A good friend of ours has done many concrete countertops and they look amazing. We seriously considered it for our remodel. The staining/etching is what turned us off. To be perfectly frank I'm a slob in the kitchen. A countertop that would be damaged by red wine or lemon left on it overnight is just not feasible. Instead we went with soapstone. If it can hold up to legions of teenage chemistry students I feel it can hold up to me. :D If you do decide to go with concrete have you seen the books by Fu-Tung Cheng? They're excellent. Soapstone can be a lot more affordable as a DIY project. The quarry we bought from has DIY kits for about $25/sq ft or you could make it even cheaper by using tiles. Soapstone seams incredibly well.

According to my dh who makes concrete countertops; re weight; if your cabinets are old and rickety you definitely have to reenforce them if going with concrete. however the weight of the concrete is spread out over the surface area so if they are in reasonable condition it shouldn't be a problem re difficulty in getting the right mix; if it's being professionally made this is not an issue. we have formulas recorded to ensure the right mix. re porous; the beauty of concrete is it's versatility, it can be rough and porous or as smooth as glass and completely impermeable and anything in between. note that the high price of concrete countertops is due to the fact that it's relatively new, there are fewer tradesmen so the prices are at a premium.

I've had concrete counters for 20 years in two houses. Love them. I don't coat mine in plastic. I wax them. How much they stain depends on how diligently you care for them. I'm not diligent and mine do have all sorts of marks. I love it. It's like a patina and looks more like stone all the time with the years of use. Mine are "natural" with no colour added We poured them ourselves. No issues and cost under $150. Plan on same in next and forever house.

@kiffkat...please stop disseminating false information. Quartz countertops are not “nearly indestructible“...nor is it “harder than granite.” Ever seen the multitude of threads here, bemoaning their scorched quartz counters? Or, people who have used quartz as a backsplash behind the stove/cooktop, only to find them discolored from the heat? Why haven’t we seen posts like that about granite? Because granite is not made with plastic, like engineered stone, I.e., quartz. Granite will not melt or scorch from heat. It can suffer thermal shock, but then so will any stone countertop material...except for soapstone. If quartz counters were made solely of quartz, yes, it would be nearly as hard as granite. But, they’re not. Quartz counters are an engineered product, mixing quartz dust with plastic resins. The only material harder than granite, is a diamond. Some granites are porous, but not all. Generally, the darker granites are not, and do not have to be sealed. “Granite is one of the most desired materials for countertops, but it is also a great material for other applications like public sculptures and fountains. Granite is ideal for outdoor stone pieces because it can handle the elements without showing wear or breakage. Granite fountains and statues can be left outside all winter long without having to be covered up like other more porous stone types.” Some marbles are passed off as quartzite. Those will stain. A true quartzite will not stain, but it can still etch...though not all do.