There are Formica choices that are awesome these days. It is the simplest replacement for countertop and very user friendly and not overly expensive.
We have granite here and had it in our old house in Cincinnati. All it really is is huge thin pieces of polished rock. Period. There is a lot of hype about Radon, and it being an easily contaminated surface, but I am guessing that that information is hyped by the competitors who sell other surfaces. Granite has become a status symbol and hugely popular.
We didn't ever have to have them redone in Ohio, and the safest and best way to keep them sparkling is to wipe them off with a clean cloth full of soapy water and dry them with another CLEAN CLOTH. We always use a cutting board or boards. We had Black Galaxy in old home and it was gorgeous but a LOT of work to keep looking nice, because it showed every touch of the hand and water spot because it was very DARK.
The new one is a lighter mix of brownish colors and you really have to remind yourself to check for crumbs.
I always liked to collect pretty rocks when I was a kid. I think most granite is just beautiful and it was hundreds of thousands of years in the making.
