We have one of those "simulated Granite" counter tops and absolutely love it. I forgot at the moment what the name of it is. It is almost as expensive as granite but does not need to be sealed (granite should be sealed every 6 mos) and I can slap hot pans on it and cut on it and not have to worry about damage. We chose this over granite because I like to be able to just put hot pots on it and not worry about burning or etching.