Why marble for prep surface? Historically and in the present?

[PizzaVera]

That must be DOP marble... 

FYI - Italy doesn't have any claim on marble. It can be found all over the world, and it is just as "real" wherever it comes from.

CL

hahaahha yeah, I was just stating Italy as Italian Marble is a famous product and a sign of wealth and quality, of course other countries produce fine marble too.
but the chinese marble, or the FAKE marble, I really don't know what it is, but I bought some
I bought a kitchen table which looks exactly like marble, is very heavy etc. but when I asked the seller
"why is this table so cheap , if this is marble'?
he said, Naa,it's imitation marble, imported from China.  the poor mans marble.
I said, ok 1000 dollars , I'll take it. hahahahha

so what I was thinking, when the pizzerias buy their counter tops, are they buying the cheap mans marble?

[randyjohnsonhve]

I have granite and it works well...Sealed, it does not stain...I cut the pizzas on a board, so if I was to buy something, I would buy a piece of granite vs marble...

RJelli

[DNA Dan]

I suspect this is mainly historical. Remember, marble has been around for centuries and it's a lighter material to move around compared to most granites. The whole granite kitchen fad is really a new phenomenon made possible primarily through advanced in cutting technology on an industrial scale. Prior to factories that can slice up a block into slabs, it was much harder to produce granite in a thinner slab like marble.

Physically, marble is a metamorphic rock, while granite is igneous rock. This means granites formed deep in the earth from high heat and pressure. They are more like glass, composed of a fair amount of quartz and can actually "shear" if hit at awkward angles. Marble is usually less porous than granite, but recent advances in polishing stone makes granite an easier substance to work with than it used to be.

Chemically marble is mostly carbonates - calcite and/or dolomite. Whereas granite can be a whole bunch of things.

In the kitchen people want white, a sign of cleanliness. If you had black granite, it would show dirt easily and be in constant need of wiping to maintain it's mirror shine. Kitchens aren't the cleanest places, why show off the dirt?

[RobynB]

Dan:  Thank you, that is some of the information I am wanting!!  If I went with granite, I would not be going with a dark color.  My main concern is that this would be a pizza prep area, but also the centerpiece of our kitchen.  I use GI Aluminum peels, and my husband is concerned that marble will not hold up and will stain/etch.  I am afraid granite will scratch from the peel and show wear in a different way than marble, at least marble ages gracefully.  I've used the sample of granite a couple times now and am not noticing any sticking, that was a concern versus the more porous surface of marble.  Do you have any other advice?  It sounds like you think marble is the better choice, but I could be misreading you?

Thanks again!!

Robyn

[buceriasdon]

Dan, I think you meant to say marble is more porous and softer than granite.
Don

[DNA Dan]

It's certainly softer, but I don't know about porosity. I have seen some pretty porous granites with huge crystals in them. I am not as versed in marble, but I recall it being a tighter more uniform surface. I think it depends upon the piece because I have seen it go both ways.

[buceriasdon]

I can post other links if need be: http://www.asgranite.com/choose_stone.aspx
I have worked with both over the years and without a doubt marble is more porous than granite hence the reason marble stains more easily.
Don

[DNA Dan]

It's much more complicated than just the porosity. See http://www.stonecaretechniques.com/6_m.htm for a good discussion.

The main concern is absortion of liquids by the stone. Marble is more absorbent because the porosity is physically more interconnected. In granite its more "fractured" and random depending upon the makeup of the stone. They are pretty close actually, but it's the hardness that makes granite more desirable.

I don't want to argue the technicals, but to answer the OP's question, I say use whatever feels good, cleans well and passes inspection. Marble in the kitchen is a historical thing, until granite was cheap enough to mine, cut, polish, etc. for the mass market. Think of it this way, if you wanted a really heavy surface back then, you used a butcher block or some thick wooden bench. When that went out of style due to health concerns, stainless steel and stone were the alternatives to increase sanitation. Marble at one time was cheap and readily available.