Tag Archives: stainless steel appliances

What’s your favorite finish? White, black or stainless steel?

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I really like the contrast of the white appliances against the black cabinets here. And it surprises, because we now expect stainless steel. Image courtesy theletteredcottage.net

Appliances historically have been white, but how do you feel about colors like black or alternative finishes like stainless steel?

Tradition makes white classic, but it also makes anything different stand out all the more in a kitchen.

Trendy right now are stainless steel appliances, which followed the popularity of commercial-style ranges and cooking appliances that were always made of stainless steel. Their clean modern looks makes it hard to argue against their popularity.

houzz.com

But stainless steel appliances usually cost more, and in some cases a great deal more (though right now through Aug. 1, GE is offering a free upgrade to stainless steel from white and black).

I think when I replace my appliances, I’ll probably choose stainless steel because my sense tells me it will add to the resale value of my home, which I don’t plan to live in for more than seven years.

Plus, it’s hard to match commercial cooking products to colored finishes, leaving me to lean toward the even more expensive integrated (or paneled) looks.

What do you have now: black, white or stainless steel? What will you replace it with when the time comes and why?

HOW TO: Clean stainless steel appliances

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If you’ve ever owned them, you know: Stainless steel appliances can carry more fingerprints than an episode of “CSI” — especially if you have kids.

Or customers. Back in my receptionist days, I used to be responsible for cleaning the rows of lovely stainless steel products we displayed in our St. Paul store on Snelling Avenue. So I’m somewhat of a stainless steel cleaning expert. Our volume of fridge smudges dwarfed what you would have in your kitchen, of course, because you don’t have customers touching your stuff all day.

Don’t get me wrong. Stainless steel does have a stunning effect on a kitchen…

Dacor Stainless Steel Kitchen -- Dacor.com

Dacor Stainless Steel Kitchen -- Dacor.com

…but you just have to have the right stuff to clean them and a good process in mind.

Citrushine Stainless Steel PolishI used Citrushine, which we sell because it’s really the best polish we’ve found. It’s nontoxic, smells like oranges instead of chemicals and doesn’t leave your fingers feeling too greasy. Plus, I kept rows of fridges, dishwashers, ranges, microwaves and kitchen displays clean without losing my mind or the integrity of the factory finish. (If that’s not a ringing endorsement, you don’t own stainless steel.)

My process? Spray some Citrushine on a dust rag (you can also use a paper towel, but I don’t like getting cleaner on my hands) and wipe down the appliances going with the grain of the stainless steel. Citrushine doesn’t streak like other cleaners and certainly not like soap and water, but I found that going with the grain makes clean up way faster.

Some brands now carry stainless steel appliances that wipe clean with only a warm rag, like Miele‘s Clean Touch Steel™. All Fisher & Paykel DishDrawers and some refrigerator models come in EZ-Kleen, which is an anti-fingerprint stainless steel finish.

I’m interested to hear in the comments if anyone else has tried this or other cleaners/methods with success.