what type of "cook" are you? Will you be using the surfaces all the time? Are you very careful in the kitchen or relaxed?

I do cook almost every night. I am very careful and clean in the kitchen but we do have 3 kids of varying ages and don't want to worry about stains. We want things fairly neutral for resale as well.

Kelly I like concrete countertops.... but i guess i have a biased opinion since we make them. Check out our website if you want to see some custom countertops and get some ideas. If you have any questions about concrete countertops i will be happy to answer them
http://www.burcollc.com/

the reason I asked is because I have two different surfaces in my own litchen...I have honed Calcutta Marble on my island and honed Irish Limestone on my other surfaces..that said, if I had 3 kids and do not want to worry about stains I would go with a composite granite honed surface....no worries about stains..you do have to seal , but it is worth the effort for the look! I don't care about acid stains on the marble, just love the stone and the color...but 3 kids...that is more than enough work!