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Our kitchen has granite countertops and we went with stainless appliances that have black on them. So, the best of both worlds kinda.

A note about the granite-- apparently the darker the granite the easier it is to break... I say this for installation purposes b/c we ordered a dark granite and it was to be entirely one piece. No seams. Nothing. The first time they came to the house, they got it in the house, up the stairs, and it broke. The second time they broke it at their work...site...? Finally, they called us back to tell us that it would be impossible to get it seamless and they would have to bring it in two pieces.

It looks great though, but that was a headache... mostly on their part... They broke two pieces so didn't make any money!

My new stove is black and stainless, not that it matches anything else in the room. But I think you're going to see a lot of that mix.

Shiny black is hard to keep clean. It may be worth it for some items, or if you're a clean fanatic. (I wish I was, but I'm not.) Which may be a reason to avoid all black.

Before I bought the stove, I had people telling me I should get white because it's easier to keep clean and (allegedly) the brushed stainless gets marred easily, and you'll see scratches. Personally, I thought the white looked like a stove my mother owned from the 50's and I didn't like it. I didn't like the all-black either. So I bought what I liked in that particular model. I'm not overly concerned about tiny scratch marks on my appliances. I bought them to use, not to polish and display, so if it eventually starts looking worn, I'm not so worried.

I think you'll find a lot of stuff that's a mix of black and stainless, so mixing and matching those two should be fine, depending on the appliance itself. Get whichever you like.

As far as granite, if you love it, get it. If you think you'll be in the house a long time to get your money's worth out of it, get it. If you think you'll move really soon while granite is still trendy, get it. However, if you think you might move in that middle period between soon and a long time, that granite might not be the best choice, because if it's no longer trendy, it's going to be a negative in the sale price. If someone hates your choice of Corian, they aren't going to feel as bad about ripping it out as they will about ripping out granite they don't like.

If it was me, I'd probably get Corian. If I had a big enough kitchen and the right place for it, I might opt to put in a section with marble for pastry and candy making. But for the rest of it, I'd probably do the Corian.

But do whatever YOU like. It's your kitchen.

Have you heard of Silestone countertops? My brother-in-law installs them, and they are supposed to be better than granite. Impossible to scratch, can set dishes from the stove top right onto the countertop. Maybe granite is like this too? I'm not sure, but the silestone is really nice!

Stained concrete and stainless. Concrete is easy to clean, relatively inexpensive (thereby leaving more $$ for appliances) and you can set hot pots on it. I would want a marble inset or island for pastry and candy though.
I think black and stainless both show fingerprints and black might look dated sooner; maybe. When the kids cut something on your Corian counter w/out a cutting board...

@jerzee, I'm jealous!

When I was planning my kitchen I went to Gardenweb, the home forums
http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/
I found everyone who had what I wanted and asked questions. We also went to showrooms and used the appliances. It was a real fun time.

You can get fingerprint free stainless (Frigidaire has a whole line of that -- except the stove) with black sides -- which is what I have. I love it.

i don't have my own kitchen yet, but I know appliances, and basically I would go with whatever you prefer, as long as the brand and model are reliable. Price shouldn't really come into play, because frankly the Hotpoint, which are at the lower end of pricing, are incredibly reliable, while some of the more "high end" models and brands are not as reliable. It sometimes even comes down to the old saying that if there are more bells and whistles, then there are just more things there to go wrong. I would just go with what you prefer.

As far as countertops, I have heard some good things about bamboo and it's stability as a countertop, and not just for its environmental benefits. Have you thought about that at all?

I went through this with my mom, she's in the middle of remodeling and she was struggling with the same issue "stainless, or no stainless" and I told her about this new stuff that appliance companies are using.

They're starting to come out with a "sheen" that is over the stainless so that the appliance doesn't pick up the fingerprints. I guess it's kind of like scotch guard for your oven :)

This is fairly new, so you won't find every company using it...but it's worth looking into.

I wouldn't do granite countertops myself, because you need to treat them twice a year, and there is NO warranty. I'd go with quartz or a man-made material, even concrete, before I'd buy granite. I'd also want a marble area for baking. I have a butcher block island that is great for food prep. Appliance colors and countertop materials and colors go through cycles of what is considered dated, and therefore not desirable, unless it's so old it's loved and adored by some (think 1920's). Just know, that whatever is hot today probably won't be in 10 years. If you buy what everyone else is buying, you'll definitely date your kitchen. Do some research, and think outside the box.

Granite and other natural stones are truly beautiful things to behold. They are durable and nothing else looks quite like them. I adore all the granite and slate and limestone in my home (except the stuff behind the stove).

HOWEVER...

In my next kitchen, I will almost certainly go with a quartzite product such as Cesarstone, etc. Quartzite warrantied, incredibly easy to maintain and astonishingly durable (I've got it in my kids' bathroom and believe me, it's taken and recovered from some amazing abuse).

As an added benefit, quartzite is more hygienic than natural stone because it is non-porous (that's also why it is virtually stain-proof). You won't find granite in commercial kitchens, partly because it is prone to cracking, but primarily because it is porous and cannot, therefore, be NSF rated. Quartzite, on the other hand, is the only stone product I know of that is NSF approved.

And, as mentioned, it's virtually indestructible. So even though it tends to cost about as much as granite, it's a much better bang for your buck.

Incidentally, the idea that granite must be treated or sealed yearly or twice yearly or whatever is false. It's a myth propagated by the companies that make and sell the sealants. Don't waste your time or money.