There really is no correct answer to whether quartz or granite is the best choice. It is really a matter of preference and how one values natural beauty, heat resistance, low maintenance, and uniform durability. They both excel in different areas, so which one is most important to you?
Granite is a natural stone, quarried from the ground, sliced into slabs, and polished. It has an inherent natural beauty but is not for everyone. Because it is a natural product, no two slabs are identical. If you can hand pick a slab you love, this can be a great choice but beware that picking a type of granite that you like based off a sample of does not mean what is installed will look the same. Granite can have unpredictable patterns, veining, and color variations. This can be beautiful or undesirable, depending upon your preference.
One of the biggest benefits to granite is that one can set hot pots and pans directly on the surface without scorching it, though it is still recommended to use trivets to protect the sealer. It is also highly scratch resistant. I’ve personally tried scratching it with a knife to no avail. They are not indestructible though and can chip if a heavy object is dropped on them, especially on an edge. If you have an outdoor kitchen, granite excels, because it is highly UV resistant.
Granite may sound great so far, but there are some downsides. It is a naturally porous product, which means liquids can soak in and cause stains and/or harbor bacteria. It should be sealed when installed, but then will require regular maintenance, resealing yearly to maintain its original beauty.
Quartz on the other hand is an engineered stone made with crushed natural quartz crystals mixed with polymer resins and pigments. Technically it is still mostly a natural stone (roughly 90%), just not in its original state. Unlike granite, its patterns are uniform and predictable. Quartz products can be made to look like granite, marble, concrete, or even solid colors that you won’t find naturally in a quarry. Because of the resins in quartz, it is much less prone to cracking or chipping than granite. Those resins do have a downside though, as high heat can cause them to melt, leaving permanent burns and discolorations. Use trivets or hot pads when placing hot pots and pans on quartz products.
While the resins do make quartz products susceptible to heat, the upside is that those same resins make it a non-porous surface. As such, it never needs to be sealed and is great at resisting staining. It’s also naturally antimicrobial, because bacteria can’t get inside the surface, just wipe the countertops clean! Quartz isn’t a great choice in outdoor applications, because the resins can yellow in direct sunlight due to UV rays, and change the color of your countertops.
Another option, not to be confused with quartz, is quartzite. Quartzite is not an engineered product, but a natural stone quarried similarly to granite. As such, it is like granite in some respects, one being the need to seal it yearly to maintain its original beauty. Also, like granite, it is very hard and durable, in fact, on the hardness scale it ranks harder than granite or even steel. If you like the look of marble, white quartzite has a similar look at roughly half the cost. Not only is it less expensive, but it is also harder, more durable, and won’t etch when exposed to acids (lemon juice or vinegar).
Granite or quartzite wins in outdoor applications, but inside the home, all these materials are excellent choices that will increase your home’s value. Neither one is necessarily more or less expensive than the other and there is great overlap in pricing between them. Rarer natural stones are naturally (pun intended) going to cost more and some brands of quartz cost more than others. If you want a unique natural beauty, don’t want to worry about hot pans and don’t mind a little maintenance, granite or quartzite is probably your best bet. However, if you don’t want any maintenance, prefer a uniform or more modern look and worry about staining, then quartz is probably the way to go.