Yes, I said love. That may seem like a strong declaration for countertops, but let me explain…

Both my parents and my in-laws are in the midst of home improvement projects right now—mine are updating their master bath and my in-laws are updating their kitchen. They’ve both asked our opinions on what kind of countertops they should get, and without hesitation, my husband and I both responded “quartz”.

We selected quartz countertops for our kitchen five years ago and we couldn’t be happier with them!

When we were going through the home building process, we took it upon ourselves to do some research before we got to selections day. We wanted to make sure that the materials and design features we chose would be smart investments. So when it came to our kitchen countertops, we had three choices: laminate, quartz or granite.

After reading up on our options, we decided that quartz countertops would be the best decision for us. At the time, they were priced slightly higher than the granite option, but we thought they’d be the best investment. And after five years, I’m happy to say that our decision is still going strong! Here’s why:

Durability. They have held up beautifully. Not a knick or scratch to be seen. This may depend somewhat on the color and style; ours are dark brown and tend to camouflage crumbs (which is both awesome and somewhat embarrassing!). We’ve dropped things on them, knives have slipped while chopping fruits and veggies, and still there’s not a dent or scratch to be found. I’ve even set hot pots and bowls on them without a problem, though most of the time I do use a trivet or pot holder to be safe.

Maintenance-Free. Tom and I knew it’d be highly unlikely that we would remember, or want to take the time to, reseal granite countertops once to twice a year. We love that our quartz countertops are maintenance-free, with no special sealing or cleaning processes required. I wipe them down daily with a damp dishcloth and occasionally use a mild cleaner on them, but that’s it. No special treatment needed!

They’re gorgeous! This was what really sold me – quartz countertops gave me the look of granite that I loved with the added bonuses of more durability and no maintenance. A win-win-win for sure! They come in all sorts of colors and styles. Ours have lots of variation in them, with darker and lighter elements. They even sparkle when they catch the light! My brother- and sister-in-law chose light quartz countertops—white with grey and black speckled in—for their kitchen and they are just as gorgeous!

So, there you have it. Three reasons why I love our quartz countertops and would recommend them to anyone! Price-wise, it seems that quartz is often comparable with granite, so if you’re wanting to invest for looks as well as durability, I’d say give quartz a chance!