What type of countertop do you have? What type of countertop would you prefer if it isn't the one you have?
I'm going to remodel my kitchen hopefully within the next handful of months and need to start thinking about the countertop. With all the color, grease and hot items I use with baking, I'm really concerned about what will fair the best. The only options out of the picture are stainless steel (don't want that surgical look) and laminate (want something nicer).
I like the look of granite but am so concerned about the staining by grease or colors and I'm not really one into having to do maintenance to my countertop.
Thanks for any suggestions/opinions!!
Dia
Hey,
Just read this in a magazine called "Shopsmart" by Consumer Reports...
Best Overall countertop surface:
Quartz not only looks good; its your best bet for durability and low maintenance.
Quartz,engineered stone, $45-$90 (per square foot with installation)
Pros:
Comes in lots of colors and patterns
Can give you a granite look but unlike granite, it doesn't have to be sealed
Resisted every type of stain we splattered on it, including liquid Drano, beet juice, and shoe polish--even after 24 hours.
Impervious to heat
Cons:
Edges can chip
Can appear uniform, unlike many nature stone surfaces
Visible seams
It goes on to say that stainless steel is extremely prone to scratching and can dent easily.
Check out this magazine..it has great info on kitchen cabinets, too!
Cindy
I have Silestone which is sold at Home Depot. It's stain resistant and you can put hot pans on it without burning it. It's as hard as or harder than granite and comes in a many colors. Just don't cut items on it without a cutting board as you won't damage the Silestone but you will cause your knives to dull. I love my coutertops. Making decisions about remodeling is so hard as you must live with it for so long. I wish you the best and have fun.
aliekitn99 
I put in a new kitchen a year and a half ago. While Quartz was my first choice, I went with solid surface because of price. The sink is seamlessly installed in the same material. I do like that, and I also like the fact the seams are impossible either to see or feel. I was warned away from the darker colors by the installer. His complaint about the darker shades was that the surface would aquire alot of fine scratches and it would be visible. He said that he would be called out to repolish the darker colors every year or so while the lighter colors didn't show the fine scratches, and only needed repolishing after 5 or so years. He turned part of the sink cut out into seperate trivit for hot pots. "Yes, Sir, I promise not to put hot pots on the rest of the counter just on the trivit section." He also gave me the remaining cut out to save in case of serious damage. I guess he could fix damaged areas with it. I have that piece stucked away under the sink.
If I look closely I can see the fine scratches, but I can not feel them. Nor are they visible unless you inspect the surface closely. Interestingly,
The man who installed the solid surface also installed quartz and granite if you wanted it. His preference was solid surface. He wasn't convinced that quartz was worth the extra money and he didn't like the visible seams.
We just recently purchased Corian countertops. I went with this because it is porous and doesn't stain. Also, it is difficult to scratch but when a scratch does occur, it can easily be sanded out and is completely gone. We almost went with granite but we didn't because of the staining factor.
I have corain for most of my kitchen in a dark color, and yes the scratches show, but they do polish out easily.
I have granite on my island, and i've had that island for a long time (its the only piece we kept from the old kitchen) I find that granite is very easy to take care of, i have no stains or chips on it.
We went with the corain, cause of the no seams and the intergrated sink, we also have a wall no matter what we did we just couldn't get it straight. So the corain was able to be formed around the bow in the wall and it fits perfectly.
I have dark granite and absolutely love it. The sealing is NO big deal - literally all you have to do is spray this substance on it once a year. It's super easy.
We have not had any stains or scratch problems. I would have considered quartz but since it's only sold through name brands at stores like Home Depot, it was much more expensive than the independent granite dealer I worked with. I got my sink undermounted, which is great for cleaning - you just slide the crumbs over into the sink! Our seams are virtually unnoticeable.
It is such an improvement over our old white laminate that stained so badly! Good luck, a new kitchen makes such a difference in a house!
Corian would be your best bet. It won't hurt it if you put something hot on it. Also as said before you can sand out any scratches.
If something cheaper then Formica but you can't put hot stuff on it. Bon Ami will take off all stains on it though.
Corian is the trade name for a solid surfacing material. There are a number of companies out there making the same thing. If you decide to go in that direction, investigate the less well known brands. It could save several thousand dollars. After investigating what I had thought were all my options, for budgetary reasons I had intended to go with real butcher bock on the island-$500, laminate on the counters-$900 and a quality stainless sink-$500. Total $1,900. My cabinate maker suggested that I talk with an countertop fabricator from a neighboring town. This man offered everything including an integrated sink for $2,500. In other words $600 more for solid surface as apposed to laminate. After making sure the material he was selling was the real deal. I jumped at it. The other prices I had been offered for Corian had been in the $4,000+ range.
