Walk into a modern kitchen and you will most likely see a stainless steel refrigerator. This is a big change over kitchens even 10 years ago when popular colors in fridges were white or almond. And it’s a very good thing we’ve left the 60s behind for good when avocado and brown were quite popular.
It used to be that a stainless steel refrigerator or oven were primarily found in commercial restaurants. But now they are very popular in everyday kitchens.
Why is that? Visually, the look of a stainless steel refrigerator seems to indicate a kitchen that is modern and futuristic. The bright, shiny material is reminiscent of spaceships and robots, and conjures up images of being high-tech and innovative. But it has a greater advantage than just being attractive visually.
Stainless steel refrigerators have two big advantages over their plastic cousins: they are much easier to clean and they don’t stain or rust. Although plastic doesn’t tend to rust either, it does stain easily, especially from dyes found in food. And the textured surface of a plastic appliance is difficult to clean. The smooth, sleek surface of stainless steel can be easily cleaned with a mild detergent such a dish washing liquid. Glass cleaners can also be used.
The stainless steel fridge will look good for most of the lifespan of the material if taken care of. A scratch in the surface will not result in rust the way it would in traditional metal. And the surface will not stain from food dyes.
I had a friend in college who opened up an ice cream stand. One requirement from the state was that it had to have a stainless steel sink. That material has long been recognized as a standard for commercial establishments, so it’s no surprise that it has found its way into the common kitchen.
Cons of the Stainless Steel Refrigerator
If stainless steel is such a great surface, are there any drawbacks? One complaint is fingerprints. They are much more noticeable on stainless steel than other surfaces. But they are easily cleaned with glass cleaner.
Another complaint is something you might not think of. They came and installed your new stainless steel refrigerator, and you go to put on it all the kid drawings and grocery lists you took off your old fridge, just to discover that your magnets don’t stick!
That’s right; most stainless steel appliances are not magnetic! However, this isn’t true about all of them. It just depends on the amount of nickel in the metal alloy that was used to make them.
So if having fridge magnets is important to you, bring one along when you go to shop for your refrigerator and test it. Also make sure to test the sides because often the doors are made differently than the sides.