Time for a granite counter top?

[chessie4905]

Be careful with cooking oil on granite. Left on too long and youll have a permanent stain. Also use a quality sealer, probably annually.

[DoubleEagle]

I used to live in the Granite State and I noticed that in nature when granite is heated and cooled over time it tends to crumble. That might not happen to polished granite easily, but I wonder if it could be stained or suffer crazing from all that cooking.

[Jim Blackwood]

Well the key is to treat it like the fine finish that it is. Which means cleaning up messes and avoiding abuses. Accidents will happen of course but ignoring them is just asking for trouble. OTOH the stuff will take a lot of abuse and come out smiling so you really don't have to baby it so much. A hot pan isn't going to hurt it, but it is a good idea to avoid having any sharp corners on it anywhere. It can chip rather easily if it gets banged right on the corner with something hard. Also, the darker it is the less it'll show stains.

Jim

[Dave5Cs]

Having worked with Granite for years it is a natural stone. It has cracks, crazing, veins, etc. after it is polished and used in food areas it should be Sealed with a good silicon granite sealer at least once a year. If it has calcium build up around the facets, you can use a razor blade to scrape it off and then wash it (small steam cleaner is best) . Then seal it.