Oh my, I hope the sterile up-scale hospital cafeteria look doesnÂt become a trend. If it does it doesnÂt look at all cozy so I wouldnÂt expect it to last long. But then again with the N.Y Times hanging at the end of a financial thread for so long who would have thought they would still be around.

Opps! I posted on the wrong thread above.
I think most are using granite and soapstone. There are lots of lovely countertops out there in other materials but there is always worry about re-sale because so many want the granite.

Perhaps your KD gets a better commission from the manufacturer by using man made counter tops.

I'm a granite fan myself.

You understand that Caesarstone IS quartz, right? The way your post is worded, it seems like you were unclear. Quartz countertops -- aka "engineered stone" countertops -- are all made the same way -- 93% quartz held together by resin. Different quartz countertop manufacturers make different colors. The big manufacturers are: Zodiaq (by Dupont); Silestone (by Corian); Cambria; Caesarstone. Many of the choices do have that "terrazo" look -- but others have more "movement" to them, like some marbles or granites might.

I hope that helps. I've been investigating them for about a year and half. I would love to put them in our new home, but I, too am shocked and disappointed at their price. With the price of granite having come down so much, it seems hard to not just go with it. I guess as a realtor I see so much granite (and usually the same colors over and over, since those are presumably the easiest to mine and therefore are the cheapest), I just really wanted to go with something different. We'll see.

There are a lot of choices in granite and the prices have come down so much that it makes it a great budget choice. It may be that the KD makes more money from the Caesarstone.

Don't settle for standard granite choices. Shop around and find what you love and then bargain for the best price.

I was drawn to quartz countertops through reading, but when I went to the showroom and saw them alongside granite there was no doubt that I would put natural stone in my kitchen. I loved the busier stones and ended up getting one with lots of veining. As for getting something different than other people, quartz is extremely uniform. A plus for some tastes, but not for mine.

How about the recycled glass counters? I think they look wonderful, and very practical too. Not cheap, though.

Here is a link that might be useful: Vetrazzo recycled glass counters