We're pleased with our caesarstone quartz counter which is very tough and very durable and good looking. However, the one I selected is made with recycled glass, which I Iove the look of the glass as it adds dimension to the look. However, the glass is not as tough as the caesarstone and I have a couple of teensy dimples where the glass has chipped. Not noticeable at all (nothing on the counter is noticeable!) but I feel it when I'm wiping it down and I know they're there.

I think if I was doing it now, I'd definitely be shopping for quartzite instead....

Annie, thanks so much! I'm off right now to look at quartzite. I too love love love glass...but do worry about scratching/chipping. Man, though, I love it! Ah well. Thanks for the tip.

I've had laminate for years and I'm not a fan. If you get a little chip or you scratch it, there's nothing you can do. I looked at quartz, but a lot of it looked plastic to me and in the end I wanted something "real". I finally went with a dark (pretty much black) granite with a leathered finish. It isn't shiny, it's very durable, and I can put any backsplash with it without worrying about it "competing." I love the look of the lighter quartzites, but I was afraid of staining with my messy kids.

What do your cabinets look like?

I went with a dark blue granite,and we love it. I would have been happy with several granites I found. I did stay closer to budget on this than many people do. I also passed on marble although I love, love the look. Just didn't seem practical with three kids, two of them cooking on their own without me there.

"Stone, ceramic, butcherblock, travertine, porcelain, glass, formica, good grief." Well, let's go through the materials list you presented and see what makes sense:

Stone--let's do some subcategories.
Granite--so many different colors. Do you want a shiny counter? You can also get an antiqued or leathered granite if you want a matte finish. Do you want lots of movement, waves, small dots?

Marble-- Do you care about etching? If so, scratch off marble (so to speak).

Soapstone--You can set a hot pot on it. (Chem labs used this stuff.) You can get marks on it that can be buffed out. But there is a bit of that same patina deal going that people either like or don't.

alternatives--limestone, onyx and many others. Likely more expensive.
Ceramic and porcelain--Do you mean ceramic tile? In general most of us have been shying away from tile countertops because we hate cleaning the grout. If you are thinking resale value of the home, this is not a surface that will advance your cause. Still a great value and durable. We do all love tile for backsplashes though!

Butcherblock--this is both trendy, fun and often times economical if you buy it at IKEA! But most people do it for only part of their kitchen, not the whole thing. If you have a 60s house and are trying to honor it at all, I see it in keeping with a mid-century vibe.

travertine--beautiful stuff but isn't it on the way out? I don't think it sounds like it belongs in your house or that it reflects your style. Let this one go.

glass--if you want your kitchen to last until you die, and you are worried about it scratching or chipping, I see an inherent contradiction. If you really must have glass, I'd do a soapstone perimeter that won't steal the show and then do glass on your island.

formica--This is really unpopular now. Really only installed in rentals and for quick-turns in real estate. I would take this one off your list.

Cesarstone and similar--do you find the patterns reassuring and calming? A nice neutral to add to your palette? Or do they seem too perfect/too regular for you? There is no wrong answer to this, it's truly a taste preference. They are also really durable. Some great kitchen designers are using these products these days--Candice Olson features them extensively in her latest book and they are stunning. In some cases I think her pictures have nearly the pizazz of your beloved glass.

Hopefully going through the list helps you clarify. Post a before picture and some photos of your cabinets, both their style and their color. It would help people guide you more.

Here is a link that might be useful: Candice Olson's recent book

Uh, I have a speckled black laminate counter in my current kitchen and I love it. With a square edge it looks fantastic, tough as nails and affordable. I won't get laminate in my next kitchen as I have an undermount sink, otherwise it would totally be ON the table for me. No pun intended.

Love my new Cambria - even though it is a quartz, it has a lot of movement and I can't even find the repetition points!
Quartz is not porous and is easy to maintain (no sealing etc - just wash with soap and water!)

I fell in love with the glass countertops, but alas, was out of budget.

I have quartz and it neither looks nor feels plastic. There's a degree of control in the coloration, but still it's random with no repetition. My only gripe is it hides spills, etc. so well that I have to use touch to know if I missed cleaning anything.

I am ordering my countertops in a couple weeks as soon as install my cabinets. My budget is modest and my countertops are my splurge.

I've had tons of formica and am tired of it. The Corians look a little to plastic for me.

