Burned a hole in my counter top..
 

Well, I was fucking around with a birthday candle and I accidently left it burning when the phone rang. It was standing up on a paper plate, and when I finally went back in the kitchen (2-3 hours later) there was a nice big burn mark where the candle was. It burned away a quarter sized section of the top, and the wood press board stuff underneath is visible. Surrounding the hole, the plastic top is kinda bubbling up.

So my question to the kind (and nonjudgmental :p) members of the TFP is, can it be fixed??

The counter top is about 6 feet long with a sink in the center, and it's all one piece, so replacing it is out of the question. I just want to make it good enough so that it might pass a quick visual inspection when we move out of the apartment. I was thinking I could sand down the rough edges and then put some kind of thick paint where the hole is. Unfortunately the counter top is slightly speckly instead of solid white, so I fear there will forever be a mark :(

You can't cover it. To quote Will Darnell from the movie Christine, "You can't polish a turd." If the spot is somewhere that a cutting board might be useful, you can pay a contractor to install a Vance Surface Saver-it's a tempered glass cutting board that is built into the countertop. I've done many for people who had a worn or damaged spot and didn't want to pony up for a new counter. Figure between $125 and $175 installed, depending on the size.

If it is a formica top, you can cover it with the same thing they use to fill the seams. Oddly enough it is called seamfill and you can find it wherever formica is sold. you will prolly have to do a few coats and sand it down between coats. As Kazoo said, you cant polish a turd, but it should work good enough to get by your apartment inspection.

Unfortunately, we had a handmixer melt down one thanksgiving and have the same problem.

To my knowledge, you are stuck replacing the section of the burn.

Actually, the suggestion of a cutting board insert is a good one. I guess you have to weigh the cost of getting the cutting board insert against the amount you have as a deposit on the apartment. Of course, getting the cutting board idea installed may still get you in a pinch with your apartment manager as most rental agreements have clauses forbid tenants from making alterations to the apartment without the written consent, etc...

How is your relationship with your apartment manager? You might consider telling them what happened now and what idea you had about fixing it. Might work.