Are stainless steel appliances really worth it?

Question

My aunt told me they are incredibly hard to keep clean. I decided to go with all black appliances. Am I making a mistake?

Answer 1

I think it's a fad like the olive green appliances many years ago. If you want to be in style now, then go with the stainless steel. If you want something that probably will not go out of style, go with black or white.

Answer 2

After having black for the last 12 yrs, we put stainless in our new home and I love it. The installers made a mess of my fridge as they were a bit sweaty but with stainless polish it cleaned up beautifully and I've been trying the fingerprint test and not having an issue. My dishwasher front has been no problem. I had a porcelain sink before and wasn't sure I wanted to deal with a stainless but again no problem. It's going to show water spots regardless but it polishes nicely. My cooktop is a brushed look and it shows nothing. My black fridge however showed endless spotting and was difficult to keep clean. If you check your quality pieces, I think you will find stainless is greatly improved. Black appliances are still a great look in a kitchen so whichever you choose you should be pleased.

Answer 3

I have had enamel finished appliances, white, & black, and I am in the process of getting stainless steel. My stove is black & stainless, the hood is stainless (magnets stick to it), and the front of the dishwasher is stainless, as well as my microwave. The last item to replace will be the fridge. The white one has faded discolored door handles and there are scratches.

I like stainless, the kitchen sink in this house has always been stainless. I do not worry about stains or scratches, even with grill panels from my bar-b-que.

Answer 4

Although in some cases, I think your aunt is correct about stainless steel appliances being hard to keep clean, if the stainless steel covering of your appliances are visually textured, it's much easier to keep them streak-free.

Stainless steel appliances are worth it, in my humble opinion, in kitchens that are either ultra-modern or in kitchens that aren't very bright and don't get that much light. Stainless steel is reflective, which means it reflects light. In a darker scheme kitchen, I prefer stainless, visually textured, of course :)

That being said, I also like black appliances. They can fit in well in most decor themes, though in my, once again humble opinion, they present too dark of a contrast when placed in a country-like feel, with bright, airy, sunny colors.

There's also the possibility of different materials used to cover a fridge. I've seen some wild ideas, including using leather, which was awesome!

Do you feel like you're making a mistake in ordering all black? Think about how you really feel inside... you know if you're making a mistake. If you think you are, it's better to solve the dilemma now, before your appliances are delivered, so as not to have to deal with returning them if you really don't like them... If you like black and don't think you're making a mistake, then happily await your appliances.

Think options. Does it really have to be one or the other??? Step outside of the box... and check this link out with a wild idea for your fridge... Enjoy!

All this being said and done... Are appliances really ever easy to keep clean??????? ;)

http://www.drgadget.co.uk/product.php?xProd=336

Answer 5

No, they are not worth it in anyway. They are more expensive than normal appliances and they aren't as stainless as you think. I used to have a number of stainless steel items, but they ended up with hand prints all over it. I had to clean them every maybe 2 weeks.

Answer 6

Stainless steel appliances are pain to keep clean hand prints all the time.My husbands wants one so bad but hey he don't do the cleaning either so I have a black one in my home too.My mother had a stainless steel appliance she hated it and sold it and got another type.

Answer 7

Stainless looks really nice but your aunt is correct, it shows any little spec of dirt or water. Even with the extra work I still love mine! Going with black appliances doesn"t seem like an answer. I think they would be just as hard to keep looking nice. I guess it"s just a matter of how much effort you"re willling to put in it.

Answer 8

No, you are right. Stainless steel appliances look nice, but you can also buy appliances that "look" stainless steel. Stainless steel appliances cost a lot more than the look-a-likes, and you cannot place magnets on stainless steel...so if you like to hang things on your fridge, forget about it.

Answer 9

whatever fits your style is the best, but there are stainless appliances with an easy clean, or anti-finger print and smear feature. these work really well. the longer marks, oils, and residues are left on a surface, the harder they are to clean- and they can take off coloring, finishing, and paints. Acidic cleaners will cause some metals to develop tiny scars and lay waste to coloring and cause bubbles on some paints. and some metal brushes can be used on stainless, and not on painted or finished surface. Overall, go with stainless for a modern look.

Answer 10

NO......stainless steel appliances are like any other FAD and yes they are very hard to keep clean you have to be careful of what you clean them with also ....i had them in a house i rented a few years ago and i hated them...someone before me cleaned them with something that left circular swirls scratched into them
the black is nice, but they will show the dust more .............now i have all new white appliances which have a texture that are resistant to fingerprints and smudges and much easier to keep clean and pretty ......