Countertops are probably the most important part of every kitchen, and their surface is vital for cooking effortlessly and keeping the kitchen tidy. They can be made of literally any material from wood to granite and polymers. Stainless steel countertops are something standalone — they’re great for every kitchen (both commercial and personal), being easy to clean and generally good-looking.В
Let’s find out what benefits these metallic surfaces have, and what are their main disadvantages.
Why are stainless steel countertops cool?
Albeit the material itself looks great, being all stylish and shiny, stainless steel has a lot more to add to your cooking experience. Also, if you take good care of this surface, you’ll avoid dents and scratches, making countertops look awesome for long. You can’t say the same thing about wood or granite — they end up being damaged or too dirty to clean the easy way too often.
So, countertops made of stainless steel — what are their main benefits?
- They’re resilient and durable — the material doesn’t get affected by moisture, high or low temperatures, or stable pressure being applied. Bonus points for a non-porous structure that won’t give bacteria and grease any chance to get the surface all dirty and unsanitary. You can clean it with a few swipes of the paper towel or microfiber cloth, apply some sanitizer, and start cooking right away on a shiny and clean surface. Also, you can put heated dishes or other stuff safely on this kind of countertops — they heat up locally only, not spreading the heat among their length.
- Affordable prices. While wood or granite countertops have less pleasurable prices, metallic goods are generally cheaper because metal is cheaper in production and further works.
- Good looks. While the metal itself looks great enough to be placed in the kitchen, you can style it additionally with special paint, making a totally unique design. Some countertops are sold in bundles with sinks and backsplashes, adding even more shine to the design. Also, shiny surfaces tend to make space look larger, so if you have a small kitchen, this might be your cue to buy a countertop made of stainless steel.
- Another benefit is a huge variety of finish options in comparison to other materials. Choose mirror-like, shiny, or a matter finish to customize your kitchen.
What are the drawbacks of these countertops?
Of course, nothing is perfect, and this kind of furniture is no exception. There are a few drawbacks of stainless steel furniture for the kitchen:
- scratches are a real pain in, well, everything. You have to be really careful while cooking or cleaning because harsh tools or abrasive substances can easily make a few scratches and make your countertop look less nice. Also, if you drop something really heavy or sharp, you might end up with a serious dent that can’t be reversed. Although, once you settle with the first scratch, you’ll be less worried when you get the next one — it’s always a matter of perception;
- steel looks cool. Like, temperature- and color-wise. Some people find it too uncomfortable to be placed in the kitchen, so you might want to consider getting some warm accents in your kitchen design to diminish that feeling of coldness;
- the noise sometimes can be unbearable. If you or someone from your household is a loud cooker that tends to drop things, beware of all the bangs and booms — steel is just that kind of material that’s able to produce too many noises to focus on something, let alone to exist peacefully in the same room.
All in all, it’s always up to you to decide whether you want this shiny beauty to be the most important part of your kitchen, or not. Some people can bear all the drawbacks these countertops have, some prefer less durable but more silent and eye-pleasing surfaces.
