@roarah, thank you for your response. I agree with you, however I have found an experienced fabricator in my area and the price he’s quoting is within my budget. I’m hoping to get more responses from people who have had porcelain countertops for a year or more and their experience with it. Experts please respond. Thank you.

@Alex P In theory, cabinets could be leveled to precisely the same height so that a countertop material would sit right down flat on top with no shimming. In reality, this almost never happens. Even with the very best technology in cabinetry leveling like using EZ-Level bracing which remains intact over time, you are still looking at having to shim a countertop of any type at least in a few places even in the best of circumstances. Regular cabinetry shims can shift over time depending on how they are applied, affecting your long-term stability prospects. For a countertop material that is already prone to cracking such as porcelain is, this becomes a great risk to try to shim that material with no underlayment for support, even at a 20 mm thickness. I would be more comfortable relying on the MSI guidelines for something like a small bathroom vanity countertop rather than a full kitchen where you will almost be guaranteed to need to shim the porcelain to bring it level across the largest run of your countertop area, thus leaving gaps between shims rather than the full support a subtop would provide. That is why you rarely see porcelain countertops without an underlayment unless it is for a small area like a bathroom. If you want the edge to be thin and polished without an underlayment, what this means is that you will need to specify your cabinetry to be constructed with full subtops and then somehow get them all perfectly level and ensure that there will be no shifting of the cabinetry or foundation in years to come, and then lay the porcelain down without shimming it if at all possible. Your idea of metal trim to cover an underlayment is creative, but remember that Schluter is designed to be anchored into grout, so you would need to be confident that you could secure it in an alternate manner before going that direction since you won't have any grout or tile adhesive in that area. I mentioned honed Absolute Black granite because it is much lighter than the polished type. Some varieties present in a gray color like concrete which is why your description reminded me of it. Soapstone also comes in a matte gray variety. I put soapstone in my own kitchen and love it, and it is considered to be a modern material for current kitchen design. Prepare for heartbreak if you do go with porcelain under any circumstances. Cracking and chipping with porcelain can happen, and it can happen to you, sometimes beyond any hope of warranty coverage. I liked the look of porcelain and its wear properties, but after much research including seeing cracks and chips in finished applications and talking to experienced fabricators, I decided to spare myself the risk. I have been thoroughly happy with the soapstone instead and recommend it if you cannot find anything else suitable. Even a honed marble like Danby would present fewer headaches for you than porcelain or concrete, I think.

Monogram Flush Mount Kit • If you intend to mount your cooktop flush to the counter, please order kit number JXFLUSH1. The flush mount kit provides supplemental cut-out instructions to mount the product flush with the counter. -- Installation Instructions Old discussion of flush mounting induction cooktop

@Benjamin Grant I looked at Sapienstone for about a year and decided against it simply because I preferred the colorway offered by AntoliniTech. However, one thing I learned very well is that your fabricator and their level of experience is the key to everything. I encourage you (if you havent already) to find a highly recommended fabricator in your area that is referred by Dekton or Sapienstone (usually listed on their websites). Contact them and make an appt to go to their warehouse and ask about installing the countertop induction stove you want in a flush-mount application. Bring the specs of the product with you. If they can do it, or have done it, they will tell you and probably have photos of what they have done already.