We’ve all been in a kitchen showroom and had a look at the wide range of appliances they have had on sale. And you can normally see a number of different finishes as well. There is plain white, anthracite, black and of course stainless steel.
Now there is something rather nice about stainless steel appliances. They look great if you have a modern kitchen – white is fine for a country style kitchen but if you want something more advanced then stainless steel is perfect.
But does it always live up to expectations?
The main thing that so many people with stainless steel appliances will tell you is that it is very hard to keep clean. As soon as you go anywhere near it you end up with fingerprints all over it. And this happens even when your hands are clean! If you have children then they can certainly be a nightmare as they love putting their sticky hands over everything.
So what you need to do is to think about whether stainless steel appliances are really practical in your kitchen. Try and imagine what white appliances would look like with exactly the same kitchen cabinets in place. Would they look out of place, or would they fit in just fine? Then do the same with a black finish, and see if that would work any better. This gives you a better idea of what to expect.
Obviously the colour of your appliances will matter a lot when you have more than one of them on show. Some built in appliances, such as fridges and freezers, cannot be seen once they are in place. But others, such as ovens and hobs for example, can be. And that means they need to be kept clean.
The best trick for keeping stainless steel clean is to use baby oil. That might sound unusual but many kitchen staff members in these big shops will advise you to use this little trick on a regular basis. It helps to repel the dirt and fingerprints, and it also makes the stainless steel finish look wonderful.
In essence then, what you need to think about is whether you will be prepared to clean the stainless steel appliances as often as you need to. If you know you won’t want to keep wiping over them on a daily basis, then you would probably be better getting something else instead.
In short, stainless steel is no better or worse than any other finish on an appliance. The only difference you will really notice is in the longer term. White appliances tend to discolour a bit after prolonged use – especially ovens and cooker hoods. This only happens after a few years though, so if you keep them clean it shouldn’t be a problem.
Many people have stainless steel in their kitchens and they love it. And while it stays clean it does look fantastic. But just make sure you have that cleaning cloth close at hand!