Beautiful and durable= pro Expensive = con

kevin's right but be careful-- they're not incredibly durable. if you slam a pot down or something, it WILL break.. and it's expensive to repair because if the crack is too big or too bad you can't repair it and you have to get a whole new countertop.. id definitely recommend them though

Extremely pourous, absorbs easily including germs.

I haven't had them so I can't tell you from personal experience, but everything I've read recenly is saying that while they were all the rage for awhile they are now "out". There are more problems with them then first thought. Granite looking Corian counters and some sort of new glass counters are what is "in".

Spilt liquids should be mopped up immediately. The most risk is from highly alkaline or acidic liquids (such as lemon juice or vinegar), oil based substances (such as butter and cooking oils - hot oil splattering from cooking pans around the cooker), wine, detergents and alcohol. You can have the granite coated to make it less porous. It will chip and crack if you don't take care with it. Do not allow any build up of salt or detergent and do not clean with abrasive cleaners. Granite worktops should not be brought into contact with strong acids or chemicals including paint stripper, brush cleaner, oven cleaner, nail varnish remover, degreasant or similar products. If it does get stains on it, you can have it re-polished but this could be expensive. Other than all of that, they're great!

Gtanite has to be sealed from time to time. If you put a hot pot on it you can actually remove the sealer from that spot. Perhaps a better choice is Silestone which has an antibacterial material built into it.

Granite Kitchen and Bathroom Worktop Care and Maintenance How should I clean my granite worktop? Rinse with clean warm water (if you wish add a non-abrasive light neutral detergent - PH7) and dry with a chamois leather or similar. Can I use abrasive cleaners on my granite kitchen or bathroom worktop? Granite must not be rubbed with abrasive materials (such as metal pads, scouring detergents and wire wool or alkaline and chlorine based cleaners or bleach) instead, wash with clean warm water to which a non-abrasive light neutral detergent (PH7) may be added. Drainer Grooves can however be cleaned using wire wool. What liquids may cause damage to my granite kitchen or bathroom worktop? Granite is waterproof and highly durable but the surface sealer does need regular reapplication (see next section). All spilt liquids should be mopped up immediately. The most risk is from highly alkaline or acidic liquids (such as lemon juice or vinegar), oil based substances (such as butter and cooking oils - hot oil splattering from cooking pans around the cooker), wine, detergents and alcohol. Do not allow any build up of salt or detergent on your granite worktop. Granite worktops should not be brought into contact with strong acids or chemicals including paint stripper, brush cleaner, oven cleaner, nail varnish remover, degreasant or similar products. Should I treat my granite worktop to ensure it lasts longer? For a longer lasting finish the surface can be sealed to reduce its natural porosity. Surface treatments should be reapplied every 4 months after cleaning with a neutral detergent. Can I damage my granite worktop? Granite is very tough however do not hit your granite worktop with something blunt and heavy. It can crack, chip or even break (the edges are most likely to be damaged if physically abused). Should I use a chopping board? Granite is highly scratch resistant and is likely to dull your kitchen knives. However we would advise the use of a chopping board as a preparation centre to reduce the risk of damage to your granite worktop. Can I put hot pots and pans on my granite kitchen worktop? Granite is heat resistant and is not likely to be damaged however you should not expose your granite worktop to excessive heat and we advise the use of a tripod or similar to place your pans on when taken directly from the hob. How do I remove stains from my granite worktop? Use water based stain remover for the removal of stains of an organic nature, such as wine, coffee, nicotine, fruit juices etc. Use alkaline degreaser for removal of dirt of an organic and greasy nature, spots, grease, pollution, smoke stains, lamp black, wax coating etc

Granite Kitchen and Bathroom Worktop Care and Maintenance How should I clean my granite worktop? Rinse with clean warm water (if you wish add a non-abrasive light neutral detergent - PH7) and dry with a chamois leather or similar. Can I use abrasive cleaners on my granite kitchen or bathroom worktop? Granite must not be rubbed with abrasive materials (such as metal pads, scouring detergents and wire wool or alkaline and chlorine based cleaners or bleach) instead, wash with clean warm water to which a non-abrasive light neutral detergent (PH7) may be added. Drainer Grooves can however be cleaned using wire wool. What liquids may cause damage to my granite kitchen or bathroom worktop? Granite is waterproof and highly durable but the surface sealer does need regular reapplication (see next section). All spilt liquids should be mopped up immediately. The most risk is from highly alkaline or acidic liquids (such as lemon juice or vinegar), oil based substances (such as butter and cooking oils - hot oil splattering from cooking pans around the cooker), wine, detergents and alcohol. Do not allow any build up of salt or detergent on your granite worktop. Granite worktops should not be brought into contact with strong acids or chemicals including paint stripper, brush cleaner, oven cleaner, nail varnish remover, degreasant or similar products. Should I treat my granite worktop to ensure it lasts longer? For a longer lasting finish the surface can be sealed to reduce its natural porosity. Surface treatments should be reapplied every 4 months after cleaning with a neutral detergent. Can I damage my granite worktop? Granite is very tough however do not hit your granite worktop with something blunt and heavy. It can crack, chip or even break (the edges are most likely to be damaged if physically abused). Should I use a chopping board? Granite is highly scratch resistant and is likely to dull your kitchen knives. However we would advise the use of a chopping board as a preparation centre to reduce the risk of damage to your granite worktop. Can I put hot pots and pans on my granite kitchen worktop? Granite is heat resistant and is not likely to be damaged however you should not expose your granite worktop to excessive heat and we advise the use of a tripod or similar to place your pans on when taken directly from the hob. How do I remove stains from my granite worktop? Use water based stain remover for the removal of stains of an organic nature, such as wine, coffee, nicotine, fruit juices etc. Use alkaline degreaser for removal of dirt of an organic and greasy nature, spots, grease, pollution, smoke stains, lamp black, wax coating etc

