I would consider Silestone as an alternative. If you read and compare the maintenance needs of both products, you will be able to make an educated decision before spending your money.

I will correct what I said earlier, I have not had issues with soapstone staining from either chemicals or heat, but I had a client who liked to leave her cooking oils on the counter that left "oil rings" similar to that of water rings on a wood surface.

Yes, but those oil rings disappear as soon as the soapstone is waxed or oiled again. No stains are permanent, but it definitely reacts to oils if the finish hasn't been kept up recently. So not a good choice for those who are perfectionists or don't like maintenance.

Absolutely love my CAMBRIA Hampshire countertops. Worth every penny!

We have Cambria Quartz and we love it(Buckingham). There's no maintaince and it fix my budget with a little tweaking.

My countertop layout cost with mid-high priced granite varies and it is higher than quartz. There are some beautiful slabs. I am not crazy about the patterns or low cost granite consistency. I know a double negative. I had builder choice granite (past home), the only item that added character was when the acid from a pineapple, or was it me when i left it there, it itched it. Dark color, did not notice it until I place my wine glass down. Cambria XL slab 3 cm is pricing lower than any of my other choices. 50-51 sq ft, 3 radius turns, sink cut out and polish. Installation. 2 faucet holes and my own sink. We have a MidWest Distributing here and I can see full slabs. Watch out for their crazy fast Forkcliff drivers. Nice gentleman working on Karran countertops.

I was looking at Cambria Bellingham when I found a very similar look for 1/2 the price. No regrets here. The top sample is Cambria, bottom is the quartz I used.

sumjay - Wow, I'm really impressed! Please provide detalils!?!!?

Most Quartz products, with the exception of a few which were created for some tile vendors specifically and made in China (but even then, it is only an issue of production problems and has nothing to do with the end consumer) function and wear the same way. Choosing which one to go with is usually a matter of aesthetics and sometimes logistics (for example, some manufacturers have jumbo slabs, others don't). Cambria has a new collection out which has absolutely amazingly realistic colors. They got their granite look down better than any other quartz manufacturers. If you want the look of marble or travertine, Caesarstone is my top choice. Plus they have a great warranty: no matter who installs your countertops, if you have an issue, a Caesarstone rep will come out and fix it at no charge. The only time I specify Silestone is if I need a matte look of a soapstone: they have a couple of colors that work the best for that.

While Cambria is expensive, so are many granites. There are cheaper of both. I had the luxury of seeing numerous slabs of Para Sands ( a huge warehouse full of Cambria.) I had quartz in another house too. I have never liked the look of granite though so am happy with my choice. Don't forget sink color. Silgranit has a few option. I thought I wanted white until I saw the black.. .got that along with black faucet. Complements well

Cambria 3 cm Windermere choice due to beauty, cost and function. It was less than granite. The fabricator took CC without a charge too. Para Sands is a beauty too. Midwest distribution people were great and like 72gypsy15 i could wander each and every way. Again, watch out for the forklift drivers.

Cambria and Silestone are both quartz products, just different brand names.Quartz is a superior product in that it does not require a sealer. By the nature of its production it has no holes or "pores" like natural stone thus making it impossible for bacteria to harbor. Germophobes LOVE it for this reason. I think the cost is completely worth it if this is your "forever" home or you plan to stay long term. There are many other brands of engineered stone out there that are considerably less than Cambria but if they have a particular pattern you love then Cambria is your stone! Find another way to reduce your budget and just go for it!

I realize that the original post is from 2012 and that leeleey probably had her countertops installed a long time ago. Still, folks are looking at this thread so I will add that one of the reasons we installed Cambria is that it is American made. At the time of our purchase, we were told that it was the only Quartz product manufactured in the U.S. We have been quite pleased with the product and it has proven to be very durable over time.

Silestone $98 less, Caesar Stone $2000 more, Zodiac $200 more in Mountain West. Choose what you like, want and can afford. Same as Granite 3-4. Price fix around her, possibly the contractors are remodeling at their houses or paying for their workers.

Tatiana Hisel, would you be willing to share the names of the products that have a soapstone look? If so, thanks for sharing!

