Were yours/did yours need to be sealed? If so, do that first.

On anything you want to put on the counter, make sure there is no pointy scratchy bits that will scratch the counter. If there is remove them or cover them with some kind of protective coating.

Did you pretest your granite to see if mustard, catsup, wine, etc will stain it? If not, try it on a scrap now - that way you'll know for sure if there will be a problem.

Use a trivet under hot items.

My toaster oven has been on my St Cecilia counter top for over a decade; standing mixer, cutting boards, etc. used regularly with no problems. Ours was sealed when it was first installed and has never needed it again. Cleans up nicely. But yes, use a trivet under hot items.

When I had granite counters (crema Bordeaux and Nordic Black Antique), everything went on them, including hot pans straight out of the oven - I know that's frowned on here, but I never had a single issue with it. I didn't keep sharp items off the granite either - sometimes, I actually cut something directly on the granite (worse for the knife than for the granite).

We've abused our granite for 18 yrs with no problems. Cutting on it. Hot items. Oil, flour, Comet - you named it, we've blindly done it to the granite and it looks perfectly fine.

They sealed it right after installation or at least I assume so, wiped on and told me to not leave paper products on it for 24 hours.

I didn't get a chance to test beforehand but that's a good idea now

Good to know my fears are unfounded and I'm likely to not cause it any harm unless I'm just reckless :)

I've read to seal it every year, is that something that most do or is it a recommendation that many just don't follow without issue?

Sealing...it depends on your stone. Stone with an absorbency rate of less than 0.25% don't need to be sealed and, if they are, will develop a haze over time or even streaking or ghost etching. Contrary to popular belief (outside of Kitchens!), not all stone counters need or should be sealed. So, what's your stone? [E.g., We have Absolute Black Premium and have never sealed it - it's too dense to accept a sealant.]

Using it...What you're supposed to do and what many of us do are not necessarily the same.

• Trivets (or not) - Like others, I take pans/dishes out of the oven and put them directly on the counter all the time. However, stone can crack if you do that.
• Knives - the instructions to always use a cutting board are for the knife's sake, not the counters (usually)! Most stone counters will dull a knife blade. The exceptions are soft stones; knives may nick or scratch softer stones.

Thread that discusses how to test your stone (among many other stone topics):

Stone Information and Advice (& Checklists)

• http://ths.gardenweb.com/discussions/2558824/stone-information-and-advice-and-checklists

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It's Typhoon White (a lighter stone which I've read the lighter stones are generally more porous) and was sealed right after installation. I just checked the fabricators website which suggested a water test. Water beads on the surface and doesn't absorb so seems it's pretty well sealed.

Thank for the link

Congrats on the new tops -- very exciting! I would highly recommend also doing an oil test. Many sealers repel water, but not oil. Just dab a fingertip of oil onto the surface and let it sit 5-10 minutes. If the tops are sealed properly, you won't see a dark spot after cleaning w/ soap and water.

Don't have anything to add to the above good advice, just wanted to say your thread title gave me a good giggle.

I can honestly say I've abused the heck out of ours. And they look like new except for one spot where I used bar keepers friend or Bon ami and made a semi dull area. (Really not smart of me)

Dyed Absolute Black isn't good fountain material. Water will wash the color out. I took this yesterday in the Chicago Amtrack station: