High Def Laminate is today's "formica".
it looks very nice in the specs we have seen. Much nicer than the formica of old. But as the OP siad, it is still formica. It will burn, water can make it lift from the plywood backing and it it not a permanent surface. Much like carpet vs tile. Carpet will need to be replaced one of these days, and a laminate product will too.
The hi def laminate is very attractive and nicely installed in the homes we visited. It is much less expensive than solid surface or granite.
It is simply a matter of personal taste and financial priorities.
We have owned homes with each. i liked the solid surface better than the laminate, but we actually had cracks develop that the installer needed to repair again and again.
Our current home has granite and like the OP said, it is indestructible!! It is great to take a hot pan out of the oven or off the stove and place it directly on the counter!!
I have noticed that posters have mentioned that their granite in TV will "water stain". I really don't understand that. It is solid rock and should not be stained by anything. I do not know if the granite in our current home was "sealed"in some way, but we findit very easy maintance! Ours is dark, "uba tuba" a dark green with black and gold veining. grease shows on it, but a spray of glass cleaner and a paper towel solves that. We love our granite.
Now, can we afford it in our dream home down there?.... it's on our list of wants. We shall see. Maybe after closing. But I do want granite. That said, the hi def laminate is a great looking product that we will be very happy with until we can get granite again!!
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