Someone told us that if you repeatedly put very hot pans (say after frying something on a gas range) on a granite countertop, this will result in dark marks on the countertop. Has anyone experienced such a phenomenon?
thanks....

What probably happens is the heat destroys the sealer on the granite allowing stains to penetrate and darken the surface. The granite itself was formed at much higher temperatures than a frying pan will ever reach.

We had granite in our kitchen and I thought it would be impervious to high temperatures and last forever. We had a kitchen fire several months ago. The granite cracked and large chunks broke off and fell into the floor. I'm not saying hot pans can do a similar thing but granite is not nearly as long lasting as you might think. I would not sit hot pans on granite. We also put kitchen towels under mixing bowls and other things that could act as an abrasive on the granite to protect its finish from dulling.