I wanted to get some feedback on personal experiences with solid surface countertops.... R they worth the premium?? I am looking at Formica's Solid Surface product...does anyone know of a less expensive option besides laminate... Thx

Laminate is about the least expensive option. Some look pretty good. If you DIY and can find a deal on tile you could get away for less money, but tile countertops are really pretty cruddy - especially when you realize that they can't be cleaned completely.

Solid surface tops are great, as are natural stone. Shop around a little as sometimes you can find a real deal especially if you do not have a large project. But tip: Don't bother with big box stores but go directly to the top manufacturer. you'll be cutting out an unneeded middleman and will put yourself in a position to find some bargains.

Are they worth it? Well that all depends on what your really doing and where your doing it.
Let me explain. Mostly it comes down to location, condition and your intentions with the home.
All of us have seen areas where there's a whole row of really nice homes except one. May have been an older person living there that just did not have the money to fix it up.
You buy it cheap, and want to up date it. That house may be worth it because your bringing it up to meet the value of the other homes.
But buying a home in a bad area and thinking your going to fix it up way behond what the other homes are selling for in that area is a bad idea.
Not sure that makes since to you, sounded better in my head. lol
A good example I've seen someone install solid tops in a 1970 mobil home that had a leaking roof, the old single pane aluminumm windows, soft floors in the bathroom.
I think the counter top cost more then what the house was worth.
Take a look at the new tops Home Depot is selling. There formica, but there not the old style rounded front and back. They have a Roman Ogee edge instead and have a granite finish.
There not expencive and I think they look great.
I installed them in one of my rentals and have recieved many complaments on them when I'm showing the place.

I think a great choice is tile. You can find very affordable prices and you have several options - depending on the type (glass, stone, ceramic or even metal), color (you can be creative; you can make a mosaic using more colors), size (tiles are available in a variety of colors and the prices are pretty good). This photo may inspire you http://sphotos-b.ak.fbcdn.net/...976_1880216208_n.jpg. The product used for installing tiles Bondera Tile MatSet, a tile adhesive. Using a tile adhesive, you’ll avoid the mess and finish the job faster.

knowing what I do now, I wouldn't use a solid surface countertop. I have a corian top and sink. All of the products like corian is acrilic plastic, and it scratches very easy and the white sink stains all the time, even a dish sliding on it will scratch it. Can you imagine what a pot or pan does ? Sure, they say you can polish out the scratchs, but do you really want to be doing that all the time ?
I've heard good thing about quartz tops, but that also is a mix of quarts dust and resins. Again , if its a plastic, and all resins are, it can scratch.
When we bought the corian it was the next best thing to white bread and was given a lot of hype, now you dont hear too much about it, probably because it isn't what it was all cracked up to be and I wonder if quartz is in the same boat.
If I had to do it all over again and couldnt afford granite or some other HARD stone, I would stick to the laminate that I had originally
Now on some shows they're touting soap stoan which is extremely attractive, but it is very softand will scratch and gouge readily. Talcum powder is made from soapstone, so you can imagine how soft it is
Be very careful with what you buy, you're going to have to live with it a long time

Like Joecaption mentioned, it depends on what you're going to do with the house. If you're renting it, use the less expensive stuff like formica, but if you're just sprucing it up to sell, use something more appealing to the eye like granite. I, like Nona, personally would not use a solid surface again. I bought the LG HiMac from Lowes, not cheap either, and it looked great, for a short while. Scratches and stains easily and you're not suppose to put hot pans on it. Who wants to keep a sander in their kitchen. I wish I had gone with the quartz instead. When I get ready to remodel the kitchen in my current home, which I hope is soon, then I will probably use the quartz or maybe even wood. Good luck.