Yes, Deborah is right granite prices have plummeted. Go to your local fabricator and see what they offer for colors in both, not sure about your area and price points but here you can find Corian for mid to high $30's much like Granite. Ask yourself this after you have colors you like, what do I like vs what aligns with my lifestyle in ref to maintenance? Corian is a solid surface, non porous, offers integral sink and has a nice feel to it. Con is the scratching but can be buffed out and repaired if cracks or chips. Granite is a natural stone and is like art, it's one of a kind ref color shade veining etc. Strong, resilient, you can put hot pots on it (breaks down your sealer over repeats) Con is it does neednto be sealed roughly every 6-12 mths which is no biggie just a coating you apply when moisture no longer "puddles". Oh and if you love your knives, don't cut on it, it will dull them and create etches in your beautiful granite top. Let me know if there are any questions you may have as I work for a fabricator and have been dealing with top surfaces over 8 yrs. Laminate, Solid Surface, Quartz, Recylced and Natural Stones. Good Luck!

Hi danapapa4, Some great comments above, especially by Norm Walters. As he mentioned, granite's porosity varies greatly so if you're considering that, choose one that's extremely dense. For the most objective advice on how heat (and stain) resistant quartz is, you should visit the manufacturers' websites. Fwiw, none of them recommend placing hot items directly on the surface. Also, please note that the surface of any stone (granite, marble, or quartz etc) will be noticeable less durable if its honed or leathered. The warranty for these finishes is not as good as for regular polished stone, including quartz. All the manufacturers make a note of this. Custom honing by a fabricator will void the warranty of quartz. - Steve

clarestaton, I'm of the opinion that camouflaging spills is a bad thing, not a good thing. There are many counter top materials available...one of the best for finding surprise goo is Uba Tuba granite. With mine, it became an effort...getting down so my eye was even with the counter top and suddenly seeing all the toast crumbs from breakfast that morning...along with some jam and maybe some butter too.

It all depends on YOU! What is your family situation? What type of cook are you? What is your budget? What is your feeling regarding aesthetics vs. function? Quartz is very easy to care for, comes in a huge variety of colors and patterns, but is NOT perfect, and is expensive. It mimics natural stone, but if you really know stone, you know it won't fool anyone. Quartzite, NOT manmade, is a very hard stone that comes in lots of light colors, but is quite expensive due to its limited supply and the difficulty of working with it. (Some stoneyards sell "quartzite" that is really marble, and will etch. It can be difficult to determine if it is quartzite or marble.) Granite is a very hard and durable stone, but can vary in price depending on the color and style. It has a particular speckled look due to its physical and chemical composition, but is wildly popular for kitchen countertops. Marble is a relatively soft stone made of calcium carbonate, and will become used looking very quickly, even if it is sealed. If you want a stone that looks as pristine as the day it was installed, marble isn't for you. Prices can vary depending on where the stone is quarried and the supply and demand for a particular type of marble. Wood of all species are used for countertops, and are very beautiful, but water can be a problem, especially around the sink. Manmade solid surface material (Corian) also comes in a variety of colors and patterns, and is easily formed into any configuration, but can scratch easily. The advantages of both wood and solid surfacing is that they are very forgiving if you drop something on them. Prices for these also vary widely depending on the supply/demand and the wood species. Metals are also used for countertops--stainless steel, copper, zinc. Also expensive but beautiful and prone to scratching. Lastly, the most cost effective is laminate, which comes in hundreds of colors and patterns and is very easy to care for. White and light colors can stain from wine, coffee, but the stains are easily erased with bleach. You should visit stoneyards, kitchen showrooms, and any other place where you can see the various options and ask lots of questions of the designers and salespeople. Good luck!