do you want trend or timeless? it's seldom the same
stacking, firstly what type of tiles? Secondly, it depends on your space
subway is good, also depends.

this is extremely vague
if you share some information on what exactly you're working with, as well as pictures, we'll be better able to help

I don't have pics.. it's a 1924 craftsman style home in Florida. So I don't really want too contemporary.. counters are granite and cabs are painted wood.

Would you think stacking tiles vs subway style would be too contemporary?

it's a bit difficult to give you useful suggestions without pictures, so if you can get them at some stage, do post.

what exactly you mean by stacking tile vs subway style?
subway tile works with many styles of design, and you can have it stacked, running bond (brick style), offset by a third, herringbone...
you can do the same with many other types of tile too

It may help to check out some backsplash pictures here on Houzz. Just look up craftsman backsplash to help get ideas and see what you like. There's also a section where you can see the top trends.

Every time I see vertical tile I feel like it's more contemporary in style. However, the type of tile you use will really dictate the style you are wanting. Here are some examples of how the type of tile (coupled with cabinetry style) can really dictate "contemporary" or "traditional":

(more contemporary)

(more traditional)

(more contemporary)

(not a fan of this kitchen but more traditional)

Hope this helps!

I used glass panels in past. It was a mistake. A hot pan touched the glass and it cracked

Stacked tile seems like the wrong choice for a Craftsman home, if that's really what you have. Find some glass or some texture that you like and stick with an offset pattern.

if you meant brick layout (1/2 offset) by subway style, that would probably work. It's a common and versatile backslash layout