In general the darker granites are more bullet proof. They're denser and many of them don't need sealing and don't stain. Granite as a rule doesn't etch like marble. I've had Blue Pearl granite for 8 years without sealing it and without any issues. Even many of the lighter granites can be sealed regularly without any issues. You just need to do your research.

Weissman- Thank you for your response. Blue pearl granite might be my one exception, to not caring too much for granites :)

Do you have any pictures? Some looks more gray, but I've seen a few pieces (on the forum) that have a lot more blue. Do you have it on all your counters or just the island?

We had granite in our last house, very dark, called verde butterfly (or something like that) looks kinda like uba tuba. Very durable. My only complaint on my granite was a PITA for the water stains.
We moved to a new (well, really an old house lol) that needs a new kitchen so now I'm looking into a lighter granite that is easy to clean. A few of my friends, and my KD, recomend Gallo Oranmental & Santa Celica granite. Still doing my research but understand those are very good granites to get?
Good luck!

I have pictures in the Finished Kitchens Blog. I don't have an island but it's on all my counters and I have matching tiles for the backsplash. The light really affects the color. My counters look very blue in sunlight but more gray at night.

My daughter has Blue Pearl granite in her kitchen- island and counters. It is very blue most of the time. From some angles at night is is more blue-black. There are specs - like mica - that remind me of the inside of an oyster - very iridescent. Some of those specs/flecks are a wee bit grey but the overall color of the granite is blue. It is bullet proof too. She had three under the age of 2 (thanks to twins) when she did the kitchen 11 years ago. She has never sealed it and only sprays a green window cleaner on it when needed.

Personally I am looking at Vermont Danby marble (Either Imperial or Eureka). It has a good reputation for being "easier" to take care of and is more dense than Italian marbles.

My first choice was soapstone as it would be most appropriate for my antique 1680 house...alas DH thinks it would be too dark with wide pine floors and and one wall having wide pine boards on it. (He is wrong but I have given up... will need the points for the up coming renovation budget...)

The Danby is an old New England material and besides...there was not a kitchen in my house until sometime in the 1920s or later. The keeping room fireplace was were where all the cooking was done.

Of all the counter top choices out there - I think the soapstone is the most forgiving and the most durable. If you want to go to the manufactured stone- consider quartz. There are hundreds of choices and according to the GWers here it is highly rated for being indestructible.

Good luck with your choices...!

My last kitchen had dark brown granite counters, we used them heavily for several years, no problems.

My current kitchen has a white/gray quartzite counter, we've had it for close to a year now. Quartzite is harder than granite, so far it is perfect. Not a hint of etching or staining, chipping. Unfortunately quartzite is pretty expensive in some regions and often difficult to get ahold of in others. I bet you will see more of it soon though, perhaps then the price will come down.

That said - any material you will use may eventually be damaged. Nothing is indestructible - if you try hard enough, even the toughest quartzites, granites and quartz products will chip or scratch. Kitchens aren't museums, so I'm not sure than any counter material can be totally impervious to repeated use.

I respectfully disagree with Beachpea3 about soapstone. I love how it looks and how it feels. But even the most ardent soapstone lover will say that it scratches and chips, which is part of the patina that people love. Soapstone needs oiling, or if you decide not to oil, you need to be comfortable with some marks and streaks that may show on unoiled soapstone. If you are the kind of person who would be bothered by a counter that is not perfect, then soapstone is not for you. Many people love soapstone precisely for its patina, and its velvety feel, not to mention its gorgeous looks. But the OP ha posted regarding stones that won't be high maintenance, and won't have changes in appearance, so I would say soapstone would not be a good choice for her.

I have granite countertops that were installed 6 years ago and look like the day they were installed. I have not babied them at all, and have spilled wine, vinegar, tomato sauce, all kinds of things, with no effect. My counters were sealed by the installer, but I have not re-sealed them since. There are so many granites out there, and some are easier care than others. As Weissman said, the darker ones tend to be less porous and harder. However, I find that if they are very dark (like Absolute Black for example), I am not comfortable with the glare they reflect, or that they will show dust and crumbs and water spots (think a black car).

I like granite with a lot of movement and several colors because they also tend to be less porous, and the movement pattern doesn't show crumbs or grime. It's really best to go to a granite yard, with your cabinet sample, wall paint sample and floor sample if you have them, and see what looks good. After you find some you like, look them up on the site I am linking below. There is a statistic for granite called an "absorption rate". That tells how dense the stone is. The lower the absorption rate, the more resistant to stains. To use some examples, my granite has an absorption rate of .1-.3% which is low, but there are lower. Absolute Black is .05-.15%, about the lowest there is. By contrast, a granite that stains more easily is Imperial White, which has an absorption rate of .2-.4%. You can just seal that more often, and it'll be fine.

As to the appearance of granite, there are some that look fairly close to marble like one called Princess White for example (look up threads on this forum about granites that look like marble), or look similar to soapstone like one called Virginia Mist (so beautiful). Again, you should go to several granite yards, and see what they have, before making up your mind.

Here is a link that might be useful: Granite Lists with Absorption Rates

I have a medium color granite - Baltic brown. No problems in 7 years, no stains, no etching, no cracks, nothing.. Other than wiping it down when I clean up, I've had to do no maintenance at all. And being a "busy" granite, it hides a multitude of sins.

The granite grave marker on our family plot looks as good as the day it was placed in 1937 - well, other than some lichen, but it is outside, in Maine, in heat and cold and snow and ice, etc. Don't be afraid of granite.

I have soapstone on my perimeter counters and statuary marble on my island. I also have a husband and 3 young boys. That being said, both surfaces show scratches. The marble has etched as well. The etching was caused by lemon and lime juice spilling over the sides of a cutting board by a friend when she was slicing both for cocktails during one of our parties. The soapstone also has some small chips around the sink area caused by dishes and pots. Even still, I would not trade the look for anything.
My last house I had Uba Tuba granite and the dust and water marks from glasses, etc. Drove me nuts!

Quartz countertops give a similar look without those issues.

Yeah, I agree with akchicago & alliern...the very dark granite is a real pain to keep clean! I will never get dark again, although love the look of it.

I remember when I first went to Home Expo to select my DARK granite a very nice couple (also shopping for granite) warned me not to buy it. They had the dark one in their old house and advised me to go lighter.

I do like the look of dark though,perhaps there is a trick to minimize water marks? Would love to hear of any tips from the experts!

You don't get water marks with black quartz.

Lavender Lass, there are so many tradeoffs. Darker colors that are polished can show fingerprints and dust or crumbs more than lighter colors, especially if honed. Lighter colors of more porous marbles are more likely to stain. But light honed marbles can be poulticed, bleached or even resurfaced. Some light marbles e.g. Danby are supposedly less porous than others e.g. Cararra. Nothing stains soapstone -- but -- it can chip. Pick your poison or aphrodesiac as the case may be.

I went crazy thinking it all through. Others have said and I agree that if you get what you love, you will enjoy it, embrace taking care of it, love it even if it etches or chips, and are more likely to not regret that you didn't get something different.