Porcelain vs. Ceramic Tile

The topic of which tile is the easiest to maintain comes up frequently.  In my opinion...porcelain tile is the way to go.  You can choose porcelain tile that closely resembles natural stones such as marble, travertine, limestone, etc...where you can enjoy the look with 2x the performance.  Stay away from ceramic (red-bodied) tile whenever possible as it's easy to break, chip and scratch relative to the much more dense porcelain.  Bear in mind that there are widely varying levels of quality when it comes to porcelain and usually you'll find that the price reflects the quality differences.  For example, you may see two porcelain tiles that look almost exactly the same but priced $3/ft. apart.   The difference is probably in the density of the tile and the quality of the finish.  If you're looking for a tile that will last over time then porcelain is the way to go.