Stainless Steel Appliances 101
Stainless steel is the "In" style for household appliances. Whether you are considering it for your refrigerator and other major appliances or just looking at small items like toasters and kettles, it says luxury and high-end quality to many people. Stainless steel appliances also seem to say that you take your cooking seriously.
We aren’t all gourmet cooks so this isn’t always the case but stainless steel does look good, is durable, and is easy to maintain. Designers will tell you stainless steel is the new white, in that it will go with everything else in your kitchen.
Most manufacturers offer stainless steel appliances in their high-end lines as they possess highly desirable clean lines, and since they come in at a higher cost point, they are usually quite functional and durable. The finish is growing in popularity and seems to be here to stay.
If kitchen remodeling is in your future, going with stainless steel appliances might be something to consider as it's a great way to make any kitchen look more contemporary. The versatility of the look means, however, that you can even fit it into old-fashioned styles, such as country, rustic, craftsman, and
Victorian kitchens.
On the plus side, stainless steel is upscale in looks, is durable and is easy to clean. The down side is that it is expensive, and it requires a little more care to maintain that clean look, and much ado is made about the problem with fingerprints. Of course, unless you work with a crime scene investigation unit or have a two year old with a tendency to smear jam you probably won’t pay that much attention. (And it's even possible today to find stainless steel finishes that resist fingerprints.)
So, how much of an issue is cleaning and maintenance, you may wonder. We all want our kitchens to look good, but most of us busy working types are just as interested in products that are easy to clean and take care of. Fortunately, stainless steel is easy to keep looking good. It won’t chip or fade and stains are unlikely. Scratches can happen, but you need to look really closely to pick up on everyday wear and tear.
To help prolong life, you may want to get a stainless steel cleanser polish that you spray on twice a week before wiping with a clean, cling-free cloth. If you don't want to keep a special cleaner on hand, some people say you can just use warm water and a soft dry cloth for drying. If you need a little more cleaning you can add a mild soap such as dishwashing detergent to your water. There are specialty cleaners available that will clean up scratches and stains.
Stainless Steel Countertops and Cabinets
If you really like the ultra sleek modern look you can go one step further and think about stainless steel cabinets and counters in the kitchen. These are also a growing trend, though not as popular as appliances. This look tends to mimic the feel of a professional kitchen, but it can be too "cold" for many. On the flip side, all stainless steel countertops, cabinets, appliances, etc. makes a kitchen easy to look at and easy to clean. The stainless surfaces softly reflect light and make small kitchens look more spacious than they actually are.
The advantages to this kind of kitchen might include factors like no prefacing, no painting, no warping and being easy to install. However, they are expensive, may be noisy as you clatter around your kitchen, and may be cold or a little too industrial looking for your tastes. If you do go this way you will probably want to consider warm wood flooring and an airy color scheme to keep the kitchen cozier looking.
A stainless steel kitchen can be very appealing and if your goal is to create a bold contemporary style that is designed to impress, go ahead and explore stainless steel to your heart's content.
Further reading: Black & Decker Complete Guide to Dream Kitchens
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