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$15K or Under: Countertops

Kitchen surfaces get a lot of wear and tear. While precious marble or stone will most likely be a budget-buster at this price point, there are economical choices that are now virtually indestructible, too. CaesarStone, for example, is 93 percent crushed quartz that’s combined with polymer resins to create a tough-as-nails, nonporous surface, according to Janice Anne Costa, author of Everything and the Kitchen Sink and editor of the trade publication Kitchen and Bath Design News.