There have been rare, but at least 1 or 2 postings here over the last few years of people who have in fact had cracks - not fissures, but real cracks - develop in their granite. At least one person cracked it from thermal shock and then THEY were in shock, LOL. Stone by its nature has numerous fissures, and much of what is sold as granite, actually isn't. Fissures can react to thermal shock by widening, hence the rare crack. Aluminum and cast iron leave marks on solid surface sinks. These marks are less, and easier to clean, than when I used to have the expensive cast iron Kohler Executive Chef sink. Way easier to clean, believe me! My worst problem with the Swanstone sink is rust marks from cans. Those are very difficult to get off, but they eventually fade after a few weeks time. I've told my DH to stop leaving cans in the sink overnight (we have to rinse cans of any food particles before recycling). And for those who have been using crock-pots et.al. on counters for years, be advised that the NEW crockpots run much, much hotter. Concerns were raised that crockpots were cooking food at too low a temperature to prevent bacterial growth, so almost all the new models cook at higher temps than the old ones.

Thanks for the tips! I have been reading up on the threads regarding solid surface counters and also checked out the finished kitchens board. Regarding my new kitchen, I will have a stainless steel undermount sink. Cabinets will be rustic pecan from Dynasty Omega. Hardwood floors in a medium to dark finish. Island countertop will be butcher block. I will not be installing granite as it is too expensive. (We are a couple of hundred miles from the nearest granite yard so mileage and time for templating and installation will kill us before the price of the granite is even considered.) That is why I am going with solid surface. I prefer a matte finish rather than shiny and am leaning toward darker, earthtone colors with a stone look. I know about the issues with the heat but have never had anyone in our household set a hot pot on the old yellow/gold laminate counter so I don't anticipate that as a problem. (My KD says you can't use griddles or the George Forman type of grills on solid surface without a trivet or hot pad underneath. Anyone have experience with this?)

terry, do you mean LG Hi-Macs? Lomac is a drug. Hi-Macs is certainly comparable to Corian at a better price but it sure doesn't have more colors than Corian. Anyway, I'm sorry I can't help you with your sink concerns as I don't have a solid-surface counter. You may want to try searching "integrated sinks". One thing I know about SS sinks is that you need to run the hot water from the faucet before you pour hot liquids into the sink (like draining pasta) because the temperature shock can cause the sink to crack. Other than that, almost everything I've read about solid surface counters and integrated sinks is very positive. Nicole

I've had white Corian now for 31 years. I even re-used if this past summer when getting new cabinets. I LOVE it! I can't remember which white it is - in 1985, one had the choice of 3 shades of white and I chose the whitest - no other colors were available then. I consider it like a great white blouse - always looks crisp and clean and fresh and timeless. Here is a picture of my kitchen sink area with the integrated Corian sink as well. I have never had a stain I could not easily and quickly remove with a couple of swipes of a ScotchGuard pad. I had to add a 5 ft run where we changed the kitchen layout. I've heard others on GW complain that it has a "plasticy" look and I now understand what they mean. It just needs to get a few scratches to develop a lovely patina! I immediately took the ScotchGuard pad to it and now it looks just like the other countertops. I have never regretted getting this. My daughter had the same (same sink, too) installed in her kitchen about 8 years ago. Her husband is a SAHD and a constant coffee drinker, dumping the grounds from the French press maker and not rinsing the sink. Again, a quick swipe with a ScotchGuard dishwashing wand and all stains disappear. She also has two teenage boys - think "fraternity house" when she's out of town on business - and they have never managed to do any damage to the countertops or the sink. I don't like a "busy" kitchen. Mine is small - 11x15, with three doorways and that huge window. It's very chopped up looking, so keeping things simple and fairly monochromatic works very well in there. I used honed white marble 3x12 subway tile for my backsplash and it works very well with the white Corian. I can think of no other countertop material that could look this good after 31 years! I'm not obsessive about it, but I don't abuse things, either. If I had a huge kitchen with a humongous island in the middle, perhaps I would want a countertop on that island that made more of a "statement". But in a small kitchen, NO STATEMENT is the best way to go!