Oh my gosh, I totally missed this comment! Which products are you referring to? I will try to help

Toni ~ I just saw your request for product info. The quartz I used is "Arctic" and was supplied by a SoCal dealer, Qmgglobal.com.
They might be able to direct you to a dealer in your area that carries the product.

Granite isn't high maintenance. I was warned against using granite with lots of white in my old kitchen (told it was too soft) but I installed it anyway and never had issues. In my recently renovated kitchen I used Quartz and I love it too. I find vast differences in price of stone/countertops when the thickness varies. Ensure you're comparing similar thicknesses before deciding.

Quartz is one of the hardest and most common minerals on Earth, giving Cambria the rare combination of superior beauty and strength. This means you get the look and feel of granite, but on a surface that's nonporous and maintenance free. Just wash your surface with warm water, and use a mild soap if desired. Cambria won’t stain, and it never needs sealing or reconditioning. Cambria is made right here in America (Minnesota) and our Cambria Customer Care center is in Belle Plaine, MN. When you invest in Cambria you are not only getting a beautiful and superior product but you are getting the comfort of knowing you have an amazing 100% American company standing behind you and your new countertops. Please let us know if you have any other questions. Thank you.

Cambria is the top of the line for me as an Interior Designer. Nothing compares to the look. Another brand may look comparable, but it doesn't have the same depth of color. It may be a little more money, but my client's that hire me, get it at my cost. People often say they don't have any maintenance on their granite, but if they don't seal it anything spilled on it seeps right into it. Granite is porous, it also has off-gasing. If you are interested in being green, go with quartz.

I prefer quartz to granite. Yes, it is easy to seal (sort of), but you have to remember each year, clear off you entire counter, clean, seal and leave for 24 hrs. before using again (which you should clean first) - it's just as hassle I'd rather not deal with. AND quartz is greener - it didn't have to be dug out of the ground in huge pieces in order to be cut into perfect sized slabs to fit into our homes. I do like Cambria, it is expensive - I also like Pental and Caesarstone that are sometimes (not always less expensive). A LOT of the cost is for the labor which is pretty much the same for granite or quartz. Couple jobs with quartz - Kitchen is Cambria, Bath is Pental, both are gorgeous. Hope this helps. Caryl H.

Cambria Finished jobs

Cambria is worth the price when compared to other Quartz products. Their designs, if you like them can not be beat. Other companies are trying to copy what Cambria does. Some copies look pretty darn close. Others, don't compare with the depth and sparkle of Cambria. Granite is also another Great alternative to Cambria. Most of the sealers used today shouldn't have to be applied every year. If you can bead water on the top, leave it alone. No need to go crazy with the sealers.

Does anyone have a black Quartz they are happy with? I was going to use Cambria Edinburgh, but after the comments about the Jewel line, doesn't seem like a good choice. What other options would be advised?

Look at Armitage.

Cambria’s Jewel Collection™ is a special quartz design that mimics the natural aesthetics of stone found in the minerals that originate from the earth’s crust. In that spirit, these distinctive designs have surface deviations in both texture and appearance. However, these unique properties should never effect product performance. Our Jewel collection may not be for everyone because of these unique properties, and in that case we would recommend Blackwood or Fieldstone.

For more design ideas and information, check out our 'Dark Countertops' Pinterest board, and feel free to call our customer service line at 1-866-CAMBRIA. We'd be happy to answer any questions you may have.

I have cambria in my kitchen and I adore it. No maintenance. Wash with soapy cloth and it's beautiful. It is 10% resin, so you should protect it from heat. Mine has never burned, but the sales person said it could. Granite throws off radon, quartz does not. Same price for both. The nice thing about Cambria is you can buy two colors and it is still priced by square foot. Also, Cambria is made in the USA. Couldn't be more positive.

Well, it depends. I made the mistake of finding some Cambria I loved and based my other selections on it (before I realized my square footage increased greatly with my new layout). So, I went ahead with the purchase because I couldn't deal with re-selecting flooring, backsplash, etc. I do like my countertops, but perhaps not so much that I would do it again. I will mention that even a mild pattern like Windemere (my choice) can look busy; while backsplashes are taste specific, I found I could not do backsplash bling. If I had to start over again, I might have considered a more basic, less expensive quartz and then blinged up the backsplash. But, that's just me.

