Granite’s durability and beauty makes it a top choice for countertops.  With a permanent and substantial look, granite adds elegance to any home.  These countertops have natural strength and come in a variety of colors.  However, choosing granite poses significant challenges.  Granite is expensive, requires a lot of maintenance, absorbs stains, can crack, and comes in a limited range of colors compared to other countertop surfaces.

Granite has existed for thousands of years.  Along with marble and natural stone, granite is formed under the earth at the compression of heat and fusion.  It is an igneous and metamorphic rock which is resistant to extreme temperature, stress and heat. It is smooth and cool to the touch.

Cost: About $70 to $200 per square foot.  (Top-of-the-line granite can run upwards of $300 per square foot.)

Is Granite Right for You?

Pros:
 -    Countertop material of choice; a mixture of natural beauty and elegance.
- Holds up to heat and is scratch resistant.
- Permanent and substantial look.
- Very durable. 
- Offered in less expensive versions.
- Unique; no two granite tops are exactly the same.
- Coloration will never change; it will always remain as bright and vibrant as when first installed. 
Cons:
- Very expensive; when installed in solid pieces it is the most expensive countertop option.
- Requires use of a cutting board.
- Is porous, and even with proper and regular sealing, it can stain.
- Needs to be resealed more often than other surfaces. 
- If the granite cracks, the entire surface needs to be replaced.

Source: Express Countertops, www.expresscountertops.com