We put in new counter tops last year. I priced granite and DH would have bought it if I wanted it. I figured we could replace the counter 3 to 5 times with formica before we would pay for the granite. There are som e beautiful formica tops available. Also Wilson Art. Some people think my tops are granite. Also replace your backsplash with tile. Looks beautiful.
While granite and Corian etc are gorgeous I just couldn't stomach the cost.