped edge, by the way).
For me, the price-performance ratio is the best here, since Nero is one of the more affordable granite options. So if ceramic were too expensive, that would be my personal first choice.
I just prefer durability and I’m not really into patina.