Quartz countertops - Caesarstone/Cambria (Brand name) Vs Chinese brands

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Jun 8th, 2018 11:53 pm

urartu99 [OP]: Jr. Member; Jun 14, 2012; 140 posts; 31 upvotes; North York

Jun 8th, 2018 11:53 pm

Quartz countertops - Caesarstone/Cambria (Brand name) Vs Chinese brands

Greetings,

I am looking into ordering quartz countertops for my kitchen.

I read several times on this forum that Chinese countertops are bad quality. But many posts were from the people who were selling brand name quartz.

Others, automatically associate Chinese products with bad quality.

I am just wondering, are ALL Chinese (aka, not well known quartz countertop brands) are bad? I am asking because I have seen some of those that look better than the Caesarstone.

Just would like to hear actual experiences. Do Chinese countertops crack easier, get stained, require more maintenance?

Or, maybe there are good quality Chinese countertops, too?

I want to buy quartz of acceptable quality without paying too much. I need around 50 sq/ft. Thanks.

30 replies

Jun 10th, 2018 12:46 am

SilverBane[GL]: Member; Mar 20, 2006; 284 posts; 69 upvotes; Edmonton, Alberta

Jun 10th, 2018 12:46 am

I had cambria and real concrete in the kitchen. We opted for Chinese concrete look alike for the bathrooms and noticed absolutely no difference in quality whatsoever.

That being said, we went with Cambria because we could not find any other quartz that looked like marble like Cambria (Torquay) did, and we went with concrete because it was cool.

Heatware

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+2

Jun 10th, 2018 9:23 am

urartu99 [OP]: Jr. Member; Jun 14, 2012; 140 posts; 31 upvotes; North York

Jun 10th, 2018 9:23 am

Looks nice!!

When did you install the Chinese concrete look countertop? Curious to hear if it is holding well after few years.

Jun 10th, 2018 11:29 am

cartfan123: Deal Fanatic; Sep 8, 2007; 9462 posts; 11237 upvotes; Way Out of GTA

Jun 10th, 2018 11:29 am

I've got the Chinese Quartz and it's been absolutely fine. There is some merit to Cambria in terms of choices. But much of the premium is going into paying for the brand name and warranty that's next to useless. Think of it as a warranty on a rock.

Zero issues around cracking or staining either. If you like the look of it, go for it.

Jun 10th, 2018 4:38 pm

quisibo: Jr. Member; Aug 20, 2007; 128 posts; 101 upvotes; Thornhill, ON

Jun 10th, 2018 4:38 pm

I also had the chinese quartz installed. Compared to my neighbours and friends....no one can tell the difference.
If it's installed correctly....it's the way to go (assuming you're happy with the colour/look).

If you're in the GTA and want the number of "my guy". PM me. He did a great job. 2years and no issues!

+3

Jun 10th, 2018 5:27 pm

webdoctors: Deal Addict; Jan 22, 2003; 4795 posts; 238 upvotes; Austin/Markham

Jun 10th, 2018 5:27 pm

Is chinese quartz that much cheaper? Silestone/quartz isn't very expensive to begin with, its on par with granite depending on the level. Depending on the color, the price of the quartz changes dramatically, so maybe you're looking at some really nice color.

I used silestone quartz in my whole house (3 bathrooms and kitchen) and I don't feel its special, if the Chinese option was available I might've considered it depending on the color. I don't think the Silestone is that resistant to scratches or stains, I've noticed blemishes in bathrooms I only use once a year!

__
demandez-lui si elle dormira avec vous pour un LED keychain

Jun 10th, 2018 11:31 pm

SilverBane[GL]: Member; Mar 20, 2006; 284 posts; 69 upvotes; Edmonton, Alberta

Jun 10th, 2018 11:31 pm

It can be. My Cambria was $105/sq ft, my actual concrete was $85/sq ft and the Chinese was right around 50$ per sq ft (I believe it was just under). If i recall correctly, there were some that were as low as $35/sq ft.

Had the Chinese for 1.5 years, no issues at all.

