How a Sintered Stone Countertop Compares to Quartz and Porcelain
Installing a sintered stone countertop is quickly becoming a top choice for homeowners for their kitchens, bathrooms, and even outdoor spaces.
In this guide, we’ll compare sintered stone to quartz and porcelain in key areas like price, durability, design flexibility, and maintenance to help you decide which material best suits your needs. Click on each section to learn more.
Need help choosing the perfect countertop for your home? Contact the experts at Natural Stone City—our team is here to guide you through your options and help you find the best fit for your style, budget, and lifestyle.
Sintered Stone Countertop vs Quartz and Porcelain
1. What Is a Sintered Stone Countertop?
Sintered Stone is a durable, non-porous, and heat-resistant surface that captures the look of natural stone without sacrificing performance.
Sintered stone is a high-performance engineered surface created by sintering, the process that mimics the natural process of stone creation but with controlled and accelerated speed. It's created by heating a blend of natural materials such as quartz, feldspar, and clay, where they are bonded together as a solid, extremely dense slab.
How Is Sintered Stone Made?
The following are the basic steps used to make sintered stone:
Step 1 - Raw Material Choice: Natural stone chips and mineral content are chosen based on their strength and appearance.
Step 2 - High-Pressure Compression: The stones are then compressed with high pressure to drive out air and form a solid, uniform framework.
Step 3 - Extreme Heat Sintering: The slab is then heat-treated at more than 1,200°C (2,192°F), compressing the minerals together at a molecular level but never melting them.
Step 4 - Cooling and Finishing: The sintered stone slab is finally polished, textured, or finished upon cooling to provide the desired look and feel.
The result of the above process is a durable, non-porous, and heat-resistant surface that captures the look of natural stone without sacrificing performance. Because of its durability and versatility, sintered stone is widely used for countertops, flooring, wall cladding, as well as outdoor applications.
2. Price Comparison
When choosing a countertop material, price is one factor that many homeowners and designers consider closely. Sintered stone, quartz, and porcelain vary in price depending on the material's quality, brand, and complexity in terms of installation. In this section, we talk about the price of each.
Sintered Stone: A Luxury Investment
Sintered stone typically fits into the premium price range due to its advanced manufacturing process and incredible hardness. The combination of high heat, pressure, and specialized machinery results in a surface that is extremely hard and abrasion-resistant. While sintered stone will cost more upfront, its long lifespan and low maintenance needs can fairly easily make it a smart investment over time.
Quartz: A Mid-to-High Range Option
Quartz is a mid-to-high-end price point option for countertops. Prices are extremely variable based on brand, style, and quality of the quartz slab. Less expensive quartz options exist, but high-style designs that mimic natural stone can be almost as expensive as sintered stone. While quartz is hard and non-porous, it is less resistant to extreme heat and UV light than sintered stone.
Porcelain: A Value Solution
Porcelain is typically less costly than sintered stone, although porcelain prices are determined by thickness and quality. Thin porcelain is less expensive, but thick, high-quality porcelain for countertops is similar in cost to quartz. Porcelain offers excellent stain and heat resistance, but it is weaker than sintered stone and more difficult to install and work with.
Verdict: What is the Best Value?
For those who are willing to pay for the highest quality and durability, sintered stone is an investment that is well worth its price premium.
For a middle-of-the-road choice between cost and appearance, quartz provides a mid-priced option with plenty of design possibilities.
For budget buyers, porcelain can be a budget-friendly option, especially in thinner products, but it may not be as durable as sintered stone.
Ultimately, the best value depends on your priorities—whether it's durability, aesthetic appeal, or budget constraints.
3. Durability & Strength
When it comes to picking a countertop material, durability is a crucial factor. Sintered stone, quartz, and porcelain each offer something unique to the scene, but they also resist wear and tear in different ways. Here's the rundown.
Sintered Stone: Higher Strength and Resilience
A sintered stone countertop is one of the most durable ones available. Because of its high-pressure sintering, it is extremely scratch, chip, and crack resistant. Unlike quartz, it won't be damaged by UV rays and high temperatures, making it suitable for both indoor and outdoor applications. Its extremely dense composition also makes it highly resistant to impact and daily use.