That leaves me with the stones and the quartz's. For me it is a matter of movement. I don't have a lot of tolerance for a lot busy-ness in counters both change of colors and pattern. So I tend to gravitate to something plainer. That moved be out of the most stones (granites, etc) and into the quartz material.

I like Cambria because I am chosing to do a 4" backsplash instead of tile backsplash and they offer their backsplash in a thin piece of material instead of a big chunk as thick as a countertop. I would love to to do the entire backsplash in Cambria from the lowers to the uppers but that is out of my budget on this kitchen.

I like ceramic tile and formica, but that's because I want a light blue countertop, which isn't easy (and affordable) in too many other categories. And, it's a vintage style kitchen, so I think some of the newer materials might not look right.

Wood is my first choice for the island/work table and I'd love to have some marble in the baking area...but it will never stay pristine. I'm working on embracing 'patina' but I also think the baking area may end up in the big pantry...due to space constraints :)

I adore my copper counters, but it's not for everyone. We abuse it thoughtlessly and it responds by looking ever more fabulous.

For me, the decision was pretty easy. Although I LOVE granite, I would have had to buy 2 slabs for my (tiny) kitchen whereas I was able to get a half slab of the quartz (so 1 1/2). It hasn't been installed yet, but I can't wait!

Caesarstone - Oyster

granite all the way. wanted movement and variation.
wanted it to look like a rock and it does!!
called sedna but also called magma supreme.
poohpup has the same granite as me. love it!!

did look at quartz, but didn't find anything i liked.

did not consider anything else.

good luck!!!

We have laminate (Arborite, Black Grit). We built them ourselves and used plywood as the substrate. I think they looks pretty good, and so do others. I will say, where I live (in Maryland) Level one granites are typically used in rentals and house flips. So that is less appealing to me than laminate, for sure!

An easy first step to narrow down your choices is to find pictures of kitchens you love, which should help you get an idea of the overall look and feel you hope to achieve. Not all materials are available in every color, so picking a color will likely reduce your options (light or dark, busy or monotone, cold or warm?). What does the rest of your kitchen look like? Countertops should fit in with the overall picture. Budget is likely the next big factor. Then there are other priorities, like how you need your countertops to function for you, and whether or not you're into protecting the environment, keeping-up-with-the-Jones', or worried about resale value. If you like new gadgets, you might want to consider newer countertop materials, like glass-composite, paperstone, customizable-concrete or kirei board.

So much of this is personal. I was raised not to put hot pans on the counter or to cut on the counter, so I don't mind butcherblock, laminate or Corian/solid-surface. Others don't want a counter they can't use as a hot-pad or cutting board. Laminate gets a bad rap on GW, but it's still pretty common and well-liked in my region; my mother and aunt both get compliments on their new laminate countertops, and Senator13's kitchen is proof that it can be well-done. Stones are popular now, but I personally dislike cold counters (plus attractive options were out of budget and my cabinets couldn't handle the weight). I believe I've seen worries about maintenance mentioned when discussing butcherblock, stones, solid-surface, glass-composite, concrete and even stainless countertops, so look into the potential maintenance of your pick and decide if it's something you can handle. If you're worried about resale or keeping up with the Jones's, check out what countertops your neighbors or comps have installed. And if the environment is a concern, there have been various articles debating the environmental impact of different countertop materials (from sustainability, to life-cycle, to energy consumption).

I installed butcherblock countertops to replace my old purple laminate, and I LOVE my kitchen now! Applying the Waterlox was time-consuming (multiple coats, with 24 hours between coats), but it was worth it to have beautiful, warm countertops that are also water and stain-resistant. I do worry about the butcherblock slightly more than I did with laminate, though. Laminate was a consideration and was even easier to care for, but there was the issue with how to make the underside of the overhang into the living room attractive. Budget was a huge consideration for us, but if I get to do another kitchen, I'll definitely consider stainless steel (cold, but functional and IMO attractive) and the various solid-surface options (love Corian Raincloud).

Here is a link that might be useful: Green Countertops - trends in eco-friendly surfaces

I have white tile counter right now and I hate it. Everything gets stuck in the grout. For my next kitchen, I am going with quartz. Its low maintenance and price wise is about the same as medium priced granite. Some quartz look like granite, while others look more like concrete. I think its the most functional countertop material and will only become more popular.

Folks, your comments here have got me all fired up and going again! Special thanks to each and every poster. You all helped me learn a ton and find some more organized ways to figure this out. When I make my decision, I've got a note to come back and post pictures.

Seriously, thank you for taking the time for me! I love GardenWeb!