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+1

Jun 11th, 2018 8:42 am

pimom: Sr. Member; May 12, 2009; 812 posts; 376 upvotes

Jun 11th, 2018 8:42 am

I got MSI brand because of the colour/pattern. I recently had lemon juice sitting on the counter over night (thanks kids). No staining whatsoever.

Jun 11th, 2018 9:21 am

urartu99 [OP]: Jr. Member; Jun 14, 2012; 140 posts; 31 upvotes; North York

Jun 11th, 2018 9:21 am

Very happy to hear that!

The price difference is huge - Chinese quartz appears to be at least twice cheaper compared to Cambria / Caesarstone / Hanstone and other brand names.

Will surely start shopping for the Chinese quartz.

Jun 11th, 2018 12:31 pm

westcoastyvr: Deal Addict; Nov 30, 2011; 1149 posts; 503 upvotes; HRM

Jun 11th, 2018 12:31 pm

When we were looking we found limited colour choices (that we liked) in the Chinese brands.
The best thing is to find a fabricator you can work with and they will then arrange for you to go and look at slabs. We learned so much by doing this. In the end, we ended up going with Caesarstone in this house, because we liked the pattern they offered and the price worked for our budget.

+1

Jun 11th, 2018 2:17 pm

PTFish: Newbie; Jan 23, 2017; 88 posts; 51 upvotes; GTA

Jun 11th, 2018 2:17 pm

In my experience, we didn't like the colour choices that were offered by the Chinese brands but the quality didn't look too bad. We looked at TCE and KStone? In the end, we found this place that sold Caesarstone for similar price to the Chinese brands which made it a no brainer for us. I just checked and they still have the promotion of starting from $45/sq ft for selected Caesarstone designs. We were skeptical with the pricing at first but got some references and they also worked with us, including visiting our home personally when we had concerns. Been happy with our countertop for the 2 years we've had it.

https://maxspacestoneworks.com/promotions/

+1

Jun 18th, 2018 11:46 pm

urartu99 [OP]: Jr. Member; Jun 14, 2012; 140 posts; 31 upvotes; North York

Jun 18th, 2018 11:46 pm

So it looks like the extra price is mostly because of the brand/marketing and partially the appearance.

Still in the search mode...

Nov 20th, 2018 12:24 pm

salmantoronto: Newbie; Dec 8, 2007; 67 posts; 55 upvotes; Pickering

Nov 20th, 2018 12:24 pm

Ceasartone is same quality as the Chinese counterparts. The only difference like some other commenters mentioned is marketing. Also watch out for certain shops pushing Ceasartone above other options claiming better quality. Ceasarstone has some very significant commission structures which induces some shops and other places to push Ceasarstone over other options.

Nov 20th, 2018 1:00 pm

eonibm: Deal Expert; Aug 2, 2010; 15196 posts; 4992 upvotes; Here 'n There

Nov 20th, 2018 1:00 pm

I've reviewed them all. From an aesthetics point of view I have found Cambria looks the most realistic compared to natural stone.

Nov 20th, 2018 1:03 pm

Smiley22: Deal Addict; Mar 14, 2006; 2046 posts; 1916 upvotes; Toronto

Nov 20th, 2018 1:03 pm

There is definitely a huge price difference and quality compared to Chinese products. I do like Cambria the best but just so expensive.

Nov 20th, 2018 5:57 pm

SLOGAN: Deal Addict; Jul 19, 2004; 1118 posts; 90 upvotes; Ajax

Nov 20th, 2018 5:57 pm

This is a tough question to ask as most people answering will have one but not the other and believe they made the right choice with the product.
And they aren't wrong.

You have to decide what is important to you.

If the kitchen warrants a bold and unique pattern and you have the bankroll to afford Cambria, go for it.
If you just want a stone countertop and are looking to spend half as much than a premium brand, that's equally the right decision for you.

Full disclosure, I just had Cambria Brittannica installed in my kitchen because I wanted something bold and unique.
Another deciding factor for me, it is North American made with quartz sourced from Quebec, I believe there is value in supporting (relatively) local economies.
Sure lifetime warranty seems useless for stone, but in the off chance it chips, I'll be glad to have it.
I also believe the premium brand uses vetted, higher quality installers since the manufacturer will want to control the delivered product, ensuring a higher quality experience.

