All About White Quartz Countertops

When we purchased our Florida home I knew right away that I wanted to add white quartz countertops to the kitchen. Whether you are doing cosmetic kitchen updates or an entire kitchen renovation, selecting countertops can be an overwhelming and expensive endeavor. In this post, I’m sharing the mistakes we made when selecting quartz countertops and how to avoid them, along with everything else you need to know about purchasing and caring for them.

I was really excited about having gray cabinets with white counters and a marble backsplash. I had this budget-friendly kitchen renovation designed in my head before execution. And overall, I’m really happy with the option to go with white quartz.

Everything you need to know about White Quartz Countertops

What are quartz countertops, anyway?

While quartz countertops are made from naturally occurring stone, they are actually man-made engineered stone countertops formed by combining ground quartz with resins and polymers to hold it together and pigments to create the coloring. The combination forms a hard stone surface that is durable and low-maintenance. This quality material makes for countertops that will last for many years. Quartz countertops come in many colors and can even mimic granite or marble.

Where to purchase white quartz countertops

You can purchase quartz countertops from kitchen showrooms, quartz fabricators, and big box stores. The big box stores typically have less variety. When purchasing from a showroom or a fabricator you’ll be able to select the exact slab of quartz you’ll be installing in your home. That is a major perk over the generic picks you’ll be able to get from the big box stores.

How much do quartz countertops cost?

The cost of quartz varies widely from around $50 per square foot to $150 per square foot at the high end. We paid just over $3000 for the Viatera Celeste quartz countertops (plus installation) in our small galley-style kitchen. This cost would be on the low end. We purchased it from The Home Depot (more on that later).

My Selection of Viatera Celeste white quartz countertops and why I wouldn’t buy them again

As I mentioned we purchased our quartz countertops from a big box store and I think overall that was a mistake for us. We made that choice more out of convenience and naivete than anything. We had gone to several fabricators but felt very in over our heads as first-time home renovators. We didn’t know how to go about purchasing and then finding installers. It felt much more manageable to go into a hardware store, pick from a dozen choices and have them make the installation arrangements. Now that I feel like a more seasoned home renovator, I feel more confident and as though we could easily figure out how to buy countertops and get them installed.

Don’t feel too overwhelmed to get what you want. I settled for countertops that were just okay instead of ones I really loved because I was too intimidated to ask for what I wanted. At the end of the day, the fabricators want to make money. They want your business – so ask the silly questions, even if you are uncomfortable.

To be fair, the white quartz countertops I did end up getting aren’t bad. They just weren’t my first choice. I would have preferred something that had some veining. The white quartz countertops I got have beautiful specks of recycled glass in them that almost sparkle and I do like that.

What are the downsides to white quartz countertops?

There aren’t many downsides to quartz countertops. Depending on your budget, one downside can be the cost. I mentioned already that the cost varies but even the least expensive option is much higher than budget-friendly materials such as wood or laminate. That being said, for the high-end look and durability, white quartz countertops are really a good option. Another downside that is worth mentioning is that he can’t take high heat. You must always use a trivet for your pots and pans. Most manufacturers say that quartz can take up to 400-degree heat but a sudden change in temperature can cause the material to crack.

What are the perks of white quartz countertops?

There are tons of white quartz options. They have a huge variation from basic white countertops with speckles to granite or marble-looking quartz slabs that have beautiful veining. There are also white quartz countertops with sparkly flecks of recycled glass. 

Quartz is a popular trend that gives warmth to a kitchen and is very common in modern kitchens. It creates a level of sophistication that definitely pays you back when you sell your home down the road.

Quartz is stain resistant (not stain proof) which makes it superior to granite in my opinion. In the three years that we lived in our old house, I never worried about staining our white quartz countertops. Quartz is non-porous so you don’t have to worry about cleaning up messes immediately. Even when my countertops appeared stained, I was always able to get the stain up with glass cleaner and a bit of elbow grease. With little kids, rings of red juice would sometimes sit for several hours and the countertops always cleaned up nicely.

Are there visible seams?

When the installers come to install the countertops, there will likely be a couple of seams depending on how big your kitchen is and how big the slab is that you found. I found that the two seams that I had in my kitchen were very hard to see unless you were looking for them.

How to clean white quartz countertops?

Thinking about how hard or easy it is to keep surfaces clean is a good idea when getting new countertops. I like low maintenance so quartz countertops are great for me. To clean white quartz countertops use gentle cleaners that do not contain bleach. Bleach can dull the surface. I use soft sponges or rags with mild soap. If you do find a surface stain on your white quartz countertops you can use glass cleaner to get those up.

Would I choose white quartz countertops again?

Absolutely, yes! I would select quartz countertops again and again. It was the single best choice we made in our kitchen. They are a really great material to have in your home. I would just be sure to get exactly what I wanted instead of settling because I felt too intimidated to ask for what I wanted in a showroom!