I think people are officially advised not to, but I've talked to many people who do put hot pans on their granite counters with no adverse effects. Let's see what the experts here say?

And if you really want a counter that can take a hot pan, soapstone is a good choice. But it has a very different look than granite, isn't quite as low maintenance, and has a very limited color selection.

I have put hot pans on granite with no problem.

I never do, don't want to find out what might/could happen.

Yes you can--that is the beauty of natural stone--granite is very durable.

Do some google searches. There are a number of articles and posts about this including quite a few by granite suppliers. This link may be a starting place. http://www.ehow.com/info_8695464_can-put-hot-pans-granite.html

MOST IMPORTANT - ask your granite supplier about what types of treatment they will warranty. You could have 500 posts here telling you it's fine to do. But IF the granite cracks (and this can happen) posts here won't do you a bit of good unless your supplier warranties against cracks caused by hot pans.

Granite is a natural stone product with "Fischer cracks" that can run throughout the center of the product that are not able to be seen. Hot pans can cause them to crack & surface to the top, causing cracks that are sometimes unable to be repaired. While often times we find homeowners do use hot pans on granite, we do not recommend it, nor is damaged caused by such warranted. So our guidance is don't do it. Don't take the risk of ruining your beautiful granite. (Or buy a granite trivet & put the hot stuff on that instead.) At least if that breaks, it isn't as expensive to replace as your countertops!

After reading all the pros' comments, I will no longer put a hot pan on granite. Thanks!