Thanks for all the info, great stuff. And yeah, I trust what people
who buy the stuff and live with it say over the sale's pitch some
vendor will say. The way it seems to be boiling down is Corian and LG
solid surfaces are good but they're not micro sealed so they can be
bacteria traps just like granite. Granite can handle the heat and is
more scratch resistant but I also understand now it can be stained if
not sealed properly and regularly. Silestone is a good middle of the
road option offering almost the heat resistance of the granite while
offerring a surface that doesn't need sealing. It also keeps you away
from "potential" radon issues. I'm not the gentlest person on my
kitchen sink so not sure about the Corian style molded sink. Also not
sure if I want porcelin yet stainless steel is clunky and noisy.

The company I got my cabinets from (self installing) also rep's
granite and Silestone. They are a wholesaler who generally only deals
with contractors and to put it in perspective, my exact cabinets were
quoted to me for 40% more by a local retailer. I have been told since
I bought my cabinets there they will also cut me deals on countertops,
sinks and tile. So I am kind of torn between Silestone and granite,
and they have some large granite sheets on display there and one of
them is a perfect color and pattern for the cabinets.

One thing I have seen is with granite, the sink is mounted under the
countertop. Most I have seen the radius in the corner of the sink
doesn't match the radius on the corner of the cutout, making a ledge
or recess in the corners. Is there a better way to do sinks in
granite?