Quartz and granite are the two worktop materials we template and fit most often across London, and neither is simply better than the other. Each suits a different kind of household, budget and kitchen. Here is an honest comparison from a stonemason's bench, not a showroom brochure.
Granite is natural stone, quarried in slabs, cut and polished. Every slab is unique, which is why we always encourage customers to visit a slab yard in person rather than choose from a small sample. What you see in a 100mm square can look quite different across a full 3 metre slab.
Quartz is engineered stone: roughly 90 to 93 percent ground natural quartz bound with resins and pigments. That manufacturing process gives it a consistent pattern from slab to slab, so if your kitchen needs three slabs, they will match. It also means quartz is non-porous straight out of the factory, with no sealing needed.
Both materials are extremely hard and will comfortably outlast the kitchen cabinets beneath them. Granite has one clear advantage: heat. You can set a hot pan on most granites without drama, whereas the resins in quartz can scorch or discolour above roughly 150 degrees, so trivets are essential.
Quartz wins on staining. Granite is porous and needs sealing when fitted and then re-sealing every one to three years depending on the stone and how hard the kitchen works. Miss that and red wine, turmeric or beetroot can leave a mark. Quartz shrugs those off with soapy water. One caveat with quartz: strong sunlight through a south-facing window or bifold doors can fade some colours over the years, which is worth raising with your fitter if the worktop runs along glazing.
For a typical London kitchen, expect supplied-and-fitted prices from around £250 to £450 per square metre for entry-level quartz or common granites, rising to £600 or more per square metre for premium quartz brands or rarer granites. An average kitchen of 6 to 8 square metres therefore usually lands somewhere between £2,000 and £5,000, though cut-outs, drainer grooves, upstands and complex templating all move the figure.
The honest answer on price is that the two materials overlap heavily. A basic granite can undercut branded quartz, and a rare granite can cost double a mid-range quartz. Always get a quote based on your actual kitchen plan, including sink and hob cut-outs, rather than relying on a per-metre headline rate.
If you want a marble look without marble's fragility, quartz is usually the answer. Manufacturers have become very good at veined whites and greys that suit the shaker and handleless kitchens popular in Victorian terrace extensions across London. If you want depth, movement and a surface no neighbour can replicate, natural granite is hard to beat, particularly in darker or more dramatic stones.
Practically speaking, we tend to steer busy family kitchens and rental properties towards quartz for the zero-maintenance factor, and keen cooks or period property owners towards granite for its heat tolerance and character. Outdoor kitchens should be granite, as quartz resins are not rated for UV exposure.
Choose quartz if low maintenance, colour consistency and a bright marble-effect finish matter most. Choose granite if you cook a lot with hot pans, love natural variation, or want a worktop for an outdoor or sun-drenched space. Neither is a wrong answer, and both, properly templated and fitted, should serve for decades.
Whichever way you lean, view full slabs before committing, ask exactly what sealing or care the stone needs, and make sure your quote itemises templating, cut-outs and fitting so there are no surprises on installation day.
No. Quartz is non-porous because of the resin content, so it never needs sealing. Granite should be sealed at installation and then re-sealed every one to three years depending on the stone and use.
Best not to. The resins in quartz can scorch or discolour above roughly 150 degrees, so always use a trivet. Granite handles direct heat far better, though sudden extreme temperature changes can stress any stone.
Most jobs run seven to fourteen days from templating to installation, depending on slab availability and the complexity of cut-outs. The fitting itself is usually done in a single day for an average London kitchen.
Free survey and quote across London and 50 miles out. We will come and template once you are ready to commit.