Oops! On my above post, I should have said, "The higher the product number of the color/pattern you choose (9XXX vs a 2XXX), the more LARGER quartz particles it contains (AS OPPOSED TO QUARTZ GRAINS) AND THE TOUGHER/HARDER THE SURFACE IS."

Are larger quartz particles more likely to pop out and leave pits? Is CaesarStone the only one who does that? I don't remember hearing anything about that looking into Silestone.

Sue

Actually based on a DH DIY test on #3XXX and #9XXX samples with a...er, blowtorch to see how much heat the product could withstand. (NOT a pretty picture on either sample after 20 seconds with the torch aimed within 1-inch of the surface, but it did prove you can put a lot of heat to CaesarStone before any melting of binders occurs. By the way, the same test on granite cracked it all over the place.)

We have both a #9XXX (kitchen) and #3XXX (baths) product installed since June and nothing is popped, pitted or otherwise marred on either.

I prefer the 3/4"
below a picture with 3/4" zodiaq.

and undercounter sink detail

Nice, nice! A very sleek looking kitchen, Giacomo.

Thanks for the advice and pictures. Very helpful. I'm going for Blizzard Caesarstone (2141 - eek after teedup1's comments, until I realized the alternative for me was laminate). One section is 13.5 feet long with a cooktop at one end and 30" open at the other end for munching/kid homework etc. The other section (galley kitchen) is 7 feet long between a wall oven cabinet and a fridge, with a dishwasher, drop in SS sink with draining board, and wine fridge. Frameless IKEA cabinets are glossy blue; countertop and walls will be white. Having seen all your photos, I like both the 3/4" and the thicker one. So I shall see what the price difference is.

Do you need plywood under these countertops? I heard you need that for granite.

my zodiaq bathroom vanity top is only 2 cm and, after a year and a half it still looks funny to me. i think i'd like it even less on a larger surface like a kitchen counter.

I wanted to have plywood under all of my stone - it sits on top of the cabinet boxes. (Whether I needed it or not was not something I entertained since the existing counter height needed to be a bit taller after removing the prior old-fashioned thick concrete-'n-screen motar bed and ceramic tile.)

If you lay plywood on top, you WILL have to have something (laminate CeasarStone to front edges or a cabinet stock filler strip)to cover the exposed plywood edge.