Norm what do you know about cremo (sp) as farvas staining etc.?

I think cremo is just another name for Kashmire White, as it comes in different shades and alot of granites get renamed by their respective dealers. Here is a link to popular granites and their water absorption rates. The lower the number the more dense they are. http://www.findstone.com/daniel2.htm

Thanks for the info. disappointing to know all the lighter colors are so porous. I am printing the chart, great for reference when we go to the granite warehouse.

You could go with Quartz, it is non porous but you can't put hot pots on it, of course you shouldn't put hot pots on any countertop except maybe ceramic tile, but most don't like the look of it.

I agree that with natural stone many can be porous. If my client is leaning that way I always have them take a small sample of the stone( usually most stone yards will give you a small chunk) and run their own experiments by staining it with coffee, mustard, oil, ketchup etc and leaving it on over night to see how it performs. Some do well others do not, but at least you would know better what to expect. That said, you will have fewer issues with quartz products as suggested above. And there are some beautiful colors out there these days.

My stone man said that cremo is a marble. It is porous and should be sealed. Just need to be careful with the hot pots and pans.

If it's marble it's softer than granite, i.e. not as scratch resistant.

I'm still thinking it's granite. http://www.globalgranite.com/gallery/granite-slabs-14/kashmir-cream-polished-slab-707