need brually honest opinions about granite worktops please

[wannaBeWhateverIWannaBe]

so as we've been unable to sell the house we're having a new kitchen instead .

And I really, really, fancy having black stargalaxy (I think it's called?) granite.

But I'm concerned about the durability of it. mil reckons that granite chips relly easily. have no idea how she knows this as she doesn't have it, but I suspect her knowledge is based on the jealousy of her sister who had them in their kitchen, and, in her words, "no-one should pay that much for a kitchen". I've also heard though that it stains really easily and is hard to keep clean as you can't use detergent or anything.

so, mn'ers, I need brutally honest opinions before I go and spend vast sums of money on this kitchen...

We had our kitchen re-done 6 months ago with the sparkly black granite. Looks fab, but you do have to damp wipe then dry wipe with e-cloth/microfibre cloth. Once you get in the habit though it becomes second nature. No chips yet despite dropping a cup on it - the join between the two main bits of granite is difficult to get clean though - tend to get tiny bits lodged in there.

Corian - we decided against granite, too dark.

I work in interior design and granite is so like, over you know...

If you are set on it I dont think you need to worry from a practicality POV. I have had it in my kitchen and had no problems at all with it.

I would go corian or aluminium (but scratches easily)

Granite apparently is porus so mop up spills strait away and Mr Musscle window cleaner works fab on it .

My sister and her husband had new kitchen fitted 2-3 years ago.
They have granite worktops and granite table and it all still looks as good as new.
They did spend thousands on the kitchen though!!!

not all granite is poros

the granite where iw ork is definitely NOT porus at all