For durability in a hard surface, i'd suggest either a luxury vinyl tile (LVT) or a laminate floor. Both will be much tougher than any real hardwood product and resist scratches & dents in a busy household. Cork is a great option for comfortability and quietness and hides scratches and dents well but it's generally a little more expensive.

In our experience, the best wearing brands we've recommended and support are:

Metroflor Engage LVT (wood or slate looks): http://www.metroflorengage.com/residential/index.html#

Quickstep Laminate Floor (wood look) Made in the US: https://us.quick-step.com/

I have attached a few our employees have installed.

LVT

LVT

Laminate

Cork

-Hope this helps! Good Luck.

I second the luxury vinyl or glued down cork. I do not like laminate in the kitchen as much since I think it does less well with water.

How does cork do with water? You know about ice cubes that miss the glass...

Cork is not as water resistant as an LVT and Laminate. A good quality laminate does okay with minimal water, no floor is great with sitting water on it. Cork is a natural product that may expand if water sits on it. An ice cube not a concern- It's the water glass spilled off the table that should be wiped up as soon as possible. Sitting water is definitely not a good thing for cork.

We are using Modin Collection from Flooret (on Houzz and online). 40 mil wear layer is twice that of top brands and carries lifetime warranty. Planks 9" wide x 60" long, 5 mm thick.

Here is pic of Karndean Opus (light gray) next to reddish brown Modin Imber; see how much thicker Modin is. Click lock or can be glued. $3.49 SF.

Second pic is two color samples clicked together.

why not ceramic tile? Or some other durable tile?

I've always felt that tile was hard on my legs. it would certainly be the most durable.

I love LVP we have it in our lower level where the dogs run in and out from the dog run and grandkids are in and out from the pool all summer a qick damp mop they look like new and are cetainly easier on the legs and we put dri- core underneath to keep the floor feeling warmer.

From what I've seen, many brands carry different lines that have different wear layers for LVP. As an example, some Mannington has a 20 mil wear layer, some has 12 mil wear layer. Some Karndean LVP has 20 mil wear layer, while some of their stone or tile look has a 28 mil wear layer. To me the wear layer is the most important consideration, particularly in high traffic areas or if you have dogs. Regardless of brand, there is no way I would use less than a 20 mil wear layer. What sold us on Modin was the 40 mil wear layer, but also in person it felt substantial and looked great. Karndean Art Select and Mannington Adura also looked great (although didn't like the colors). With lifetime warranty, double the thickness of the wear layer and a cost the same or less, Modin made most since for us.

That really does make sense. Tile can look so good, too. Our kitchen is at the center of the house- everyone goes through it who visits, so I want it to look really nice.