Granite countertops in New Jersey — the durable natural stone, at every price level

Where granite still wins

Heat first: a granite counter takes a hot pot without a trivet, which quartz does not. Then price at the entry level — the speckled greys, the Uba Tubas and the Black Pearls sit at the lowest countertop level on our estimate — and the leathered and honed black granites that give the soapstone look without soapstone's softness. Granite is porous, so it is sealed at installation and resealed every year or two; wine and oil wiped up the same day will not mark it.

Finishes

• Polished — the classic gloss; shows the crystal structure and resists stains best because the surface is closed.
• Honed — matte; softens the colour and hides fingerprints; takes sealing more often.
• Leathered — a textured, low-sheen surface that hides water spots and crumbs; the finish we recommend on black granite.

Granite with the cabinet door

Busy granites fight a busy door; a leathered black or a quiet grey granite under a white or navy shaker is the combination that holds up. Black and near-black counters — honed or leathered — are the look in the Hale Navy kitchen's perimeter, and a dark stone under a Midnight island keeps a budget kitchen looking expensive. Bring the sample door to the slab; the stone decides the door more often than the other way round.

Edges, seams and sinks

3 cm slabs with an eased, bevelled or ogee edge; seams placed away from the sink where the layout allows; undermount sinks cut and polished at the fabricator. We template after the cabinets are set and install about two weeks later. The material comparison covers how granite compares on care, heat and look; countertop replacement covers swapping a granite top on an existing kitchen.