We installed Pietra Cardosa in our kitchen, and have a similar style to the OP's (classic white cabinets, dark walnut floors). We cook fairly heavily (including canning, pickling, lots of acid and tomato use, etc.) and entertain quite a bit. We also use the island as our central entertaining space, and eat on it quite a bit. We sealed ours right when we got it, and did it again after about a year using Ager w/ Color Enhancer. It very slightly darkened ours, and made the gray more medium (our's was a tad "cool") and brought out some of that subtle grain / veins a little bit more. Couldn't be happier with the stone, particularly w/ the sealer on it. Looks great, is very tough (I'm hard on my toys!), and is quite forgiving. We use a ton of lemons, and a long dish of them as our center piece on the island, and have no etching. We're not that careful, and have had some messes last overnight without penalty. I'm not saying you won't, but I'd say we're moderately careful, but not crazy by any stretch. We just use dish soap and a sponge to clean. I scared the crap out of myself reading the negative reviews online, and the advice from "experts," but there was really no other stone that would give us the look and feel we wanted, so we took the dive. Very, very happy we did. We get a ton of compliments.

I can't help you with Honed Granite, saw it at a granite dealer, but it wasn't for us. We have a 50 yr old house, not too old, but hrdwd flrs throughout, pocket doors, but really your basic 2 story Colonial,,,With that, we've had our soapstone for almost a year, and I can't tell you how extremely happy we are with our choice. As I learned about soapstone, and this site was/is loaded with info...there is as much bad info as correct info regarding soapstone. We purchased ours through Bucks County Soapstone and they only carry Black Venata which is supposed to be "soft". I don't know, but our counters are as hard as a friend of ours that chose a greener stone that I believe is called Julia here. In our neck of the woods they call it PA Soapstone whether it's a greener stone or blacker, only B County calls it Black Venata. There were definite things we liked about soapstone: no bacteria never needing to seal it never needing ANY maintenance whatsoever other than for personal reasons (to keep it dark) extra bonus is how quickly something defrosts on soapstone. Threw out every trivet I owned, and love being able to put a piping hot roasting pan right on the countertop. We've never had a problem with rings, we like it dark, but I only oil it now when someone is coming to visit that doesn't have a clue about soapstone. Or every 3 months? but it stays dark and beautiful. As for splashing around the sink, it holds up perfectly, nothing penetrates this stone, so water simply puddles until its wiped dry. Depending on the kind of dish detergent you use will depend on whether it lifts the oil and turns it lighter. When that happens I bring out the handy dandy oil cloth give it a quick wipe and it's back to perfect. We do have a few dings around the sink, but again, with a bit of sandpaper, or nothing at all as so many of us like.. it's not a big deal. Pricing around our area was the same for either granite, soapstone or marble, so that wasn't a big decision breaker. I hope I helped, it really is a personal decision, but this beautiful inert stone makes us smile each day, and we are thrilled with all it offers.

I've got the Kohler cast iron (and love it.) I'm sure if you dropped a glass in either the Kohler or the fireclay, the glass would likely break. I doubt there is an appreciable difference between the two. I haven't tried dropping a cast iron pan in my sink, but I did beat a Kohler display sink with a SS frying pan-no chips or scratches-though a non-enameled cast iron surface could possible scratch (just guessing here.)

How particular are you about things looking pristine? What is the style of your kitchen? I love soapstone...it's unbeatable with regards to being stain-proof, heat resistant, and etch-proof. However, most will scratch fairly easily. If you are OK with the patina of a well-used (and well-loved) counter, you may like the soft, silky feel of soapstone. Scratches can be sanded out, btw. Also, most soapstones are fairly light when left natural; they darken when oiled (oil + beeswax works best based on testing done by Joshua a couple of years ago). Over time, soapstone will darken somewhat naturally. When in use, though, you will probably see "oil" spots that will fade in a day or so, but they may be noticeable until then. If you are someone who would be bothered by the scratches & nicks or oil spots, I would consider something else or see if you can find one of the harder soapstones and test it (scratch & dent as well as "oil" testing). What is the style of your kitchen? If formal, I'm not sure if it would fit in with the style. I do not have soapstone, for two reasons (1) my DH did not want it as it reminded him of the chemistry lab tables from high school and (2) in the end, I think my transitional kitchen was a little too "formal" for soapstone. *sigh* I really wanted it! (I have polished Absolute Black Premium granite and do love it & given the same circumstances, I would get it again...but I did want soapstone!) Now, a couple of notes about something I know you did not ask about but that I feel need to be noted: "...a large Jenn-Air grill on the island..." Are you venting the grill from above? This is crucial, especially with a grill and doubly so b/c you are putting it in an island (more & stronger air currents than when installed along a wall). The vent hood should be... At least 6" wider than the cooktop (e.g., 42" hood over a 36" cooktop) B/c of the grill, I might recommend going 9" to 12" wider... At least 27" deep Strong cfms to enable clearing the smoke faster/better (grills tend to smoke a lot) - at least 1,000 (you will probably need make-up air unless you have an old, leaky house...which is actually good for air quality!) If you plan to install the hood higher than the specs say to, then make sure the hood is even bigger & stronger! As smoke, steam, fumes, odors, etc. rise, they rapidly spread. If you install the hood higher than recommended, that means the smoke, fumes, etc. will most likely spread too far for the hood to capture...so oversize it! (6" wider is probably fine if you mount the hood according to specs, but if you mount it higher...make it wider!) Will you have enough safety margin around the cooktop? At least 24" on each side (more would be better) If no seating at the island, at least 18" behind it (24" would be better) If seating at the island behind the cooktop/grill, at least 24" behind it (That could be a 9" deep cabinet behind the cooktop...