Zodiaq countertop review--turns out I like engineered stone countertops after all

When we were planning our remodel both my husband and I were very opinionated about the materials and design of the kitchen.  I won't go into the details but I was opposed to Zodiaq and other engineered stone countertops (Silestone is another brand name). To me the engineered stone countertops were too expensive (and there was no way to reduce cost since this is one project you can't DIY), too cold and hard to the touch, too trendy and often too ugly.  Well, he "won." But  now that the Zodiaq countertops have been in for over a month I've been won over by the functionality of the surface.

Here's my review:

Durability: I've really been won over by the durability. This morning I left a frozen blueberry on my white countertop and came home this evening to a dark blue puddle of juice. It wiped off with water. No problem.  The countertop seems impervious to almost anything including heat and potential stains which is good since I'm not too good at keeping the counters spotless ;)  The undermount sink also makes wiping up easy.

Price: The countertops are expensive.  You can't get around that but you can still save some money. Obviously, if you can, wait for any discounts or promotions. Our countertop came with the undermount sink included  which saved us a few hundred dollars. Also, installation is included. It was awfully nice to sit around the house and watch someone not related to me work on our remodel (it was the first time). Finally, you can save a bundle depending on the profile you choose. Some of the fancy edges can add hundreds of dollars to your order. Our square edge was the standard so no extra charge. We also opted to do a non stone back splash so we didn't have to pay for extra material.

Texture: As expected, the counters are cold and ultra hard. I haven't broken anything on them but expect I will. I always use a cutting board for chopping so I don't dull my knives. Also, I discovered if you accidentally scratch them with your fingernail it's just like running your nails over a chalkboard. If you're really sensitive to this sort of thing, be sure to scratch the sample in the store and see if it will bug you. Not that I spend a lot of time scratching my counter but I really hate that feeling.

Color:  With the engineered stone you can get a whole range of colors and textures including several neutrals. It's pretty much like Corian (both are Du Pont products) I found the selection of colors to be good ; plenty of choice but not too overwhelming. We still had a hard time choosing and ultimately decided on "cloud white" which white (obviously) with a fine grain of white and light flecks. We were hoping to do the new color "carrera" which is supposed to mimic marble but none of the stores were stocking it yet and we needed to get our remodel going. If you want the look of marble with the functionality of an engineered product you may want to check this out.  Anyway, on our cloud white counter there are a few dark specks (that look like pepper) which my mom kept trying to wipe off but I'm used to them by now.

Overall: I almost hate to say it but I like the counters. No worries about hot pans scorching or red wine staining and they were installed in 3 hours while I played with my daughter. If you can't decide on a kitchen counter you may want to check out engineered stone. If it's in your budget, it seems to be a good investment.