Quartz or Soapstone

I was under the impression that Soapstone wasn't all that durable?

HGTV is not real life. Don't change your mind just because of those shows. Do what You want.

If you want granite, buy granite. You don't have to get the high polished kind though if you think that is trending out.

Soapstone is not like granite. It comes in varying levels of hardness, but none are as hard as granite. You can scratch it etc. However, a little oil makes the scratches virtually disappear. It is heat and stain resistant, but it is never going to look like shiny granite. (I have soapstone and love it, but it has a much more lived in/less formal look)

There are so many counter materials out there. I would recommend doing some searches on this site (use the search box at the bottom of the forum) and in general on the Internet.

As billl mentioned, there are numerous varieties of granite and several finishes (polished, honed, flamed, etc). So saying "granite is common" is like saying "wood cabinets are common". Yes, they certainly are, but that doesn't mean that every application looks the same as the others. It's certainly ok to choose another material, but I wouldn't discount an entire material just because many people are aware of it or use it.

Some other options might be the following.
quartzite
quartz (Silestone, Caesarstone, etc)
glass composite (IceStone, etc)
paper composite (Paperstone, etc)
metal and resin (Alkemi, etc)
stainless steel
copper
zinc
solid surface (Corian, etc)
soapstone
slate
marble
wood

We morphed from a brief desire for granite, to an even briefer desire for concrete, to a longer desire for engineered quartz (specifically ones with a recycled content), and finally to stainless steel. We had about 7 years to discuss this as other projects were higher priority in our budget/time allotment. We'd settled on stainless about 4 years before we finally installed it.

for us it came down to function... We cook a lot - I wanted ease of cleaning and NO maintenance. We ended up with counters that look great and meet that requirement.

Get what you want. Don't worry about the home shows other than to seek inspiration. In other words - if you see a look you hadn't before, that you like, add it to your consideration list.

Thanks for the advice! I'll look into some of the things mentioned. I also didn't realize the granite can come in various sheens... I need to do some more research!

Perhaps there's a reason everyone on HGTV wants granite...it's beautiful and durable, and now it is expected, just like laminate was expected 30 years ago and Corian was expected 20 years ago. Granite and quartz seem to be the most popular choices now and I don't think that trend is changing anytime soon judging from all the people at the stone yards shopping for slabs. I say get what YOU want and can afford and don't worry about what is common or not...would you really get something you necessarily don't like just because it's not the norm?

I'm not a fan of busy granite myself (though I can admire it in others' kitchens), and I dislike the cold feel of stone. I went with butcherblock for my current kitchen, but would consider solid surface for the next one. However, if granite is what you genuinely like, I hope you don't talk yourself out of it just because "everyone else it doing it"; they're not, and you should do what you like.

Here is a link that might be useful: This is a helpful discussion on Granite & Solid Surfaces

The one thing about granite is it has a lot of character and there is a lot of variety. Go look at a stone yard and see if one really catches your eye. I think granite is beautiful. If you are not feeling it than look at quartz, soapstone, marble ect. I love marble but I have little children and lots of little ones around. I did not want to put anything in that I would have to worry about them using. Soapstone is beautiful but again I worried about the children. I chose quartz because I couldn't decide on granite and it was durable, simple and there was lots of color choices. I am really happy with my choice.

Stainless steel or wood countertops are my two favorite. I know people don't usually throw them into the same mix, but I think the super high functioning stainless (heat resistant to like 900degrees)and waterproof completely, plus the natural look of wood are Really cool and chic.

I didn't want granite for almost the same reason. Everyone I know has it. I sound silly and like a teenager maybe, but I wanted my kitchen to be different!

There are TONS of affordable options for both.

I used a DIY option. I highly recommend that no matter what surface you go with because you save big $ when you are willing and able to do the work. (and yes, you are able to!)

I like my quartzite, most people come into my kitchen and think it is marble. It has great durability, but it isn't like most stones people install, kind of unusual. I'm the only person I know in the neighborhood with it.

I also just ordered our quartzite slab. It's white macaubas. It's got a fluid linear movement to it with some other veining through it. It's not speckled like granite. It's pricier but I LOVE it. It's for our island.