Quartz: Durable but Susceptible to Heat and Scratches
Quartz is a highly resistant material that will withstand most chipping and cracking. However, because it's made with polymers and resins, it's softer than porcelain and sintered stone, so knives and utensils will scratch it more easily. Extreme heat will also destroy quartz, which discolours and develops burn marks when exposed numerous times.
Porcelain: Hard but Brittle
Porcelain is more resistant to scratches than quartz but can be brittle and chippy on the edges. Though stain- and scratch-resistant, the slenderness of most porcelain slabs makes them prone to cracking or shattering upon impact. Proper installation and support on the edges will minimize the likelihood of this.
Verdict: What Material Provides Long-Term Durability?
For absolute long-term durability and resistance to wear, sintered stone provides the optimum choice with its higher strength and resilience.
For everyday durability with a softer surface, quartz is a suitable choice, but it must be shielded against heat damage.
For a hard-wearing finish with a slimline look, porcelain provides a suitable option but may be more prone to breaking in certain uses.
If you’re looking for a long-lasting, damage-resistant countertop, sintered stone is the most durable choice.
4. Design & Customizability
When it comes to customizability and design, countertop materials have different levels of adaptability in colour, texture, and overall aesthetic. This is how sintered stone, quartz, and porcelain compare in design options.
Sintered Stone: Adaptable with Consistency
Sintered stone boasts a wide range of finishes, textures, and colours that allow homeowners to design countertops with their own character. This material can be engineered to appear like actual stone, say marble or granite, but with improved consistency and fewer flaws. The advanced production process also allows large slabs to be made with fewer seams, which is ideal for creating seamless, modern designs. From bold colours to muted, neutral tones, sintered stone is versatile in design to accommodate many different styles.
Quartz: Wider Pattern Option
Quartz has a vast range of patterns and is therefore extremely fitting for someone who loves the look of natural stone, particularly marble and granite. Some of the quartz surfaces are specifically made to mimic these two stones, resulting in them having an enormous colour palette, veining, and finishing options. Even though quartz is an artificial material, sometimes the patterns are not as varied as the naturally occurring variation that occurs in natural stone. All that aside, quartz has a great deal of design scope with a focus on modern styling and customization.
Porcelain: Large Format with Rock-Like Appearance
Porcelain countertops consist of large-format slabs that can provide a modern, sleek look with realistic rock-like veining. Porcelain's design potential is enormous, but the material itself is somewhat limiting in thickness ranges, with most slabs thinner than quartz or sintered stone. Porcelain is suitable for contemporary and minimalist designs, creating a sleek, even finish, but possibly less depth and subtlety of natural stone pattern than quartz or sintered stone.
Verdict: What Material Offers the Most Design Flexibility?
Sintered stone leads the pack with its options for texture, colour, and finish, as well as replicating natural stone more consistently.
Quartz has broad patterns to select from, but can lack the same inbuilt depth as porcelain or sintered stone.
Porcelain has enormous slabs but is more conservative in thickness and depth of appearance, so it is best suited for existing minimalist-style designs.
When it comes to fullest design liberty and flexibility, the best is accompanied by sintered stone but otherwise with quartz, particularly when clients desire variations of patterns.
5. Maintenance & Stain Resistance
When choosing a countertop, ease of maintenance and stain resistance are important factors. Sintered stone, quartz, and porcelain differ in their level of care and cleaning requirements. Following is how they compare in stain resistance and maintenance.
Sintered Stone: Low Maintenance with High Stain Resistance
Sintered stone is non-porous, which means that it does not require sealing like some natural stone surfaces. This makes it extremely easy to care for, as it is stain and bacteria resistant. The non-porous surface ensures that liquids like coffee, wine, and oils will not permeate the surface, making it highly resistant to stains. The material is also inherently germ and bacteria resistant, which makes it a great option for kitchen and bath environments. Sintered stone is easy to clean and will need very little maintenance over time.
Quartz: Non-Porous but Prone to Discolouration
Like sintered stone, quartz is also non-porous and will not require sealing. It is low maintenance, as most spills can be simply wiped away with a soft cloth and mild detergent. Quartz can be prone to discolouration, however, if it is subjected to too much sun exposure or harsh chemicals. Although it is stain-resistant, precautions should be used not to place hot pans directly on quartz countertops, as they are heat-damaged. Despite these precautions, quartz is a relatively low-maintenance countertop option.
