Starland Metals Blog

With the ubiquity of stainless steel kitchen appliances these days, it might seem like they can do no wrong. While there are plenty of huge benefits to having stainless steel as the material of choice for your appliances, counters and backsplashes—as opposed to plastic, granite, wood, etc.—you still have some cons to consider before you decide to go all-out on stainless steel for your kitchen. As a refresher, here are some of the main benefits of stainless steel sheet metal:

• Durable and long-lasting
• Resistant to corrosion and damage
• Easy to maintain
• Stainless
• Looks great
• Works with different types of decor

On the other hand, here are some of the downsides or cons to stainless steel kitchen appliances. Perhaps the biggest downside is price. It can be expensive to equip a kitchen with stainless steel backsplashes, refrigerators, counters, and other pieces. You might be able to find lower quality stainless steel appliances for less money, but the ones that offer all of the benefits you’re looking for can be a bit pricey.
Another issue to be aware of is the potential for scratching. While stainless steel is impressively resistant to corrosion, damage, stains and a range of other eyesores, it can be vulnerable to scratching. Fortunately, as long as you don’t do a lot of cutting near these surfaces, that probably isn’t a big issue.

Aside from showing scratches, the other major eyesore would be fingerprints. Unlike competing materials, stainless steel shows fingerprints pretty readily. You’ll have to wipe them off, sometimes, and it helps to have some cleaner on hand when you do. On the whole, though, the cons for stainless steel sheet are fairly minor compared to the many enticing benefits it gives you.

Did you know that even within the category of stainless steel sheet metal, you can find a variety of different grades, gauges and finishes to customize the material for your home or office? Most people tend to think of stainless steel as a monolithic category, but you might discover a particular finish that appeals to you and offers the type of style or aesthetic quality you need. Here’s a brief rundown of some of the different options out there for stainless steel sheet finishes.

First of all, if you have the interest, you can purchase stainless steel sheet metal to construct any stainless steel items you are interested in having. For example, a brush polished finish is perfect for a stainless steel kitchen backsplash, a cookie sheet, a refrigerator, and more. As for a mirror polished stainless steel sheet finish, this goes particularly well with vehicle accessories, such as truck and pickup grills. Another finish to consider is the Type 2B matte-gray finish, which is designed for a range of DIY projects. What’s the common denominator here? It’s that all of these stainless steel finishes are made from the same underlying material, but can be customized to meet the requirements of whatever your next project turns out to be.

At this point, you’ve probably heard people toss around the phrase “stainless steel” for at least a few decades. Stainless steel sheet metal is commonly used in all kinds of applications, including the stainless steel backsplash, the stainless steel grill, and all kinds of kitchen appliances. It’s touted as being a great material for the kitchen because of its unique properties, including the fact that it’s “stainless.” Where did stainless steel come from and why is stainless steel so good for your kitchen?

Originally, the creator of stainless steel was trying to develop a better metal for barrel rifles, but he accidentally created stainless steel in the process. The secret ingredient is 12% chromium. By including this, a very thin layer called the passive film formed on the metal. This film prevents rust and stains by acting as a shield or armor against damaging elements like wind and water or cuts and scratches. In fact, the film can repair itself because of the nature of the chemistry in stainless steel sheet. All of this translates very well to your kitchen, which has plenty of elements that could damage your appliances and counters. Everything from grease, to water, to food, to steam, to fire can damage your kitchen, but stainless steel kitchen appliances shrug off both stains and damage better than other materials. If you want an aesthetically pleasing and low-maintenance kitchen, you can’t go wrong with stainless steel.