Ironwood Builders Caesarstone is a similar product to Corian. It is an acrylic based product...so it's plastic. For counter tops and showers it can be great. For flooring, unless they came out with a new product and I didn't notice, too slick. Benefits are that it is a repairable surface, unlike Formica, that it is seamless, once glued up and finished, it can be stacked to do undermount sinks and farmhouse style sinks and comes in big sheets so doing a surround is easier. Downside? It scratches and can burn or scorch if a hoy pan is set on it, some solvents affect it, make lying it, some people insist on using it for a cutting board (even though it contains minerals for its color). But those usually can be fixed...it is repairable. It is not cheap. Some standard granites are comparable in price. Hope this helps!

josephcairns We used Smart stone for our new kitchen. It is also a composite stone, similar to Caesar - but had more variations in pattern. We went for carrera, which has a natural marble effect. Caesar stone tends to be more uniform in pattern, in my opinion making it look more synthetic.

Daphne Teo Thank you for your contributions. Caesar isn't acrylic and is manufactured stone. I like it because it requires very little maintenance. I don't think Smart Stone is represented here so won't be able to compare prices.

Ironwood Builders I looked up caesarstone's manufacturing process. It is a blend of natural mineral and polymer resins...plastic. The company originally started in the cultured marble business in Indianapolis...my old home town. They started making the original Caesarstone to compete with Corian. I admit, I haven't used it in years, brand or product...it's not in high demand compared to natural stone for the jobs we are doing. We don't do much plastic anything.

Daphne Teo Thank you! I'm avoiding natural stone because they're dearer and also because natural stone is pores.

feeny Not all natural stone is porous. Soapstone, for example, is not porous and doesn't need sealing. It withstands both heat and chemicals. It does, however, need oiling or waxing to keep the finish looking smooth and lustrous, and it is as expensive as higher end granites. But my point is simply that there are different materials with different qualities, in both natural and man made products, so it is best to do your research and figure out your needs.