I much prefer white Corian to quartz. Whenever a sales person pushes something on me I am pretty certain he/she has a financial incentive.

I would choose Corian over a low grade granite. White Corian does not pretend to be something it is not. It is hard wearing and classic in looks.

The people pushing quartz today will be pushing something new soon enough.

What are your expectations of a material?

There are tradeoffs to all surfaces. You just have to educate yourself as to what they are. From what you've described, you'd probably be quite happy with a light Corian.

Get what YOU love and will work best for you, not what someone says is the latest and greatest. In 10 years there will be a new latest and greatest.

Sorry to jump on, but I am struggling with this same question. I am helping my Dad remodel a vacation home that is used about a third of the year by family and friends. It's not a rental but may return to the weekly ski rental market in 5 to 10 years from now. So we want a no-fuss countertop. I thought that would be quartz, but reading reviews, people say it chips around the sink, etc. Is Corian a better choice for a vacation home that is a sometimes-rental? My Dad does not want granite, so it's quartz or corian.

Corian is pretty much indestructible - no hot pans on it but none of the other surfaces can take them either. The good thing about Corian is that if someone does set a hot pan down and make a mark, there is a good chance it can be repaired quite easily. Not so with quartz or granite.

Stick with white Corian (I like Glacier White) as dirt will show and if it's a rental, the cleaners will see it and actually clean the countertops.

I am a fabricator. Pick the look you like 1st and then evaluate the different materials. With respect to chipping; either quartz or most granites are very chip resistant if the top corner of the edge is radiused at 3/8" or greater. I believe the vast majority of chipping complaints for either material are due to a sharp top radius. Any of the options you are considering should be durable.

I have to disagree with others that assert that granite can't take hot pans. In 18 years I've only had one countertop failure due to heat and that was a lady that had four "lefse" burners set out for a party so the stone was subjected to hot spots for several hours. I move hot pans directly from my stove and oven on to my granite all the time with no ill effects.

I agree with oldryder, my granite has been pretty much bullet proof! 4 kids, cooking multiple times a day, never baby it...and after 5 years it's still exactly like it was at installation.

With all due respect, oldryder's comments do not comport with the 70-year-old trade association of the stone industry, the Natural Stone Institute, which recommends trivet use for all natural stones, soapstone included.

How lucky do you feel?