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My in-laws have a granite countertop in their new kitchen. Normally, granite is quite heat-resistant, but they found out the hard way that the resin "sealant" that coats it to make it shiny is not. From my perspective, one of the reasons to have a granite countertop is so that you can put pots and pans straight from the oven or stove directly on it, so this is undesireable.

I've done some online reading on granite sealers, and as far as I can tell they're applied for two reasons: (1) to make the granite extra-shiny, and (2) to fill in any natural roughness in the stone that would provide a surface that could stain. However, this granite is a deep mottled reddish-brown, so it's hard for me to regard reason (2) as valid; how would you even see a stain?

Given that, are there other drawbacks to stripping the sealant off the countertops that I might not be anticipating?

(Posting here to ask about culinary drawbacks; for questions about the difficulty of removal and drawbacks for long-term maintenance I'll ask on Home Improvement)

FuzzyChef
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    The higher roughness would also mean, that food residue (and bacteria) is harder to clean off. – Johannes_B Dec 08 '20 at 08:14
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    While you can put hot things directly on granite there's always the chance that it could go wrong and crack, which is why I always protect the surface. As for staining, yes you probably would see it. Black granite can stain, and it's an eyesore. – GdD Dec 08 '20 at 08:36
  • Interesting, because I've just bought a smooth, shiny granite knife destroyer (it said "chopping board" on the box) specifically rated to 240°C. Once I'd removed the rubber feet I didn't know it had, it made an excellent pizza stone. Before first use I heated it slowly to 270°C to check for any issues and make sure it was dry. These are typically made from offcuts of worktop, but presumably the sealant is applied later in the process – Chris H Dec 08 '20 at 09:13
  • Chris; yeah I have a big granite offcut next to my stove that I use specifically as a fast-cooling block. Which was why I was surprised when the countertop "scortched". – FuzzyChef Dec 08 '20 at 16:55
  • @GdD, why not post that as an answer? – FuzzyChef Dec 08 '20 at 16:55
  • I didn't post it as an answer because I don't see it as one @FuzzyChef, it didn't seem to be what you were asking. If you think it's helpful I'll post it. – GdD Dec 08 '20 at 17:32
  • It's a reason not to remove the sealant -- or more directly, why not to put hot things on the granite counter. Post it with a link, and it's an answer. – FuzzyChef Dec 08 '20 at 17:56

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