They are very durable but not as impervious as you might think. YOu can't just place a really hot pan down as it might crack the stone. You can't drop a heavy pot as it could cause a crack. You do have to oil them 1-2 times a year to seal them as they do require maintenance. Your cabinets have to be strong to hold up their weight, though not as bad as concrete counters. They do cost a lot but it's really the shaping and installation that is expensive. An inexpensive alternative for you, could be to do granite tiles on your counters. They can really look wonderful when well done. I really don't like Corian. It burns and marks so easily and is starting to look kind of dated in many kitchens. I prefer the new quartz composites like Silestone. Many patterns look like granite, it's more heat resistance, has Microban inside of it so it kills bacteria. It doesn't require maintenance and installation is less than granite because it is easier to shape and attach. It doesn't crack as easily as granite, too. Here's a photo of the Silestone we chose after much soul searching:-) It wen with the island color, wall cabinets and the log walls very well.

Concerns about germs, mold, bacteria and other toxins absorbing into granite? Granite Shield can protect surfaces in kitchens and bathrooms, making them ultra hygienic and free of bacteria, mold, viruses, and other toxins. With the Granite Shield sealing process your granite will be smoother, shinier and maintenance free. The revolutionary sealing process makes your kitchens and bathrooms look better than new and vibrant for the life of the countertop. Granite Shield’s sealing process is easy to apply to an existing countertop and safe for humans and pets. The average kitchen countertop takes 1 to 2 hours and is ready to use immediately. Your granite countertop will be super hydrophobic, stain proof and preventing liquids, germs, bacteria and other toxins from getting into your granite. With granite sealed by a Granite Shield authorized applicator or granite by Granite Shield Countertops your granite will be safe and not harbor bacteria. Granite Shield has less then a 1% failure rate with all of their customers and they are a proud member of the Marble Institute of America. Granite Shield was actually the first company to offer granite that never needs to be sealed again if sealed with the Granite Shield process. The Granite Shield process was created in 2002 by Craig Phillips and has no restrictions and is maintenance free plus you can even use Windex and Clorox wipes. Stonemark By Innovative Stone with Permashield, Granite Certified By DuPont, Cosentino Sensa with Sensaguard still say you need to clean up spills immediately on their granite countertops and have requirements or their stain resistant warranty is void. Granite Shield has no restrictions on maintaining their sealed granite and you don’t have to worry about wiping spills up immediately. Many of the Home Depot kitchen designers have and do recommend Granite Shield since 2003. Even the West Coast Vice President of The Home Depot has had his home sealed by Granite Shield approximately in May 2005 and recommends Granite Shield. Below is the use and care guide for the following companies Granite sealed by Granite Shield: http://www.graniteshieldcountertops.com/graniteshielduseandcare.html Stonemark By Innovative Stone with Permashield: http://stonemark.com/use-care.htm Granite Certified By DuPont: http://stonemark.com/use-care.htm Cosentino Sensa with Sensaguard: http://www.cosentinowarranty.com/information/sensa.cfm Harboring bacteria is a concern? The kitchen and bath is a wonderful place to harbor all sorts of exotic bacterial living organisms. Granite Shield has sealers for natural stone countertops and even engineered stone, natural stone flooring, grout, stainless steel, glass can all be sealed by Granite Shield to be super hydrophobic and remain repellent, harsh chemical free and easy to clean. Granite Shield can remove stains from existing granite countertops and then seal your countertops or your fabricator can seal your new countertops with the permanent lifetime warranted Granite Shield. Thanks, Debbie

Pros: durability, look, resale value it adds to your home Cons: price and other costs, possibility of radon We had our granite countertop installed about 6 years ago and we don't have any complaints. The recent news about possible radon does cause a little concern. If I was doing it over, I might consider other options. I ran across this site when looking for info on radon and cleaning of granite. Good info for anyone who owns or is considering a granite countertop. There is a video that shows the cleaning of stains too. http://www.bestkitchencountertops.com/granite-countertops/

pros are the great look, the long lasting surface, the range of colours and desired look, these days you can have manufactured granite, human construction, that is very popular over here, cna place hot items on it , can use for rolling pastry etc, cons: price, harder to keep clean, shouldnt use every day household cleaners on it, need to have a non acid, more alkali cleaner, its cold to touch , especially in winter, if you place something to hard on it, it may break, eg: glasses etc.

Pro: They're easy to snort your coke off of. Con: If you do too much coke, you won't be able to afford granite.

Pros: Looks great, durable, not easily stained. Cons: Emits deadly radon gas, it's expensive, and you really can't do it yourself.

Granite is beautiful, heat resistant and has the pattern of natural stone which is really appealing. The maintenance is really not an issue - no big deal to seal every once in a while. The big downside I saw was in cost. I went with <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Engineered_stone">engineered stone</a> instead which is stronger but has a more man made look. I went with a product called Lexmar quartz surface because my contractor knew a guy in PA. Cheaper than others and I am much happier with this than I would have been with granite...