None of the above. Our perimeter counters are stainless steel with an integral sink and our island has a cherry top. The kitchen was completed two years ago and functions beautifully.

I can't stand these kinds of polls. They are so limited. A person may use granite in one home, for certain reasons, and quartz in another home for certain reasons, and butcher block in another home for certain reasons. The decision of which counter incorporates a particular kitchen and the home and lifestyle. This poll can make no conclusions whatsoever regardless of what votes you get.

@favoritedog didn't even say why s/he is posting this poll.

I wanted a light countertop that was not too busy so chose quartz. All the above are fine choices. Laminate is also a fine choice in some situations.

Butcher block, copper, epoxy, concrete, cultured stone, laminate, stainless, zinc, resin composite, tile, are all missing.

Counters are decorative secondary to functionality. Functionality sometimes means different materials for different locations in the kitchen. Julia Child had 4. It also depends on how you cook and how hard you are on things. Lovely exotic stone slices set in resin are breathtaking! And totally unsuited to a kitchen where someone cooks anything. A baker may want marble. Someone into fashion and changes may want laminate to do something different every 24 months. Someone on a budget who wants durability may want Uba Tuba. Someone with an unlimited budget may want that lapis lazuli counter and just spend 50K every couple of years when it starts to look a bit on the shabby side.

Marble

Shannon_WI, The reason this is limited, is because the ones listed are the main ones I am considering. And the reason for the poll is that I have a situation with my currently installed countertop that can only be addressed in one of two ways: replacement or try to install a farm house style sink. It's a light granite countertop that I am told is prone to stains which cannot be removed. The stains in my countertop are right in front of the sink. It also has a crack in the same area.

I've had laminate, corian, marble, granite, wood and quartz at different times and in different houses. They all have their virtues and their shortcomings. I have quartz now and would probably have it again because I find it a very functional, easy care surface with a clean,unobtrusive look that suits my style (nb I have one of the original versions, not marble look, not concrete look, not honed).

I was limited by budget. Patterns that I liked in solid surface and quartz exceeded my budget (and I really didn't like the ones that met my budget). Marble also was too expensive. I was still traumatized by years of ugly formica with its crumbling underlayment, so I wasn't going there. I liked soapstone a lot and found a soapstone seller (M. Texeira) that was cost effective, but couldn't find an installer that would deal with their product, or sell their own within my budget.

I found economical granite, in colors and patterns that I liked, and chose honed because I wanted that softer, more forgiving look. I have been quite satisfied with it. The granite that I chose is very hard and non-absorbent so it does not need sealant.

Leathered granite. Not honed.

It's hard to beat Glacier White Corian. It's at the bottom of the price scale, is easy to maintain/clean, and it pretty much bullet-proof.

raee_gw zone 5b-6a Ohio what is the type of granite you chose?

Thank you all for your input. Much appreciated.

Love, love, love our soapstone counters. They're Belvedere, from M. Teixeira, a hard variety. The counters are almost 4 years old, and look as good today, as they did the day of install. No chips, or scratches...and, of course, no stains or etches.

Soapstone is impervious. It neither stains or etches. As a bonus, it never feels cold, not even during our frigid Northeast winters. IMO, it’s the perfect countertop material!

UNOILED (day of install)

OILED (almost 4 years later)

My granite is called Verde Lavras. I don't think it is as commonly found as many others. Mine was the last slab the yard had so it was discounted.

Darbuka, your soapstone is beautiful!

Everyone's needs are different.

For me, were I to do it again, I would still choose the quartz (from a reputable dealer). The only thing one has to worry about is objects that are too hot. So - I have a cutting board near the range I put hot skillets and pans onto, on the few occasions they're needed.. A trivet works well, too.

I cook with too many acids - yep, I'm a sourpuss. Lemon, tomato, vinegar... I don't want to deal with how this behaves with granite or marble, or with re-sealing (which not ALL granite needs, but).

I've solid surface in the bathrooms - I LOVE that there, but it is even more heat sensitive than quartz. I don't use a hair dryer so no problems.

I know little about soapstone other than many samples are beautiful.

I would consider Formica (also sold as Wilsonart, a different company) - it worked well my past two homes, and there are now a lot of lovely patterns available, and you can even do nice edging which wasn't available when my old residences were built. It was pretty heat tolerant, and everything-else tolerant. It mainly has a bad rep based on how it USED to look.

I have had solid surface in my kitchen for about 10 months now. I love it. I chose a white with small, very light colored particulates and tiny reflective sparkly bits. I appreciate the sparkle and the light surface, and it is important to me that the material used has a high recycled content. My other favorite material is soapstone, which is a locally available material for me. As beautiful as many granite surfaces are, I really wanted to keep my footprint as green as I could within the available options in my price range.