How Good Is A Granite Worktop?

Granite worktops have become increasingly popular in recent times and are widely perceived as a beneficial, stylish, even luxury addition to your kitchen.  How good they are aesthetically can be a matter of personal taste, but it is certainly true that granite - the most commonly used stone for worktops - has natural colours and patterns that make it generally appealing to look at, especially the finished look.  Each slab of granite is unique, with random and inconsistent patterns which add to the character of the stone and a range of colours that reveal the region and geological conditions that created it.
Granite also has strong practical advantages that really come to the fore when it's used as a kitchen worktop, a role that requires it to take plenty of physical punishment.  It's highly durable, it doesn't scratch or burn - it's heat resistant - and it keeps its colour.  This gives it the edge over other worktop surfaces like laminate and wood.  The downside of granite is the price - it's one of the more expensive materials used for worktops, though cheaper than quartz.