Introduction
It gets frustrating going back and forth over countless combinations of appliances when you do not know the practical reality of any of them. To make things worse, you have a pushy salesman pushing you to make a quick decision for his own benefit. Most of the time it boils down to which finish you prefer for your kitchen and often stainless steel is the preferred choice.
One must wonder what makes this material and finish so appealing to consumers looking to remodel or purchase new. The answer lies in its universal appeal with any kitchen setup. This flexibility is a huge advantage but are there any cons that you should be aware of?
Pros
Stainless steel is a wonderful material for any kitchen. The finish is versatile and allows you to mix and match almost any kitchen cabinetry without causing a design faux pas. The benefits don’t stop with aesthetics either. Stainless steel is also fairly corrosion resistant as well as hygienic. The hygienic aspect of stainless steel is based on two different things.
First of all stains and smudges are easily noticed on stainless steel. This allows the owner of the appliance to clean the machine as soon as it’s dirty. With other appliance finishes stains, smudges and smears can linger for days without notice causing you to accidentally cook with dirty cooking implements. The corrosion resistance of stainless steel guarantees a long life time for the appliance before any visible issues occur.
Stainless Steel also has both a high and low temperature resistance threshold allowing it to operate normally whether in very high climates or cold ones. Appliances made out of stainless steel can also be thinner and lighter due to the increased strength allowed by stainless steel.
Cons
While stainless steel clearly offers many benefits, nothing in life comes without its own set of drawbacks. Earlier I mentioned the hygienic properties of stainless steel. The ability to see smudges and stains quickly may be good for those persistent enough to clean daily, but for other it leads to a messy looking kitchen. So you have a choice, either clean more often or deal with a bevy of grease stains populating your kitchen surfaces.
Stainless steel doesn’t just require you to work harder in your own home, it also requires you to pony up much more cash. The average stainless steel appliance will cost much more than appliances with different finishes. This cost will be felt by your pocketbook and often times turns many away from purchasing new stainless steel equipment.
Conclusion
After searching the web for reviews, facts, and opinions of the benefits of stainless steel I feel I have come to a simple conclusion. Stainless steel is a wonderful choice for certain people but not everyone. First of all stainless is expensive, which excludes all but those with deep enough pockets. Not only must they have the requisite amount of income but they will need to either be on top of cleaning or hire someone else to be.
If you can check those two off your list then I can whole heartedly recommend stainless steel over any other material. I myself prefer stainless steel, as I tend to keep things as clean as can be anyway. The look of stainless also works with so many different kitchen setups and the material is strong as all get out.
This article was written by Nick Quinlan. Nick has been working with home improvement for several years now through various odds and ends jobs. Time after time he has seen homeowners stricken with indecision over simple choices. In order to help his readers with all their home improvement needs, he writes professionally for Dallas Home Appliances. You can view more of his work by visiting his Google+.