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Looking for increased functionality and hygiene? Go for a stainless steel kitchen counter top
Kitchen remodeling is among the most expensive undertakings you can consider and you should think about all your choices for materials in order to save your time and money. You cannot get by without considering the material of which your kitchen counter top will be made. Stainless steel should be considered in this case because it lasts the longest when compared to other materials and it looks best, especially when you have it installed by a professional. Here are some of the advantages and disadvantages of a stainless steel kitchen counter top. Take a closer look at them in order to make a wise choice.
Among the main advantages of a stainless steel counter top is its increased durability. Stainless steel was designed to be incredibly heat resistant. For instance, placing a pan from the oven right on the surface of a stainless steel kitchen counter top will not hurt a thing. On the contrary, ceramic and laminates kitchen counter tops are more prone to staining. You can also expect a stainless steel kitchen counter top to never show its age or stain. Finally, you should also know that keeping such a counter top clean is to be regarded as a breeze because this material is already well known for all its incredible anti bacterial properties.
However, a stainless steel counter top isn't perfect either because it can often show dents and scratches and this will happen more readily when compared to other materials used for counter tops. Another thing you should know: if not provided with a quite strong base or installed incorrectly, a stainless steel counter top can become a very noisy appliance. All in all though, a stainless steel counter top is likely to provide you with full years of service and it may look attractive as long as you know how to take care of it, having it properly installed and maintaining its initial features. A stainless steel counter top will provide your kitchen with an elegant and contemporary look and this polished surface will provide you with a genuine feeling that you are cooking in a professional space - you are ready to surprise your family and guests with exquisite meals.
For a better stain resistance, a stainless steel counter top will be fabricated with a 304 stainless steel. This type of steel has a higher nickel content thus becoming the best candidate for your food preparation sector. But despite being called stainless steel, this material can stain and even become corroded. So, you should try your best and avoid using household cleaning products that are too harsh, like bleach. Due to their increased acidity, such cleaning products will harm a stainless steel counter top. In order to remove all the stains that made their way on your kitchen counter top, you should use a special counter top cleanser. Wipe the counter top right in the direction of its steel grain. In order to provide the general maintenance, all you will have to do is to use soapy and warm water and wipe the whole surface of the stainless steel counter top with a cloth or sponge. Make sure that you have dried out the kitchen counter top soon after its cleaning in order to eliminate all the water stains.
Although a stainless steel counter top is quite resistant, it can be scratched. For instance, when dealing with minor scratches, you should use some non-abrasive pads in order to rub the scratch away and and you should do this by going with the grain. The minor scratches can be blended in this simple way but the dents or deeper scratches are impossible to remove. But you can mask them by installing stainless steel counter tops that come with a patterned finish. For instance, you can provide your kitchen space with a wavy pattern finish for the stainless steel counter top or you can go for a random orbital finish. The whole idea idea here is to try and install such a patterned stainless steel counter top so that every scratch, smaller or bigger, will blend right in.
The steel countertop shown here is available through CraftMetal.