Look and cost are two separate categories. It depends what look you are going for. I would say that for durability and cost, granite is the best option. There is a huge range of pricing, but the starting levels are really affordable now.

It’s all very personal - there is no “right” - but I can tell you my personal preference! I like Corian. It feels luxurious to me but is very durable. For our new build we wanted pure white countertops- and to get that in granite or quartz would be very expensive. Honestly, my husband and I were fine with white laminate- but got talked into an upgrade, haha :) We had planned to go with laminate and upgrade them later down the road, but builder gave us a great deal on the Corian.

Oh yeah I forgot to comment on cost - everyone has something that is their “thing” when building or remodeling. The thing that’s most important to you. In our house it was our cabinetry, not the countertops. So for us, I couldn’t get on board spending big $$$ on countertops, because it just wasn’t a big priority for us. That’s where Corian fit in nicely- it feels like a nice upgrade (literally, to the touch) but it wasn’t a huge investment.

To vague a question for an answer. You need to give us a bit of info or all you will get are 1000s of ideas that really will not be any help. If you want cheap and nice looking go with Ikeas solid wood butcher block counters the ones in this picture are 17 yrs old and still look awesome but not for everyone.