Stainless Steel Kitchens.

[DOOG]

Ive seen a few threads about kitchens, and mine is overdo a revamp..

Anybody have any experiences , good or bad, with stainless steel kitchen units.

This kind of thing....



Any fitters out there who know a good supplier? What are the best/ worst brands?

Are they a nightmare to install and keep clean?

All feedback appreciated..

[Simpo Two]

Looks like a chip shop to me.

[SeeFive]

Nasty. Can only get worse when it gets covered in fingerprints (removed by a smear of baby oil) and very visible minor scratches (only removed by refinishing).

But I guess if you like the operating theatre look, it's worth it, each to their own etc... but not for me.

[deviant]

I once had a stainless electric stove. Looked very modern and sleek but a complete pain in the anus to keep looking decent.
Very easy to scratch so on the occasion something boiled over and baked to the surface we had to be very carefull about what we used to clean it, you cant get a brillo pad and scrub it for instance.

[Not Ideal]

SeeFive said:

Nasty. Can only get worse when it gets covered in fingerprints (removed by a smear of baby oil) and very visible minor scratches (only removed by refinishing).

But I guess if you like the operating theatre look, it's worth it, each to their own etc... but not for me.

+1. too clinical - not for me.

[miniman]

SeeFive said:

very visible minor scratches (only removed by refinishing).

Can you expand on this? I've got a stainless steel dining table (not as clinical as those kitchen units mind) which over the years has picked up thousands of scratches. Is refinishing a DIY-able job?

[SeeFive]

miniman said:

SeeFive said:

very visible minor scratches (only removed by refinishing).

Can you expand on this? I've got a stainless steel dining table (not as clinical as those kitchen units mind) which over the years has picked up thousands of scratches. Is refinishing a DIY-able job?

Stainless will grind / polish but I have not tried to do it myself on household items. Stainless is very hard, and tends to heat up if you sue the wrong grit / speed in any machine you are using. Also, if you go too coarse to start with, you can seriously reduce its corrosion resistance. Theoretically, you can re-brush it with a stainless steel wire brush, but I would not have the balls to try to get parallel brush lines consistently over a large surface from end to end. Little bits on cars or bikes - yes, tables - no way would I try!

If the item was worth the cost of refinishing, I'd give it to an engineer. If not, I'd replace it or live with the "character" it had gained over the years, but personally I would not refinish it myself - I am sure it would be too much effort and that I would not be happy with the result.

[blueyes]

Have a look at a year old stainless steel sink.

That's what your sufaces will look like after a while.

I had brushed S/S walls in a kitchen about 10 years ago.

Total to keep clean... polished S/S would be even worse.