I love my granite......have it in two bathrooms also. My daughter has Quartz and she loves her countertops. It's personal preference. The granite should be reseated perodically, but not a big deal. Do some research.

No one mentioned Corian. I suppose it's not "trendy" but I love my Corian counter tops -- all one piece with coved backsplash and sink molded right in so there are no seams anywhere where gunk can hide. Clean-up is a breeze.

Thank you Teri for bringing Corian into the mix. It's definitely on my list to investigate. There are many matte finishes which I would definitely be happy with. I don't care so much about trendy. I plan to stay in the house for quite a while and I cook every day. I want ease of use and ease of cleaning most of all.

My last and current house both have/had granite counters, and I've never seen any streaking from not drying the counters! And I have LED lights under the cabinets that shine directly on the counters....

Like you, I constantly wipe down my counters with a dishcloth and plain water. I have relatively dark colors...I'll try and post a picture.

IMO, granite is beautiful and will help sell a house.[ATTACH=CONFIG]534244[/ATTACH]

Thanks for the pic and info Girlfriend. Nice counters!

I put in a high grade laminate, and love it. It is easy to clean and looks good always. My old laminate lasted over 40 years without any problems. They come in all colors and styles.

We are in the process of picking everything for a kitchen overhaul. Our counters- I'm guessing they will be quartz (no maintenance- I work too many hours!) because I can't get anyone to work with me to install recycled glass ones. They are set in resin and are awesome! I love color and I want color and not be like anyone else. My sink is farmhouse style in colbalt blue. (Did I mention I like color?) the back splash with be either white subway tile with an insert of a collection of my sea glass or mosaic tile in beachy colors. Cabinets are medium tones with a darker wash- I think it's called cinnamon maple. My stove is a Jenn Air 6 burner with a stainless steel and glass hood. The microwave is a drawer (also Jenn Air). My floor, hopefully will stay the same- I spent a ton of money on it when we built the house 14 years ago and I love it- it has tumbled edges. The color is greens and blues and tans. I did do something stupid and picked light beige grout, but I had them steam cleaned recently and sealed and it looks brand new! I am left handed and the kitchen layout is moving a bit to accommodate my hatred of corner cabinets and lazy susans. UGH! the island will become longer as the refrigerator moves to a different wall. Adding some more cabinets, overhead ones with glass doors and lighted to show off my crystal and carnival glass collection. Still trying to find someone to do those countertops.....

Oh what a great question - I had water damage in my kitchen over a month ago, and am trying to decide how to proceed with the fix up - I'm interested in new counter tops too - adjusting my current island so it will have a larger surface area to accommodate chairs for dining and make fabric cutting easier too!

I have soapstone counters and love them. You have to oil or wax in the beginning to get them to turn black with a patina. Scratches can be sanded out but they will chip if hit hard enough. We have an old house and they just feel right.

I redid my kitchen last year and I put Corian in rather that granite or quartz. It's a bit more durable (you can't chip it like quartz or granite) and I love the integrated sink. I have them in the master bath and they are so easy to clean. No edges or ridges to clean around. Just spray and wipe. I don't like the shiny look. Like Onebyone, too bad for the next owners if they were hoping for granite. I remodel for me, not for the next person to own it.