Stainless steel or black appliances?

[Stucas]

Dh and I are buying a house and at first our intention was to gut the kitchen and start from scratch, new cabinets, counter tops, appliances... everything.

Well Dh wants a new couch when we move but we don't have it in the budget for both so I decided to just reface the kitchen that's there. The picture below was as close as I could find to what it will look like. Its currently laminate cabinets but will will be painting them brown and getting new doors.

Here's my question, before I was planning on getting all black appliances, now I'm thinking stainless steel. We will be able to afford them now but I'm not sure if its worth the price jump. The cabinet hardware will be brushed nickel along with the new faucet.

Any pros/cons to either? Which do you think looks better in the pic below (please forgive me for the picture, I found it on this website and colored the wall to be similar to what we will paint and then tried to add a stainless stove for comparison.)

Thanks!
-Lauren

 

[Green Tea]

Stainless! If you ever sell, they are much more valuable in a kitchen. And with the brown cabinets, they will look a lot better than black.

 

[mom2cookies]

I have both LOL black dishwasher and stainless steel refridgerator. Stainless steel sink and counter. My opinion is this. The stainless steel looks a lot nicer and more modern and " clean" lol. However it is a pain to keep looking that way. You have to use special cleaner and just using water w/ cleaner leaves spots and streaks. The black is easier to clean ( hd a black fridge before the stainless steel one) and it doesn't show fingerprints as quickly.
Good luck on your choice, i hope i helped somewhat. : )

 

[2thfairy]

we have a new kitchen 2 yrs ago and that was a hard decision for us also. i knew i didn't want a stainless fridge because of how hard it is to keep clean with little kids. we have a black and stainless stove, black and stainless microwave, stainless with a little black dishwasher and black fridge. i think it goes nicely with each other. we also have light brown cabinets. my dh wanted all stainless so this was a good compromise.
good luck

 

[Happy_Mom]

Black.

Black is much easier to maintain and according to the experts on HGTV stainless is on it's way out as being the "to have" appliances.

 

[Todd&Copper]

Black.

I seriously do not think that stainless steel appliances' perceived addition to home value should be taken into consideration, since I do not think that in this housing market it will matter one way or the other to appraisers and/or buyers that you have ss versus colored appliances as long as they are NEW.

I vote for black b/c it is easier to clean and just looks crisper than ss appliances, which show every fingerprint and smudge and have to be cleaned often.

 

[HALEYSMOMMOM]

Don't forget the satina-fake stainless- at least for refrigerators. We have one with black accents, and its easier to keep clean than stainless (and you can put magnents on it) . Looks great!

 

[mdrob214]

I voted black. I have stainless and it IS a pain to keep it looking good. I wish I had a black fridge, at the very least.

 

[tammy1210]

I was going to say stainless when I first saw the poll - that's what we have and I love it, but after seeing your picture, I like the black better with those colors. Good luck!

 

[PollyannaMom]

Don't forget the satina-fake stainless- at least for refrigerators. We have one with black accents, and its easier to keep clean than stainless (and you can put magnents on it) . Looks great!

I've never heard of this, but I think it's my vote now! I was going to say black because I would hate not to be able to put magnets on my fridge... then when I saw the pics, I was going to say stainless because the black combined with dark brown was too much darkness for me. This sounds like the perfect compromise.

 

[QT Pooh]

I voted for black...

We have all stainless appliances - and wish we never got them. We have to continually clean them in order for them to look the way they're supposed to!

 

[cats mom]

My immediate reaction was to vote black, but just because I really hated my stainless appliances. But that's a personal preference thing.

After looking at the pictures I like stainless better than black with your cabinet colors.

 

[princessmom29]

black. Cheaper and easier to clean. Plus I like the black better with those colors.

 

[PoohHappens]

In your pics I like the look of the stainless.

Question for those of you with stainless, what is the best way to clean, what is the budget way to clean.

My budget busting stainless range is being delivered this afternoon. I am really excited but was just frustrated to have to do this now. I also have no other stainless appliances, just white. It was hard to find white ones with the features I wanted. I am willing to live with different colored appliances until the others break or we save up for each one.

 

[disneystacy]

I voted black, but I also vote gut the kitchen. Let hubby wait on the couch or get a inexpensive one. How long does a couch last anyway? A new kitchen will add value to a home, where a couch will not. Friends of mine did the exact same thing and it looks horrible. Just my opinion.

 

[msce2]

DO YOU HAVE KIDS NOW OR WILL YOU HAVE KIDS? I ask this because I will tell you right now if you are in either of those boats you will NEVER be able to keep the stainless steel clean. We have 3 kids and stainless dishwasher, stove and fridge, unless I cleaned them multiple times a day (like every hour on the hour) they have fingerprints all over them. It's not worth the hassle and the huge price tag. Also they get scratched and dented rather easily. (Did I mention I have 2 boys?)

However if you don't have kids then go with what you think looks nicest. You'll only have to clean up yours and DH's fingerprints so it won't be that time consuming.

 

[aka-mad4themouse]

I think that stainless steel will "date" a kitchen much in the same way that avocado and harvest gold did post-70's. I'd rather have a black finish on an appliance with the features that I want than purchase a stainless steel model for the same price that doesn't meet my needs. But since appliances are not permanent fixtures, you should go with the look that you like. You'll be the one living with your choice.

 

[HsvTeacher]

I voted stainless.

We have black appliances, and they are a pain to keep clean. Every little smudge shows, and the paper towel lint on the range drives me nuts! (I'm a little obsessive like that!)

 

[cajunpeach]

I voted black, I look the look of the stainless better but not the price tag or the daily up keep. If you prefer the stainless look, I'd def get the fake one!!! Good luck, I know it's a hard decision

 

[Green Tea]

In the appliance pricing I have done lately, the stainless is generally $100 more than the white (and I guess black) for the exact model. So if you want stainless it is a minimal difference for all the appliances total.