I take issue with the Natural Stone Institute occasionally. Their detail drawing on stone seams at sinks is a horror, but that's what you get when you don't consult with repairpersons before sitting down to sketch diktats.

Third pagraph down, third sentence:

"Hot pans can be placed directly on the countertop surface from the oven without any harm."

Same problem as above, letting the inexperienced write your copy. When you get called to a customer's home and have to break news that the hot pot she put on her stone countertop has popped the crystals creating an ugly white unrepairable ring, the look on her face is heartbreaking.

Maybe the qualifier here is "oven", not "burner". Yeah, if you're talking hot cookie sheets, fine, you'll never hurt the stone, but you can do that with Corian.

Please, spare me the anecdotes. Yes, I know all about how you've been putting hot pots directly on your stone for years without a problem. Good for you, you've been lucky. And while the stone may not be harmed directly, you've certainly fried any sealer, factory or canned. That stuff has little or no heat resistance.

Trivets, people. All the time, no matter the top material.