I do think it is important to see a full slab. Someone I know did Cambria in a pattern I saw in a sample and thought was lovely. In person, it was not anything what I thought it would be like (I didn't like it).

I agree with the comment about the underpolish on the Cambria quartz.I had it installed in my last kitchen and bath. However, as it had straight edges and was not underpolished,I had many expensive pieces of clothing ruined. The edge cut the threads and my clothing developed holes and was unwearable.

Cambria did send someone out but a sandpapering of the under edge was the solution. This did not help.

I am currently doing another reno and am choosing the Cambria again. However this time I have chosen a rounded edge profile in the hope my clothing will survive.

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For those that like GRANITE, there's a sealer that was sold to me by the Granite dealer that said it lasts 10 yrs and it's from Germany. He said it's no more cost than the normal sealer, but it works way better. He seals everything before it comes out to the customer with this product. I can get the name if you want it. It's a small shop in Lakeville MN that uses it.

Yes please share the name of the product to seal granite. Thanks!

Normal working people should be cost conchious. All quartz, granite, soapstone, solids surface, etc.. will more than likely outlive you and any cabinet underneath. Any brand and even generic now. The question is do you like the look or you are doing it for resale. Resale -follow trends, for you kind of follow trends just in case but try to like it! If you know that you have no feel for design, hire someone cheap online even this designer will give you better direction than you. Than start looking all stores - big box stores, small ones, everywhere. Make your layout even by hand, make copies and leave them in this stores for quote. Take picture of what you are quoting because you could forget:) And than decide. Do you believe the stories about which brand is better, what do you think they have grade a,b,c,d, e pricing? It is supply and demand and trend. Cost is the same. Now more marble loooking Quartz is more expensive because of a trend, not because cost more. The one that looks like chicken pox is less. And don’t get fooled by installed price. Ask what is included. Look for minimum sq ft requirements. For example 80 installed. Average kitchen 60 sq ft. You think it is going to be 4800 + tax. No, add cutouts and custom edges. This could add 700-1200. Demolish yourself. Or make sure the price is clearly for what they are demolishing?plumbing, gas included? If you have small vanities look for remnants. At the end you will be surprised that sometimes brands like Cambria is not that expensive, or it is outrageous comparing to some. This is forum for all states of USA, do you really believe you are comparing apples to apples? It is not that difficult, you all worked really hard for that money to be spent to brand, trend or just because somebody is advertising louder! Apply common sense too.

Cambria quartz is over priced and their designs are unnatural looking. There are many other quartz brands with much better designs and pricing.

Hello can anyone tell me which Cambria would look best in my kitchen please? I am based here in UK and love the look, the sparkles are amazing but am struggling to find advice on which colour best suits and therefore which Cambria Worktop would suit best? I have creamy glosss units and wood floor. Thanks so much in advance!

Berwyn would be a great choice.

https://www.cambriausa.com/designs/design-palette/#!/slab/berwyn

Thanks Chris, Berwyn is nice but the first choice is Beaumont, do you think it would work considering our U shape kitchen if we used it as full height backsplash too? Pic below with out unit and floor sample.

Absolutely a great choice. When they fabricate the tops, they can line up the pattern in the top at the seams. A good fabricator should be able to do this. Typically Cambria only has fabricators that can do this. Some fabricators should be able to send you a photo of how they will lay it out and look.

Here is a Kitchen that I did last year in the Summerhill. There is a seam on the Island, that you can barely see. It's right behind the sink. Plus a seam in the corner. This is a copy of their photo, that was used to make their top. As you can see it's not easy to pick out. My client was extremely happy.

Cambria Summerhill kitchen

https://www.houzz.com/hznb/photos/geneseo-il-new-construction-koch-cabinets-painted-charcoal-blue-white-cambria-traditional-phvw-vp~114346336

Ah right i see, yes thats very nice. I see you’re not so keen on using it as a splashback instead of the tiling? Perhaps the veins are overbearing on a vertical wall? - or was that simply to save having to buy an additional slab?

