Here are just some of the kitchen countertop manufactures I found online:
www.thinkglass.com
www.endurawood.com
www.alkemi.com
squakmountainstone.com
www.bottlestone.com
www.fuez.com
www.vetrazzo.com
www.teragren.com/
www.torzosurfaces.com
www.hanstone.com
www.enviroglasproducts.com/
www.paperstoneproducts.com/
www.silestoneusa.com
ecobycosentino.com
dupont corian
dupont zodiaq
caesarstoneus.com
cambriausa.com
www.lumicor.com
www.3-form.com/
www.fireslate.com
www.formica.com
www.okite.us
www.meganite.com
www.icestone.biz
www.richlite.com
You likely noticed some oldies but goodies as well as some new eco friendly countertop options among my list. Narrowing this down is going to be a challenge. My main considerations as I see it are color, style, longevity, maintenance, and price. I have my heart set on a low to zero maintenance material in the color range of charcoal to black. I'm not sure I can define the style, but I'll know it when I see it. I want something that won't look overly modern or appear terribly dated 7 years from now. I'm open to things beyond granite but I want to add value to the space.
Wouldn't it be cool if each of these companies could just bring a 6 ft. long chunk over to my house this afternoon for me to see, touch, scratch, feel, spill on, clean, and compare with everything else? And of course once a color and material are selected, the edge detail options need to be considered. Square, beveled, bull nosed, and radius cut just to name a few.
I've begun by eliminating what I know I don't want. Laminate is out, as is wood. I'd show you my favorites, but my head is spinning right now. Soon! Once I narrow down my preferences, it'll be off to the area stores to check them out. Feel free to let me know if I missed a good one.