Why I hate stainless-steel appliances

[Wholemeal Crank]

I adored my stainless sinks. Stuff bounced rather than broke. Yes, scale could buildup and scratches happen, but it doesn't chip like porcelain or stain like it either. Can't wait to own one again. After a while the scratches fade into a relatively uniform used look that is fine with me.

Don't want a stainless fridge if it's not good with magnets. I like magnets.

[Fat Guy]

I don't think of a sink as an appliance, however I agree that for sinks stainless is the way to go because it gives. For refrigerators, microwaves and dishwashers there is no pragmatic advantage to stainless that I can think of. Ranges in stainless seem to make more sense but I can't put my finger on why.

[Moopheus]

you could paint it with magnetic paint

Or chalkboard paint. Heck, you could put the chalkboard paint over the magnetic paint and have both.

Oh no, this is giving me ideas. Don't think the wife will go for it, though.

[FrogPrincesse]

I have a few stainless steel appliances (oven, warming drawer, dishwasher). I also have a large kitchen island with cabinets that have stainless steel doors.

I agree that there is some maintenance needed and I was a little surprised in the beginning, but now I just use barkeeper's friend once a week and I am good to go. Also we try to use the handles as much as we can on the cabinets to avoid fingerprints!

[pastameshugana]

you could paint it with magnetic paint

Or chalkboard paint. Heck, you could put the chalkboard paint over the magnetic paint and have both.

We've got some 'boards' like this on playroom walls - works like a charm!

/End Hijack

[ScoopKW]

I don't think of a sink as an appliance, however I agree that for sinks stainless is the way to go because it gives.

Gotta disagree with that one, Mr. Shaw....

I had a stainless sink when I first moved here. After three months we ripped it out and replaced it with a granite composite. The granite composite still looks great after three years. The stainless looked horrible after just three months.

I don't expect things to look brand-spankin' new forever, but it shouldn't age a year every week, either.

Edited May 5, 2011 by ScoopKW (log)

[Will]

I like stainless, but only time will tell whether it is, as someone suggested on Gardenweb, the "new avocado".

[Sam Iam]

I'd hate to think of our 4' wide Sub Zero in anything but stainless. Avocado?? Also, a double door stainless oven, stainless dishwasher, and a double stainless and single stainless Kohler sinks.

[cbread]

... The stainless looked horrible after just three months. I don't expect things to look brand-spankin' new forever, but it shouldn't age a year every week, either.

It will look better after a year or so as it acquires an evenly worn look - or it can stay rather new looking if you use a Scotch type abrasive scrubber aggressively to keep a shiny new look. But that is extra work. The "natural" worn look for stainless is something of an equivalent to a butler finish on silver.

Until it has acquired the butler finish, stainless looks ratty. The only place I scrub for esthetics is in the sink bottom itself since that does get beat upon. All the ss countertops I let alone except for the very few really eggregious scratches.

[Sam Iam]

It's SOOOO nice not having crap all over the doors.

[Mano]

+1 WD40

I'm neutral on stainless and the concept of keeping the kitchen looking as new as possible. For most all of us the kitchen is the only place in the home we create a mess doing manual labor several times a day. It's a workspace and eating place that sees a lot of traffic as a room to socialize.

Stainless looks nice and is easy to clean. Unless guests are talking behind our backs, no one cares about the stray finger prints that could use a quick wipe-down.

Edited to add: Consider stainless steel sink discoloration patina. It'll make it a lot easier to live with.

Edited May 14, 2011 by Mano (log)

[shar999]

You should not have to go broke to clean your stainless steel appliances. All you will need is a spray bottle of Windex and a microfiber cloth. Easy.

[andiesenji]

It's SOOOO nice not having crap all over the doors.

My big upright freezer, located in the pantry, holds about 200 novelty magnets that have been gifted to me over the years.

I like them but don't want them on my kitchen fridge.

[LindaK]

When I was shopping for appliances a couple of years ago, I was definitely in the anti-stainless camp. I was reinstalling my almost new white Bosch dishwasher and wanted a white fridge too. I looked and looked for a 36" white fridge with the features I wanted and couldn't find one, they were all stainless. So I gave up and bought stainless. It's grown on me, I'll admit. Maybe it's my kitchen, which has very pale grey walls, but the stainless looks very neutral. I've gotten over the no magnet thing.

As for the range, I had options because was buying a BlueStar, which can be ordered in 190 different colors--only the range top itself is always stainless. I was VERY tempted, despite cautions from friends about resale value issues. Indecision kept me in the all-stainless camp, which I somewhat regret. Not because I mind the stainless, but the color would have been a lot of fun. If I move and re-do another kitchen, I'll go with color next time. If you're curious, you can play with the most popular color choices here.

As for cleaning it, microfiber cloths work great. All in all, I find it much less trouble than I thought.

[prasantrin]

Take some plastic wrap (like SaranWrap) and cover the exterior surfaces with it (I don't mean to wrap the whole fridge in it, but think of it as wall paper). Then you won't have to worry about fingerprints or dirt, and just replace it once every so often.

What a great thread!

[Pam R]

Sorry for the terrible picture from my phone, but they are installing my appliances and one of the first things I had to do was try to stick a magnet on it. In the upper right-hand corner of my freezer door, you can see that magnets do stick to the stainless steel on these appliances. It also has the special coating that doesn't leave fingerprints. It does still dent, however. And the reason I wanted to try a magnet so quickly is that it came with a little dent, which is now under said magnet.

[Norm Matthews]

I agree wholeheartedly....stainless sucks. I have a stainless sink, and it's a pain in the ass. Always looks terrible, unless you've just scrubbed, dried, & polished it. My next kitchen will have a porcelain sink and WHITE appliances with "no fingerprint" finishes.

I have a white porcelain sink and I have to use Soft Scrub on it every day to get rid of the staining and there is nothing to do about the black dots that appear with it gets chipped. There are white resin sinks that look like enameled porcelain. I'd suggest you take a look at those for your next kitchen.

[baconburner]

Got a Broil King Signet two years ago and love it. Side burner and rear gas burner for rotisserie cooking. The electronic ignition still works! Solidly made in Canada so parts are going to be available if neccessary.

Cheers

Malcolm

[lindag]

Responding to Norm who recommended the resin sinks...please, think again. I've had two Blanco resin sinks; one white, one black...both were awful to keep clean. Think, impossible. The white was pretty until it inevitably became etched enough to show marks. The black was simply a disaster. All in all, since I've had every imaginable type of sink over my many years, I'd only recommend a high quality stainless. It looks the best of all of them after years of use.

[baconburner]

Get the Bartenders friend cleaner. It will make short work of stainless.

Cheers

Mac

[sculptor]

You can buy them with scratches on them for a good discount... My wife and I got a home refrigerator this way because we'd just spent a lot of money on something else but still wanted to get a better refrigerator when the old one died.

By the way, I was able to hide the scratches by rubbing them (exactly following the original grain of the finish) using one of those scouring pads that lightly scratches stainless steel.

[msiferllc]

Man, do I feel you on this one! We have 2 toddlers running around, so the fingerprints mysteriously disappear higher than 3 feet!

[threestars]

I also like to have appliances or a kitchen with stainless all over. As for now, I can't see any big disadvantage of having it aside from those reasons that it is not magnetic and hard to clean. I guess I have to see it for myself as well.