Stainless steel appliances: Why, please?

[TygrBright]

Someone give me the lowdown on why these are considered premium?

They're a pain in the patootie to keep clean and they don't seem to offer any particular advantages over enamel...

curiously,
Bright

[NMDemDist2]

1. IMO, just a fad dear, like avacado green or mustard yellow

:shrug:

[Stinky The Clown]

2. It is partly fad and partly function.

First the functional part. It doesn't rust and it doesn't chip and it can be scrubbed clean and even refinished (with sandpaper of an appropriate grit and the judicious application of some skill). In the past, stainless was only available on high end or true commercial products. Therein lies the cachet we see today. The only way to get it was to buy a high end product. If you bought a high end product, you got stainless as part of the deal.

Today, most of what comes in stainless is low or midline base products with the stainless added as a premium. To be sure, it is there on the high end stuff, but that represents a relatively small part of the market.

As for cleaning, I have a stainless kitchen, including the countertops. Once it develops its patina, its a breeze to clean. They sell lots of products to polish it, but I have found most of them to be bullshit. We always use a cheap food grade mineral oil based spray cleaner. Its really cheap, no name stuff from a local restaurant supply place. I'm exaggerating, but its about 50 cents a gallon. And it works. Unlike the sheeshee stuff. I've used this on stainless since getting into the food biz almost 40 years ago.

[TygrBright]

3. OK, thanks...

If I find myself doomed to stainless appliances in my future I'll get back to ya for a reference on the cleaner. I have an island with a stainless top that I've practically stopped using because dealing with fingerprints, smudges, spills, etc. requires ten minutes with the sponge and the Bon Ami and it's a messy PITA; there's almost always streaky bits left over and they really SHOW. I can live with it for now since it's the only stainless thing except some small appliances. But Himself is making rumbly noises about moving and the more I look at real estate listings the more I see "stainless steel appliances!" as a "feature" in listings.

Personally I prefer enamel just because it's so forgiving with regards to a quick wipedown with a damp cloth and/or a soapy scrubbie. But it DOES chip, on occasion.

opinionatedly,
Bright

[Stinky The Clown]

5. Stainless has all manner of finish .... from dull matte to mirror polish

Everything I have is either Number 4 Mill Finish or worn to that stage (some purposely). This finish has the look of fine sandpaper marks. Which, indeed, is what it is. It is how the sheet metal is finished at the mill. It looks shiny, but not *that* shiny.

Have you ever seen a DeLorean car? Like in Back to the Future?



That has a number four finish. For a reason. It is easier to clean and doesn't show marks like a polished surface might.

[NMDemDist2]

6. have you tried just a bleach/water solution in a spray bottle for quick pickups? n/t

[Warpy]

4. Mostly fad, especially when kitchen porn pioneers found out

that trying to install a Vulcan commercial range in a standard kitchen cabinet arrangement was a good way to burn the house down. The stainless steel gave the trophy kitchen that commercial "look" without all the drawbacks of installing actual commercial equipment, like making all counters and shelves near it non combustible, usually meaning more steel, something trophy kitchen designers found just a little overwhelming.

My own take on emerging fad says that black appliances are the next big deal on the theory they won't show dirt, either. Ha. Guess they never heard of dust and crumbs.

People love the fads they see in desecration magazines. It can make a house easier to sell if the kitchen has the latest fad. However, that's about the only advantage I can see, other than satisfying one's own personal taste.

[AlCzervik]

7. i would like to have all red appliances, or bright yellow.

[Warpy]

8. I'd kind of like turquoise

but you have to pay though the nose for reconditioned appliances to get stuff like that.

[youthere]

14. You can paint your appliances yourself...

I've done it. It's a little labor intensive, and you might have to search a little to find the colors you want, but the results are well worth it.

We inherited one of those ugly harvest gold refrigerators when we bought our first house, so we sanded it and painted it white (boring..I know) and the finish on it lasted longer than the factory finish on our new stove.We used a good quality spray paint and LOTS of light thin coats and it came out beautiful-in fact people kept asking us when we had purchased the new refrigerator. I don't know if it would work on a "textured" refrigerator (you know what I mean?) ..the one we painted had a smooth finish to it.

[Dora]

9. Kids' art and stainless refrigerators don't mix.

The magnets won't work. My mom was pretty bummed out after getting her new stainless fridge and realizing she couldn't put up her art collection.

It does make for a clutter-free fridge front, though.

[OnionPatch]

10. Your guess is as good as mine

I don't really like their look, so my white appliances are staying right where they are.

The other thing I don't understand is the granite countertops. What makes them so "desirable"? I am told that if I don't upgrade with granite, it will be a mistake. Oh well. I think granite is ugly. There, I said it. UGLY. But then I tend to like more rustic-looking stuff and granite just looks too fussy and formal to me.

There will always be trends but we don't have to align with them if we don't want to.

[Warpy]

11. I don't think it's ugly as much as it is silly

Granite is a porous stone. No matter how carefully you keep it sealed, it's going to absorb food particles and eventually grow bugs. It's heavy, hard to install and will be a pain in the ass to get rid of when fads change again. Black granite is already OUT. The other stones will be out in their turn, too.

Plus, it tends to crack if you drop something heavy on it, like a can of beans. All stones have hidden flaws. Granite is no exception.

It's only slightly less silly than those tile counters in the late 80s and early 90s were. Try rolling out a piecrust on one of those suckers, or writing a grocery list, or kneading bread. Plus, the grout tends to absorb stuff and grow bugs.

Hard surface counters are also hell on dishes and glassware. You drop it, it's gone.

Give me a more forgiving and easy to install and replace material any time: wood, laminate, stainless steel.

[Kolesar]

12. If I had a million dollars, we wouldn't have to walk to the store

We'd take a limousine, 'cause it costs more

"but I like Kraft dinners"

[youthere]

13. While I like the look of stainless appliances....

I wouldn't purchase them for myself. Almost impossible to keep clean in my opinion...the only exception being sinks. I love my stainless sink and would never consider anything else. It requires polishing from time to time, but as sinks go the maintenance on them is minimal. I've had enamel, I've had cast iron, composite and even ceramic...and I think stainless tops them all.

[yellowdogintexas]

15. small kitchen w/o much natural light.. I want WHITE appliances and WHITE cabinets

to reflect the light. Countertop...Laminite is more forgiving and least expensive. I wouldn't have granite if it were free, but I would jump on a Silestone because it is totally heatproof. My personal compromise is looking to be a nice laminate that resembles a pretty stone and compliments the exposed brick in this part of the house, with very smooth large industrial grade solid color tiles on either side of cooktop for hot pots. This tile can also be used as the accent color in the backsplash, so it would all blend.

[rwheeler31]

16. I agree. Stainless is good if you need to feed many.

[randr]

17. Stainless exteriors are all style

Matching commercial fixtures is a current trend. We purchased stainless Refrig/freezer and dishwasher to match our Wolf range. The range was a gift and the others were bought on sale at substantial savings.
Stainless interiors, such as washing machines, dryers, dishwashers, etc., is definitely an upgrade to an improved appliance, in my opinion.