Porcelain: Stain-Resistant but More Fragile
Porcelain is also stain-resistant and low-maintenance, requiring only routine cleaning to make it continue looking new. It can resist most everyday spills, and the surface is less likely to stain than certain other surfaces. Porcelain countertops are, nevertheless, more delicate in certain applications. They are more likely to chip or crack, especially at the edges, and thin porcelain slabs may be prone to cracking under heavy impact. Porcelain is relatively simple to clean but may require more careful handling to avoid damage.
Verdict: Which Material Is the Easiest to Care For?
Sintered stone is the easiest to care for since it's non-porous, stain and bacteria resistant, and doesn't need sealing.
Quartz is also low maintenance but more vulnerable to discolouration from sunlight exposure and must be protected from high heat.
Porcelain is low maintenance but may require special care to avoid impact damage or cracks, especially with thinner slabs.
For sheer convenience and ease of maintenance, sintered stone is the clear winner, with its superior stain resistance and minimal maintenance needs.
6. Heat & UV Resistance
Countertop finishes vary significantly in heat and UV resistance, two important factors, especially if you will be installing your countertops in a hot area or sunroom. Let's talk about how sintered stone, quartz, and porcelain perform under these conditions.
Sintered Stone: Excellent Heat and UV Resistance
Sintered stone is highly resistant to heat and UV rays. The product is also heat-resistant, so you can place hot pots and pans on its surface without worrying about injuring it. This makes sintered stone a great choice for kitchens, and also for open spaces, such as outdoor kitchens, where countertops are subjected to sunlight. Moreover, sintered stone is not damaged or discoloured by exposure to direct sunlight, and its look can endure for years.
Quartz: Vulnerable to Heat and UV Damage
Quartz, even though durable, can be damaged by heat. The resins in quartz countertops can melt or damage if exposed to heat, so hot objects have to be set on the surface with the aid of trivets or hot pads. In addition, quartz is also sensitive to UV light and will likely fade or discolour if it is placed under direct sunlight for a long time. While this works well for indoor use, it is not ideal for outdoor settings due to its sensitivity to UV light.
Porcelain: Heat and UV Resistant but Fragile in Some Cases
Porcelain is also heat and UV resistant like sintered stone. It is able to withstand high temperatures and sunlight without damage and can be installed indoors or outdoors. Thin porcelain slabs may, however, be brittle and prone to cracking or chipping in extreme conditions, especially when subjected to high-impact stress. Thicker porcelain units are therefore best suited for countertops that must endure high heat or high outdoor conditions.
Verdict: What Material Sparkles with Superior High-Heat and Exterior Permanence?
Sintered stone is most durable to withstand heat and UV resistance, and hence most suitable for interior and exterior purposes.
Quartz is not the most suitable for use in high-heat environments and might be discoloured as a result of long exposure to the sun, limiting its usage outside.
Porcelain is UV and heat resistant, but can be more brittle when thinner slabs are used in high-heat or outdoor situations.
For exterior and high-temperature uses, sintered stone performs best, offering maximum heat and UV resistance without compromising on durability.
Looking for the Perfect Sintered Stone Countertop? Come to Natural Stone City
If you are searching for the perfect countertops, come to Natural Stone City. We have the largest selection of Granite, Marble, Quartz, Porcelain, and Sintered Stone in Southern Ontario, with over 1,000 slabs of different colour options.
You can choose from standard colours to super exotic options, shipped directly from Italy, Brazil and around the world. We carefully select each one, keeping the satisfaction of our customers in mind.
When you buy from Natural Stone City you’ll get:
Installations in as little as 1 week
Any colour you want and more
Help from our knowledgeable and friendly staff who are experienced stone countertop specialists
Contact us today and we will help you choose the perfect countertop for your home.
What Our Customers Are Saying…
“Natural Stone City, can't recommend enough! They were so nice to deal with. There is a huge warehouse they let you walk around to see all of the options. Will answer all of your questions and have different levels of pricing for their products. Very competitive pricing and if you pick one of their stones, you only pay for what you need - you don't have to buy a half or full slab.
Gia was lovely to work with. She kept an eye out for one particular stone we loved but couldn't find and called us when she found a slab hidden in their warehouse - she switched with the stone we had already picked and matched the price. Install was quick and efficient.
Highly recommend and would go back to them if we ever build another house!.”
— Pamela Woodburn
