Second attempt was with Windex and same paper towel, which cleaned the two honed surfaces up pretty well. The lighter Raw Concrete seems to have been easier than the Sleek Concrete. And finally, to get rid of that pot scratch I used a non-scratching Scotch brite pad (what we usually use on dishes) with some diluted Soft Scrub. This one took a little more elbow grease but I'm satisfied with the results. My opinion is that comparing the two surfaces (honed vs. glossy) there is a marked difference. That being said, I currently have tile from 1978 and grout lines that are so deep and narrow I have to scrub them out with a toothbrush. I guess it's all a matter of perspective. We decided to go with the Raw Concrete after all, and like others have said, just expect that it'll take a little more work and show a few more stains. But then again, isn't that the whole point of concrete? That it looks industrial? I hope this has helped someone. If anyone is interested I'll try to post some more photos and real life feedback in a couple of weeks once ours is installed.

A Stuart Matte finishes always take a little more to care for though if the correct cleaners are used it will be no different to any polished surface. Care & Cleaning Essentials for Quartz

Certainly stone and engineered stones are perfectly suited to benchtops, but concrete has also been growing in popularity and is very durable. Here is an article I found about pros and cons of concrete and other materials. Also, Caesarstone has two concrete-look finishes that look pretty interesting. Hope this helps. More readers who have used concrete benchtops in their homes will likely join the conversation....

Thank you everyone for your comments. I have decided to go with a white stone, most likely Caesarstone Intense White, but will be visiting the various stone showrooms over the next week or so to look at other whites (in light of the comments about the starkness of the white options I posted). Looking at a crisp white with a little movement that doesn't clash with the floor and texture of oak panels. Thanks again! :)