Is stainless a fad?

[Mr_Dove]

I'm curious if stainless steel appliances are just a fad like so many of the other "pretty" colors that have made their way into kitchens over the years.

I've seen plenty of baby blues, browns, yellow, even brown appliances. Will stainless steel be frowned upon the way those colors are now?

 

[Piccolina]

I hope not, in my fantasy kitchen (that exists in my head, I've mapped out my dream kitchen with the attention to detail some people only ever give to their weddings) just about all the appliances would be stainless steal (and or chrome).

I love the look, to me it's a very clean (lol, I know that finger prints show so easily, so that's sort of an ironic statement) and elegant.

 

[ironchef]

Stainless has been a staple in professional kitchens because of it's durability and ease in cleaning. Because of the surge in popularity of the food industry in general, it's only natural that many people would want their own personal kitchens to try and mimic a real professional kitchen for as much as possible. The equipment is a lot more widely available that it was several years ago, and will most likely continue to increase. For instance, you will probably find a lot more high-end type knives (JA Henkels, Wustof-Trident, etc.) in home kitchens today than you would've just a few years ago.

 

[Andy M.]

A lot of people who aren't foodies will buy stainless because it's "pretty" and they like the "look". I suspect that's a fairly high percentage of the sales. For these people, it is a fad and will fade when the next "hot" color comes along.

Actually, If I could get the range I wanted (high output, six burners, etc) and it didn't come in stainless, I'd still buy it. But my dream kitchen is stainless - everywhere.

 

[middie]

i hope not since we're doing our kitchen in stainless steel.
it's so much easier to keep clean imo

 

[AllenOK]

I have to agree with ironchef. Almost all professional equipment is stainless, those that aren't are usually some neutral grey color, or black. To me, stainless is the color I expect in a kitchen. It's easy to clean, and holds up well.

 

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

I believe stainless will last becaue of its durability, and versatility. That is, its useful and hard to mess up. Unlike porcelin, which used to be used in a lot of kitchen sinks, it doesn't chip, it has no paint to peel, and it resists corrosion. Once you purchase stainless steel, it just lasts and lasts. For cooking appliances, it isn't the be all-end all. But it has a place and gives good all around service. I think in this day of high prices, and gimicks that just don't work, people are beginning to realize that quality is far more important than is the latest fad or gimmic. Stainless steel has been around forever, but is pricey compared to the cheap appliances that are available. That's why it's taken so long for consumers to become aware of it. But now that they, or we have, I think it's here to stay.

Seeeeeya; Goodweed of the North

 

[jpmcgrew]

Hers a bit of trivia the better the stainless steel the less it has the ability to hold a magnet.Dont know why.

 

[SpiceUmUp]

Stainless is here to stay, just like white appliances never went completly out of style, stainless will always be with us. It is clean looking, easy to clean, does not fade, chip or stain.

 

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

Stainless steel is an alloy of mostly steel and nickle. Nickle is a naturally magnetic metal, but when combined with steel becomes non-magnetic. When the nickle concentration in the metal become large enough, the steel has less ability to be magnetized, and in fact, becomes more resistant to magnetic fields. It is also the nickle that gives the metal its "stainless" property. The steel, and carbon in that steel, give it its strength and durability.

Pulsing magnetic fields still generate eddy currents in stainless steel. Those currents moving through the natural resistance of the steel create heat in the metal. This is what makes induction stoves work. They generate a pulsing magnetic field into all metal pans, heating through the electrical flow of eddy currents in the metal. When the stove surface is cold, you can take your hand and place it on a fully energized "burner" and feel absolutely no heat. But if you are searing any metal on that hand, say a ring, it will get hot in a hurry and cause severe burns. The process of creating electrical current in metals by subjecting them to strong, dyanmic magnetic fields is caled induction. It's how generators make the electicity you use in your home, and how the alternators in you car create electicity as well. Hence the name, induction stove.

I know, I got a bit off topic, but just wanted to share some info.

