After shopping and investigating different types of countertops, I chose Silestone. It is Quartz but no need to seal it like granite. Also it is non porous and anti microbial. It will not stain like marble and it is easily cleanable with anything from soap and water to bleach. I am extremely pleased with my choice!

Thank you. I ended up going with honed -- even from experts I got differing input. I do love my marble countertops and now that I've been using them for several months, only real difference is i don't cut directly on them -- otherwise they are very easy to maintain.

So now that more time has passed, can you tell me how your honed marble is holding up? Stains? Etching? We are getting ready to put in countertops in our new construction and I would love marble but reading so many things on houzz that are making me wonder if I'd be crazy to do so. We have 3 kids and will host many family and friends gatherings so trying to be realistic about what to expect if I go with the honed marble!

For months I was researching and trying to decide if I should go with marble in my kitchen. After sleepless night I decided to go for it. I went with honed marble and had it sealed. It is absolutely beautiful. I love the look. I am a person who cleans up the kitchen immediately after any use, have 2 children who use placemats and are beyond careful. The first 3 months were great. However, due to a busy summer home on a lake , I now have rings all over the top of the marble from guests. I am constantly running around with coasters / sliding under guests drinks. It is exhausting and I feel like a crazy lady. I am truly amazed how quickly the rings happen.

My son had a bottle of lemonade that had a hole in the bottom and I saw it hit the counter. Within seconds I had wiped it up and we now have a huge area to remind us not to ever have lemonade in our house. It is beautiful but if I had to make the decision today I would only use honed marble in the bathrooms. Hope this helps.

''remind us not to ever have lemonade in our house. ''

That's letting a thing rule your life. And it's very sad. Your kids should be able to have a big lemonade making party in their kitchen and set up a lemonade stand outside witout fearing their mother's scolding and coastering. You won't get a second chance to make happy memories. You can always have your marble rehoned though.

Maybe have a look at some of the composite bench top brands that do a "marble like" design. Caesarstone for example have a Calacatta lookalike and it won't have the etching problem that you get with real marble, which is very porous (probably cheaper too).
Alternatively there are products for sealing marble, can't comment on how effective they are though.