For such a basic element of the kitchen, why does the countertop cause so much consternation?

It’s flat. Its job is simple: to provide a clean, even surface for food preparation and serving. Really, how difficult could it be to choose the right one? Fairly difficult, as it turns out.

Start with the price: Depending on the material, your counter is either a big investment or a very big one. Then there’s the appearance: In the contemporary kitchen — increasingly the active heart of the home — the counter is a defining feature that telegraphs personality. Are you a reserved minimalist who prefers pure white Corian, or a more adventurous type who goes for wildly swirled Arabescato marble?

And what about maintenance? Some materials will stain and scratch more easily than others, which will bother some people more than others.

“The starting point is to understand how the space will really be used,” said Andrew Kotchen, a founding principal of Workshop/APD, a New York firm that has designed many kitchens for private homes and condominium developments. “We have clients who are chefs, and we have clients who only make coffee in their kitchens,” he said, noting that different people have vastly different expectations about how their countertops will wear over time.