Seeeeeya; Goodweed of the North

 

[Andy M.]

In case you ever wondered about the '18/10' designation:

Regarded as highly durable and practical for cooking utensils and cutlery, 18/10 stainless is a chromium alloy steel containing 18% chrome and 10% nickel.

It is the chromium that prevents rusting of the steel, while the nickel allows a brighter, more durable rust-resistant luster. The higher the nickel content, the brighter the metal and the better the quality.

18/10 stainless steel was invented in Sheffield early in the last century and is almost immune from corrosion, acids and strong detergents.

 

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

Thanks Andy. I am certainly not a metallurgist and didn't know the exact properties of stainless, or even stain resistant steel. I did know that nickle plays a large part, and that not all stainless steel contains chromium. I suspect that my Croma Chef's knife is probably high in chromium. But I didn't know why.

Agian, thanks for filling in the blanks.

Oh, and the magnetic induction part of my post was correct. My feld of expertise is Electrical Engineering. I just had to have a few physics classes on the way to my degree. And they touched on metalurgy a bit, along with a whole bunch of other things. You know how physics is. It concerns more than a single person could ever hope to understand. But you get a good basic understanding of a bunch of stuff.

Seeeeeya; Goodweed of the North

 

[Claire]

I suspect that the stainless "look" in non-professional appliances is a fad. After many years of living with such color fads as avocado green, a weird brown color that looked burned around the edges, salmon pink, turqoise, black (talk about impossible to keep clean), almond ... well I've decided to stick to white. I can always find another appliance that matches it. My kitchen tends to be cold (physically, not emotionally) in this house, so I've avoided steel, marble, or stone features that would make it have a colder "feel". I really don't want my kitchen to feel like an industrial kitchen. It's all a matter of taste. And taste will always go in and out. So get something you truly like, then don't care what is in style.

 

[Claire]

p.s. I always love the practical information that people like Andy and Goodweed come up with!

 

[RPCookin]

When we remodeled 3-1/2 years ago we went with black appliances and a white with dark speckles Avonite (solid surface) countertop (with light maple cabinets and red oak hardwood floor). Like the look and, unlike Claire, I find the black MUCH easier to keep clean than white.

We were adamantly against stainless (even the sink is solid surface integrated into the countertop)... just like a warmer feel to our kitchen. It is where most of our impromptu social gatherings seem to end up, and we just feel like the commercial kitchen look is not as homey and comfortable.

 

[SizzlininIN]

I'm wanting to buy stainless steel appliances for our next house. I'm curious.....do they scratch easily? If so, how do you get rid of them?
Is it true to prevent finger prints you whip them down with olive oil? That just doesn't sound right to me.
I already have my ideal kitchen stored in my memory bank.............now I just need my own kitchen to remodel.

 

[ronjohn55]

Sizz,

This information is based on stainless brew kettles (converted 1/2 barrel kegs). To clean out burnt sugars (big black nasty messes on the bottom of the kettle), I use a nylon brush attachment on my drill. It leaves bunches of scratches. After a quick boil with vinegar and water, and left to air dry, within a day or two you can't tell.

The stainless will re-passivate (An oxidized layer that helps make stainless non-reactive). I'm thinking a good scrubbing and a wipe with vinegar, and you'll hardly notice a scratch.

John

 

[SpiceUmUp]

Stainles is wonderful, it does not scratch easily and if it does get a scratch a few light rubs with a SOFT scotch pad will blend it in. I get rid of finger prints the old fashioned way: stainless cleaner and a soft cloth I would never spread olive oil or any other oil on my applainces

 

[CanadianMeg]

WD40 is used to clean stainless steel kitchens on some TV shows to get rid of the fingerprints on non-food surfaces.

 

[GB]

WD40 is used to clean stainless steel kitchens on some TV shows to get rid of the fingerprints on non-food surfaces.

WD40 and Duct Tape...is there anything they can't do?