A Slave to Stainless Steel

I am constantly wiping finger-prints and drips off of my stainless steel appliances. I know they are the in fashion, but they are a real PIA. Don't even start with the dents. The one on the bottom of the oven was from a skateboard given as a birthday gift. Dent happened on the same day as the birthday. No skateboards in the house! The refrigerator door blemish remains a mystery. The dent does not line up with any drawer or cabinet. Someone will confess, someday.

Our first stainless steel french door refrigerator only lasted nine years. Three years shy of the average life expectancy according to Wikipedia. What the heck. We also replaced the dishwasher at the same time. At least we got what was expected out of it, nine out of nine years. The oven is still working, despite the dent and the markings on the heat dials are wearing off. Wikipedia indicates we are starting to cook on borrowed time. The microwave is the winner! Working just fine after 12 years, three past its life expectancy. My point is, they don't make 'em like they used to. You will be buying new appliances before you plan to.

If I were to start all over again I would do my homework before jumping into stainless steel. There is now a slate option offered only by GE, black stainless and white ice are new finishes offered by most manufacturers. There is a finger-print resistant stainless steel finish. Key word is resistant not free. Better, I guess.

If you are getting ready to sell your home, I am still 100% behind stainless steel. If you are doing a complete kitchen reno or facelift, do your homework on the topic. Talk to the kitchen experts. Browse Pinterest. Flip through decorating magazines. Check out HGTV's 12 Hot Kitchen Appliance Trends. What would Chip & Joanna do?

But like many things that we do for fashion like high heel shoes that look great but are going to hurt like h-e-double hockey sticks after a few hours, stainless steel still reigns supreme. No pain, no gain.