If you’ve narrowed down your options to these two premium materials, there are plenty of factors to consider before making your final decision. Here’s a look at the most important characteristics of each.

What Are They?

Corian is DuPont’s brand name for its flagship solid surface countertop material. It is a man-made product composed of 33% binding resins and 66% minerals. Corian was the original solid surface brand name. First developed by DuPont in 1967, solid surface countertops are now made by several other manufacturers and include the brands Avonite, Staron, and Mystera.

Granite is real stone. It is granite quarried directly from the earth, sliced into slabs, honed, and polished. Nothing is added, nothing is removed. While the term “granite” often is used to refer to other stone-based counter materials, such as quartz or engineered stone, these are not the same as slab granite, which is simply solid stone without additional materials. Slab granite typically is not associated with specific brand names.

Cost

The costs of Corian and granite countertops are pretty comparable. Both are commonly priced in the range of about $40 – $65 per square foot, installed. Keep in mind that this price is for slab granite, not granite tile. Tile can be much cheaper and offer the option of DIY installation, but it also means grout lines, which, for kitchen countertops, should be avoided at all costs.

Appearance

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Most people love the look of natural stone, with its color variation and deep luster, but that doesn’t mean everyone wants that look in their kitchen or bathroom. The mottled and often bold coloring of granite can get a bit too busy for many decorating schemes. More notably, all that color can do an annoyingly good job of hiding crumbs and smears on the countertop surface; often a granite top looks perfectly clean when it’s anything but. On the flip side, granite looks beautifully natural, while Corian looks like…well, like plastic…or at least something not natural. That said, it doesn’t have the plasticky shine of a laminate countertop but rather a soft color that somehow has depth despite its total consistency.

Resale Value: Return on Investment

Granite is commonly claimed to offer a high return on investment when it comes time to sell a house. Note that slab granite—as opposed to tile—will give back the highest amount. But Corian is no slouch, either. Of all solid surface countertop materials, Corian is the one with the greatest consumer name-brand recognition. Again, beauty is subjective, and potential buyers may consider your choice of material or color either an asset or a liability, and of course, you can’t control that.

Maintenance and Durability