Granite is an expensive, naturally occurring stone that can be cut to the shape that you need for your kitchen counters. These counters will add more value to your kitchen than most of the other countertop materials that you could choose and gives the kitchen a pleasing aesthetic feel to it.

One of the downsides of granite, though, as mentioned before, is that it is expensive. It can cost you thousands of dollars to have granite countertops installed in your kitchen or almost any other natural stone, such as slate or marble. It can cost anywhere between $40 to $120 a square foot.

Natural stone kitchen counters will also have to be sealed before you can use them, due to the risk of them staining from the food that you will be putting on them. It is recommended that you re-seal the granite every six months or at least every year, but this is not very difficult to do.

If you spill anything on a light colored granite, you need to clean it up as quickly as you can. Even though the sealant is in place, the stone can still absorb stains if you leave the liquid or food on it long enough.

Another drawback of granite is the fact that it is available in limited colors and patterns. Since it is a natural stone, you probably will not find it in the exact shade or tint that you may be looking for and even if you do, it may not be the pattern that you desire.

If you want to be able to customize your counters a little more than this, you may want to go with concrete or ceramic tile, depending on the look that you want.

If you can, go and look at the actual slab of granite that you are going to buy and never purchase granite online. You can often find what are called remnant pieces of granite that have been left over from other jobs. Some places will not charge you for the granite, only for the labor if you choose to use these leftovers.