What is the single most durable worktop?

Granite for heat and general abuse; quartz for stains and maintenance; terrazzo for sheer longevity because it can be reground decades later. Marble is the least durable and the most beautiful, and that trade is the entire decision.

Which needs the least looking after?

Quartz. It never needs sealing. Granite and cement-based terrazzo want resealing about annually in a working Kenyan kitchen, and marble wants sealing plus genuine care about acid.

Does hard water damage worktops?

It marks unsealed stone, and Nairobi water leaves visible deposits around taps and sinks. On sealed granite it wipes off. On unsealed granite it gradually stains. On quartz it does not penetrate at all. It is a real and under-discussed factor here.

What would you fit in your own kitchen?

Granite for most Kenyan family kitchens: it takes hot pans, it costs less, and sealing once a year is not a burden. Quartz where a plain colour matters or nobody will remember to reseal. Marble in a bathroom. Terrazzo on a long seamless island.

Granite, Quartz, Marble or Terrazzo: What Survives a Kenyan Kitchen

Judge them on what actually goes wrong

Showroom comparisons talk about looks. Worktops fail on four things in Kenya: heat, acid, hard water and sun. Here is how each material behaves.

Heat

Granite, excellent. A hot pan will not mark it. Terrazzo: good, particularly cement-based. Quartz, poor. The resin softens and scorches permanently. This is quartz’s real weakness and it is under-stated by sellers. Marble: good on heat, though it is vulnerable elsewhere.

Acid: lemon, vinegar, wine, tomato

Quartz, unaffected. Granite, essentially unaffected. Terrazzo, resin-based is fine; cement-based can be marked by strong acid. Marble, etches. Permanently dulls where acid sits. Sealing does not prevent it. This is the single most important fact on this page.

Hard water and staining

Nairobi water leaves deposits, and turmeric, oil and wine are the everyday stainers.

Quartz: non-porous, so nothing penetrates. Granite, porous. Sealed, it wipes clean; unsealed, it gradually stains. Reseal annually. Marble, porous and softer. Needs sealing and still marks more readily. Terrazzo, cement-based needs sealing; resin-based does not.

Direct sun

Under-considered in Kenya, where light is strong and many kitchens have large windows.

Granite, marble, terrazzo, unaffected. Quartz, some lines discolour under prolonged UV. We will not fit quartz on a strongly sun-exposed run or an outdoor kitchen.

Cost, honestly

Granite KES 2,500–6,000 per sq ft installed. Quartz 3,500–7,000, with branded lines higher. Marble priced per slab and highly variable. Terrazzo quoted per run.

What we would actually specify

A family kitchen that cooks properly, granite. Takes the heat, costs less, and annual sealing is ten minutes.

Where a plain colour matters, or nobody will reseal: quartz, away from direct sun and with a trivet rule.

A bathroom vanity, marble. Little acid, and the material at its best.

A long seamless island, or matching a terrazzo floor, terrazzo.

We have no reason to push you up the list. The most expensive material is not the best one for most Kenyan kitchens, and we would rather fit the right thing and be the people you recommend.

Slab prices, for reference

What a raw slab costs before fabrication, so you can see roughly where your money goes between the stone itself and the work done to it.

Work	Rate	Notes
Local granite slab, e.g. S. Grey	from KES 7,500 / slab
Imported granite slab, e.g. Black Galaxy	from KES 10,500 / slab

Rates reviewed 2026-08. Every job is confirmed with a written quotation before work starts.