Also summerhill has quite leas contrasting veins than say a Beaumont or a Langdon?

https://www.houzz.com/photos/coal-valley-bath-remodel-cambria-seagrove-koch-cabinets-contemporary-bathroom-chicago-phvw-vp~78162448

Here is a Countertop with a backsplash in Seagrove. Worked out quite well.

Hi Chris, yes looks quite nice. Looking at my kitchen then you’ll whole heartedly say that Beaumont would look stunning?.. or still say Berwyn number one? (We just think Berwyn looks a little more dated).

We just installed a Britannica Cambria countertop (installer was Innovative Surfaces). We are *very* pleased. They did a great job on the seam as it rounded the corner. You have to really look for it. They also didn't put a lot of darker veins against the tile (which is how I wanted it, bc the tile is active). We have a small kitchen and it seems they tried not to dominate the counter with grey swoops. They also installed a short backsplash along a wall which I didn't think looked very good. The pattern was waaaaaay off and the squared corner looked bad. So I took photos and sent them in, asking if this was really the best they could do, artistically. They agreed it was not the best they could do, and offered to remove and replace the backsplash. They sent me the rendering of how they would improve it and I agreed to their redo. The installer mitered the corner and it is all much better. The cost was part of a bigger project so I don't know how much it was, but we're pleased with the way we went. We decided on the bolder pattern over what we were initially leaning towards with Silestone, MSI Q, and Caeserstone. I saw Silestone Calacatta Gold at someones house and it looked great, but the pattern was light and disappeared the second I stepped back. I don't usually wear my glasses at home and wanted to see the pattern. The designer suggested Cambria Skara Brae (it's a little warmer supposedly) but that felt too bold for our small kitchen. Anyway, we're very happy with their customer support.

We purchased over $10,000 in countertops from Cambria with a warranty against defects. We were the first people to purchase Cambria's newest quartz pattern, Annicca. Within the first 7 months of owning the countertops, a crack occurred in the quartz while I was using an appliance on the counter. The appliance had legs that were at least 3 inches in height as recommended by Cambria. The crack started in a vein, which seems to be the weak points in the counter. This seems to be a manufacturer defect more than user error, but they won't admit that. When their investigator came to look at the countertop, he found the crack to be our fault (no surprise there) due to the use of the appliance even though we followed Cambria's recommendation. They repaired the crack in the counter by drilling a holes on either end of the crack to prevent it from spreading any further and sealing it. Less than a year after the repair, the crack has spread to the end of the counter and all the way through. We called to complain and they sent their repair guy. The repair guy said that his repair is as good as it gets. The company is not standing behind their warranty. They are trying to find loopholes to get out of honoring their "lifetime" warranty. In addition to this crack, we have found numerous chips in the counter in an area that never sees appliances. The counter looks awful and it isn't even two years old. We want Cambria to stand behind their warranty and their product. It is ridiculous that I am afraid to use appliances on our kitchen countertops.

Hello Marks Laura, our Senior Services Manager would like to give you a call to assist in this situation. Would you be able to provide a contact phone number or give us a call at 866-226-2742 and request to speak with Chris Donaldson? Thank you, we look forward to working with you to improve your experience with Cambria.

What appliances have legs that are at least 3" high?

This seems to me this eliminates mixers, blenders, toasters, coffee makers etc.

For quartz vs granite - do you want a product that is quarried vs something that has virtually no waste?

Some considerations about manufacturers - Country of origin: Cambria USA, Silestone Spain, Caesarstoone Israel, all others China

So think about working conditions for workers, human rights record, land transport vs ocean going container

Think about likelihood of off gassing,likelihood that the manuf gives a darn about after sales service.

Compare discussion comments on houzz.

Find an excellent fabricator and installer.

Among the top contenders they all seem to have the same post install issues.

On that note - how *do* I find an excellent fabricator? What questions do I ask, and which questions are the most important?

Cambria is always my only recommendation for my clients. Find a reputable Interior Designer in your area to work with for a fabricator.