My father was a cabinet maker. He used only Corian products because the others tended to crack and leave burn marks. That was the main reason I suggested it.
for budgetary reasons I had intended to go with real butcher bock on the island-$500, laminate on the counters-$900 and a quality stainless sink-$500.
What kind of sink did you go with? We're building in the next few months and I know so little about all of this stuff . . . "sink" is the next action item on my list and I am just curious what brands are considered "quality" for stainless steel sinks.
I don't remember all the brands. American standard and Krohler are two that come to mind. You are looking for the weight of the steel used. as well as finish and fabrication methods. The lower the gage on the steel the thicker and more durable. The better the fabrication and finish the less spotting and noise. A year and half ago I could have quoted you chapter and verse--Now.. 
I did lots of internet searches and read just about every kitchen magazine out there as well as hitting the library for anything I could find on kitchen design. Places like Home Depot and Lowe's became my favorite shopping spots. Ask questions, pick up literature and read it. The quartz sinks looked interesting too. Since I went with the solid surface counter top, I also have an integrated sink which means it is the same solid surface material which as been seamlessly attached to the counter top.
The standard double bowl except it is 9 inches deep. I think I should have gone with the large single bowl. If you have a dish washer, the double bowl isn't needed as much. Having a huge single bowl would be really nice. You really need to think about how you use your sink now to make that choice. I'm not convinced that the famhouse sinks with the front apron- as attractive as they are- aren't just a current fad rather than a real change in style. The farmhouse sinks also gave me sticker shock.
I have Corian and hate it. I don't like that it doesn't look like natural stone, it does scratch easily and I have a smooth undermount sink that is also Corian which stains very easily. Everytime you pour coffee, tomato based sauces, ect in it it stains and then I have to scrub it with soft scrub. When I remodel my kitchen I would like to have granite.
Jacqui
We're getting ready to put in a new kitchen too. We're probably going to go with the granite. Not much maintenance and all natural. Very durable. We looked at Silestone - didn't really look natural and is "heat resistant" but recommends not placing hot pots directly on it. Didn't consider Corian - have heard horror stories of hot pots and even boiling water issues in the molded in sink. Love a Corian cutting board though. I think it depends on the look you want. I have a ceramic counter top now and love it except for rolling out fondant on it. I have to put a board under my mat when rolling it out or it takes on the squares of the tile. I even considered granite on the island and ceramic everywhere else!
Good Luck!
Debbie
I'll hop in here with my 2 cents. I'm a newbie and this'll be my first post...but I'm also a Kitchen and Bath Designer. 
Most countertop material manufacturers (including Corian) do not recommend putting hot pots on their materials. Solid surface (like Corian) can scorch and granite/quartz can crack because of the sudden extremes in temperature. Not to say that it would ever actually happen...but anything is possible. Corian and other acryilic solid surface materials are porous, as is granite, and can stain (not saying they will, but they can). If you want a non-porous, inert product that is less imervious to stains, look at quartz (whether it's Zodiaq, Silestone, Cambria, Legends, etc.) or a polyester solid surface like the Avonite Studio Collection. The nice thing about the polyester solid surface is that it can be polished to look more like stone....however I wouldn't recommend it if you actually use your kitchen. Someone mentioned that quartz had to be purchased in a store like Home Depot or Lowes, that's not true. Most kitchen and bath dealers will carry at least one quartz line. The only one that we can't get is Silestone because I believe that line is actually reserved for Home Depot and/or Lowes (although I could be wrong).
As for sinks, solid surface sinks in a solid surface top are nice because of the seamless installation. My aunt has a white one and loves it....however, that being said, she also does not cook so there is really no staining to worry about 
Any top can have an undermount sink put in (even laminate although we try to avoid that). If you're looking at stainless sinks, go with at least an 18 guage steel (16 is really nice but also pricey and not necessary). You could go with 20 guage, but I wouldn't go any higher than that or you lose a lot of quality. I have a quartz sink and while I LOVE love love it...I would not recommend black. It looks awesome but let me tell ya, it shows every water spot, dust speck, fingerprint, etc. Mine is an offset double bowl meaning it's got a really large bowl and a smaller one...perfect for me.
Okay, wow, I think that was more than 2 cents worth! LOL Sorry!
Pam
P.S. other solid surface materials to check pricing on (other than Corian):
Wilsonart (yup, they also make laminate)
Hi-Macs
Hanex
Avonite Foundations
Swanstone (also non-staining)
I'm going to jump in here too because I am also a Kitchen Designer and am seeing quite a bit of misinformation within this thread.
