I have granite in my kitchen but i also have a remnant piece of marble for the small amount of chocolate work i do.
Okay, I'm definitely saving this thread. My husband and I would like to completely gut and redo our kitchen in the next 5 years, but I'm trying to do my homework early.
Everything's really old (we're in a 1950's era ranch) and wasn't properly installed whenever it was new (former homeowner was a do-it-not-very-well-yourselfer). I really want a new sink (undermount) but can't do that unless we get new counters that are edged for it...we can't get new counters until we fix/get new cabinets...can't replace cabinets without redoing the flooring while we're there (cheap pergo installed OVER cheap linoleum - thanks "former owner")...the list continues.
I've seen quartz countertops and LOVE the look...a friend has marble and insists they're the best...mom has granite and swears by it...my DH wants to try poured concrete.... Well, at least we've got time to decide!
Would love to hear from anyone who's done more with their kitchens! 
I've had both quartz and granite - I have granite now.
I do not recommend quartz. I know everyone says it is scratch resistant, but it is not. My counter wound up looking horrible - and I never cut on it. It just scratched from pots and pans, etc. on it. We had an expensive quartz, too (a recognized name brand).
Now we have granite. I LOVE IT!!!! I was scared to cut on it at first, but now I do and it shows NO scratches. And, in my opinion, nothing matches the beauty of natural stone.
When we were looking at countertop materials, it was my impression that sales people were somehow incented to push quartz. They really discouraged me from the granite, saying it required maintenance and it could break. Well, the maintenance involves spraying a sealer on it a few times a year (totally not a big deal). And I have never known anyone whose granite countertop broke.
You can find granite fairly reasonably. Instead of going to a kitchen design studio or big box store, look for a fabricator in your area. You will cut out the middle man and save money.
Good luck!!
Yeah, but it sounds like by doing that, YOU are doing it yourself. I know for me, I need someone to do it. I don't know if I mentioned in a previous post though, that the guy from Lowe's was telling me to go to another place that sells the WHOLE slab of granite vs looking at the little samples that are in the store. He said when matching, those samples could be 5 years old or older and the colors/manufacturers/ etc. might have changed.
I too would like to do something in the next couple years, and I too need new flooring as well. Yes, the list goes on and on. I feel your pain!
Actually when you go to a fabricator they still do everything for you. It is nice because you can look at the larger slabs and get a better feel for how the colors really look. They still do all of the measuring, cutting, polishing, installing, etc. They are the people that Lowes, Home Depot, etc. contract with.
Good luck!!
To really make you think, when I built my house 25 yrs ago I had wood countertops put in and I wouldn't want anything else. You can cut, put hot pots on it, etc. Just sand it a little and put some oil on it if it starts to look a little rough. I also had them put an extra piece, the same diameter of the counter on a piano hinge at the end and I just flip it up (there's a bracket underneath to hold it up) and I have that extra space I need when working.
Good luck!
In my last house one of my long countertops was wooden. I also loved them. I totally forgot about them until you mentioned it! Yep, I remember only treating it once in awhile. They were great and I also had a hinged edge. Wow, I can't believe I forgot about that. Well, it was 23 years ago.
I am not a pro baker; however, my day job entails designing kitchen cabinetry & selling countertops. So here is my 2 cents:
Granite is porous & requires maintenance, it also is not scratch resistant, although it is the second hardest surface.
Marble is softer than granite & scratches easily.
Neither of these options is microbiobial either.
Quartz is the hardest surface & is scratch & stain resistant & is microbiobial.
Solid Surface (Corian, Staron, etc) is not heat resistant, scratch resistant or microbiobial. It is however, more affordable than the other choices.
No matter which you choose, if you have a tight budget, I suggest looking for off brands. For example: Solid Surface made by Meganite brand is less expensive than Corian brand b/c Corian is made by Dupont & you are paying for the name. Quartz made by Zodiaq is often less expensive that Silestone, same reasons. The counters are made out of the same materials the price difference reflects brand.
HTH
We just put in granite counters and I was under the impression they were antimicrobial!!
They look beautiful, but had I known....
No, it's not "naturally" antimicrobial, but there is a sealer that you can use that makes it so That was my main concern when we designed our kitchen a few years ago, and my installer assured me that, as long as I applied the sealer every so often, it would be antimicrobial. He's an old family friend, so he comes by and does it for me!!
I'll go for granite. Granite Countertop surely is tougher than any other available countertops in the market. Its durability is one of the best quality of the granite.
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