Quartz
Engineered stone: ground natural quartz in a resin binder. Non-porous, so it never needs sealing, and consistent, so what you see in the slab is what arrives. Its weakness is heat, and it is the wrong surface to put a pan straight down on. Colour can shift under prolonged direct sunlight, which is worth knowing in a kitchen with a large west-facing window.
Granite
Natural stone, so every slab differs and you should choose the actual slab rather than a sample. Handles heat well. It is porous and needs sealing, and in a humid climate a neglected seal shows up as staining around the sink and the hob.
Quartzite
Natural, harder than granite, and often what people actually want when they ask for marble. More expensive, and fabrication is slower because it is difficult to cut.
What kitchen countertops in Orlando cost to run
Quartz needs nothing but cleaning. Granite wants resealing on a cycle you will forget, and in this humidity a neglected seal shows up as a ring around the tap within a couple of years. That maintenance difference is worth more than the price gap on the day of install.
Where kitchen countertops go wrong
Templating. Kitchen countertops are measured after the cabinets are set, never before, and the seam placement is a decision rather than an accident. We walk the seam layout with you before fabrication, because a seam in the wrong place is permanent.