Deciding whether a kitchen refresh should stop at doors and hardware or include counters

Our kitchen cabinets are sturdy but visually dated. New doors, handles and paint would cost far less than replacing the units, but the countertops are worn enough to make the whole refresh look unfinished. I'm trying to avoid starting a ‘small’ upgrade that inevitably becomes a full kitchen renovation. If you've done a cosmetic refresh, which change made the biggest difference, and which old surface became impossible to ignore afterward?