Again, if you like the designs of the cheaper Chinese products, there are lots of people here who can vouch for their satisfaction of the product and you won't be disappointed either way.

EDIT: just realized I responded to a 6 month old thread. Why did the user resurrect a thread to say that Chinese stone is equivalent to Caesarstone???

Oh boy, Buffalo testicles!

+1

Nov 21st, 2018 10:35 am

eonibm: Deal Expert; Aug 2, 2010; 15196 posts; 4992 upvotes; Here 'n There

Nov 21st, 2018 10:35 am

SLOGAN wrote: ↑ This is a tough question to ask as most people answering will have one but not the other and believe they made the right choice with the product.
And they aren't wrong.

You have to decide what is important to you.

If the kitchen warrants a bold and unique pattern and you have the bankroll to afford Cambria, go for it.
If you just want a stone countertop and are looking to spend half as much than a premium brand, that's equally the right decision for you.

Full disclosure, I just had Cambria Brittannica installed in my kitchen because I wanted something bold and unique.
Another deciding factor for me, it is North American made with quartz sourced from Quebec, I believe there is value in supporting (relatively) local economies.
Sure lifetime warranty seems useless for stone, but in the off chance it chips, I'll be glad to have it.
I also believe the premium brand uses vetted, higher quality installers since the manufacturer will want to control the delivered product, ensuring a higher quality experience.

Again, if you like the designs of the cheaper Chinese products, there are lots of people here who can vouch for their satisfaction of the product and you won't be disappointed either way.

EDIT: just realized I responded to a 6 month old thread. Why did the user resurrect a thread to say that Chinese stone is equivalent to Caesarstone???

Not just a bold pattern, but something that looks more like real stone.

Nov 21st, 2018 11:15 am

baymoe: Deal Addict; May 24, 2004; 2312 posts; 505 upvotes

Nov 21st, 2018 11:15 am

For those of you that mentioned prices, what thickness is it based on? I'm looking for 3cm quartz for the kitchen and I'm looking to compare pricing.

Nov 24th, 2018 12:39 pm

westcoastyvr: Deal Addict; Nov 30, 2011; 1149 posts; 503 upvotes; HRM

Nov 24th, 2018 12:39 pm

I have used several different types in various homes over the past 5 years.
Silestone - 2cm slab - square edge
Cambria - 3cm slab - square edge
Caesarstone - 2cm slab with 4cm build up square miter edge
Kstone - 2cm slab with 4cm build up square miter edge and 2cm backsplash

Comments:
Silestone - nice product, no chipping
Cambria - I loved. Their pricing is one price (fixed pricing) regardless of colour. The 3cm slab was nice - no chipping
Caesarstone - was very close in price (variable pricing by colour level) to Chinese so we bit the bullet and went with the 'better' product. A year later the inside edge of both undermount sink areas are chipping, albeit very small. You can't see the chips but you can feel them when you run your finger around the edge - same with the mitered edges in high use areas.
Kstone - many colours (good selection) were almost identical to Caesarstone. Both countertop and backsplash look great - no issues with chipping, like the Caesarstone.

In all, if money was not a concern and I was going ultra high-end (Viking range/cooktop and Sub zero fridge), I would go with Cambria, purely from a vanity perspective. For a sub, $! million dollar production house, I would go with a Chinese brand and a very good fabricator.

+2

Sep 13th, 2019 8:59 am

ChristianP23513: Newbie; Sep 12, 2019; 1 posts

Sep 13th, 2019 8:59 am

quisibo wrote: ↑ I also had the chinese quartz installed. Compared to my neighbours and friends....no one can tell the difference.
If it's installed correctly....it's the way to go (assuming you're happy with the colour/look).

If you're in the GTA and want the number of "my guy". PM me. He did a great job. 2years and no issues!

My friend, I'm new here ... don't even know how to send a PM... do you still have "your guy" contact? thanks in advanced.

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