Corian is a name brand for solid surface, there are other brands (Avonite, Staron, HiMacs, Formica - to name a few). All solid surface materials are non-porous, unlike granite/marble and don't have to be sealed. Though in a kitchen, especially one with high usage, you should stay away from dark colors as they do show scratches. Solid surface is scratch resistant and heat resistant. However, you should always do cutting on a cutting board and place hot pots/pans on a trivet to distribute the heat. This holds true for granite and quartz as well. Solid surface has "virtually invisible" seams, unlike granite or quartz and you have the added benefit of an integrated sink.
However, I would warn you to stay away from the manufacturers solid surface sinks (Corian & Avonite alike) as they are acrylic and prone to thermoshocking. We use a sink brand called Karran, which carries a 50 year warranty and guarantees against thermoshocking, staining, cracking, etc. The solid surface sinks are non-porous so even if you do "stain" one, it is easily removed with a scotch-brite type pad (you should stay away from Soft Scrub and other non abrasives as those will actually "polish" your sink over time and will then show the scratches more easily)
Something that is a bit less well known is that you can actually have integrated sinks in quartz, and even granite, if you find a good fabricator. We've been doing it for a couple of years now and they look phenonmenal and hold up well (we are using the Karran sinks almost exclusively for quartz and solid surface)
Lowes and Home Depot are NOT your only resource. Find a local dealer/fabricator/installer. Not only will you generally get a better job, but you will typically pay less as well. The big box stores are using local fabricators to do their work anyway. Also, try to find someone who deals in all the materials so that you can get reliable information. If you go to someone who only sells Corian, you will be told that the other solid surfaces do not hold up as well because of this, this and this problems. But in reality, there is very little difference between the solid surface materials, but if you choose another brand, that person that only sells Corian is out a sale, kwim?!?
Good luck!!!
now you all have me wanting to redo my kitchen countertops! Yikes....just finished getting new floors...so going to have to wait another year to get new counter tops and sinks....
I have solid surface white counter tops (hate them everything stains) and a porcelain sink (its offset with the big sink and tiny one--love that) which marks up constantly and is a bear to clean...I want a stainless sink! Had one at my old house and it always looked great!
When we remodel our kitchen I want most of my counters to be laminate and an island in granite or marble ( for pastry purposes). One of the reasons I wanted laminte counters is that if I decide I want a different color in ten years then it's not a huge cost! I tend to change my mind a lot LOL. If I can find a solid surface that's cheap enough I'd go with it. We had corian in our house in Houston because it's one of the features. We picked out a dark blue speckled (kind like denim) and I loved it. It was darker, but the speckles hid minor scratches and surface stains.
I personally don't like the look of the seamless sinks. I want a large deep stainless sink. Laminate is decent enough for coutnertops if you take care of it. You can choose colors that won't show stains and scratches and you have soooo many color choices that I like.
to the kitchen and bath designers for getting involved in this discussion. There are so many possiblities, with pros and cons on all sides, it was good to read your comments.
koolaidstains- I definitely agree with you about the laminates
Laminate is decent enough for coutnertops if you take care of it.
We remodeled our kitchen in 2003 (it took me 3 years to decide what to do because I see all the samples everyday and kept changing my mind...I'd be my own worst client! LOL) and I actually put laminate tops in our kitchen with a nice Hickory edge and a Hickory backsplash. I did it for a few reasons: we were/are planning on selling the house in the next couple of years, the price was right at the time and I knew it was inexpensive enough that I could change it if we did actually remain in the house, I love the color selection of laminates, and it is easy to maintain. When we build our house I may just do laminate again, with a quartz island top. We'll see...if that time ever should roll around! 
Pam
we looked at the hi max line of solid surfaces, and ended up going with the corain cause the hi max didn't have the color we wanted at the time. I agree about going with a local kitchen dealer, lets face it if you have any problems a local dealer is out to save thier rep and will be johnny on the spot much quicker then if you are just another number in a big box store.
You got that right peg818. The way I see it is that Home Depot and Lowes don't have to work nearly as hard to survive as I do. I need to do whatever I can to keep my clients happy whereas HD or Lowes has plenty of other customers and products that if they really tick people off now and then it doesn't hurt them. At my shop however, news of bad customer service spreads like wildfire and could lose you a few potential customers and I can't afford that!
Also, Corian does have an extensive range of colors as opposed to most of the other companies...that is the one thing they have over the rest.
Pam
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