Hardwood floors are the norm in kitchens around here. At least in mid to upper end homes. Ours are finished with Glitsa (same as Kal's) and casual water spillage is not an issue. When our house was brand new, we had some snow blow in through the French doors (we were gone), and there was some cupping to the boards. Again, this was a pool of water that stood for hours. We had them sanded down and refinished after they dried out, and they're fine. We've been in our house for about 7 years, and we'll likely have the floor screened and refinished in a couple more years. I wouldn't hesitate to go with hardwood again, but I'd evaluate the hardwood laminates on the market beforehand.