I would say either granite or quartz. I went with quartz in my recent kitchen remodel, and am very happy with it.

We have been a supplier of OSMO Hardwax Oils for a while now and have found that they have been great in all applications. They have an Oil specifically designed for Kitchen benchtops. OSMO Top Oil which is foodsafe and contains linseed, carnauba wax, candelilla wax, sunflower oil, soybean oil & thistle oil. You can buy it from VCS Products in Perth or Natural Timber Oils in Melbourne.

We have tiles that do not have a gloss finish. They are Encaustic, or at least I think that is what the style is called.

I'll be more expansive -- you want to be sympathetic to your deck and your house and even the garden . Ideally , we'd want a few pics of your house and deck and where it is going . If your house is modern and mainly rendered , but with charcoal windows and roof , and a cedar insert near the front door , and a couple of schist columns , then a full stainless cabinet may look totally out of place -- a rendered concrete unit , with stainless bbq but maybe cedar slats as a benchtop either end , and charcoal handles , will tie in with everything . Marine ply generally has a good grain and stains well , so might be a good budget choice , but if you have a traditional 60's weatherboard house , it may look out of place , although something simple like painting it the same as your house , or even matching the colour of your window sills or doors may be all that is needed . In modern words -- its complicated !