Anova 9200

A bright, almost bare white ground crossed by broad, soft-edged grey veins flowing in one direction, with a web of the finest grey lines around them like cracks. This is the classic Calacatta reading — white with a grey presence, and not a drop of warmth.

That cool tone works best with white, grey, black and stainless steel, and less well with brass and warm timber. The veins are broad and directional, so it is worth seeing the slab in the gallery and marking the layout before cutting — particularly on an island, where the direction of the vein sets how the whole room reads.

Anova Quartz is an Israeli maker and importer based in Be'er Sheva, supplying engineered quartz with a high quartz content and a twelve-year warranty (registered online after installation). The quartz is non-porous — it will not absorb wine, lemon or oil, it never needs resealing, and soap and water handle the daily clean. Like all engineered quartz it is not heat-proof, so a hot pan goes on a trivet rather than on the worktop.