Stainless Steel

Look inside any restaurant kitchen and you’ll see stainless steel worktops everywhere. Impervious to heat and virtually indestructible, stainless steel is a countertop material designed for serious cooks.

Stainless steel has all the qualities needed for an indestructible kitchen worktop. Heat-resistant? Check. Non-staining? Check. Hygienic and easy to clean? Check. It’s a nonporous material that unlike butcher block, concrete, and many natural stones, will not absorb even the toughest of cooking ingredients—which means that stainless doesn’t stain or harbor bacteria. Hot pots and pans can be placed directly on its surface without worry. That said, stainless steel, like many materials, shows scratches, especially if sharp knives and other tools are used directly on it. (And stainless itself will damage knives, so it’s wise to cut on a cutting board.)

Stainless steel counters are available in several finishes: brushed, satin polish, mirror polish, and antique matte to name a few. Brushed finish is the most popular because it looks smooth and soft, and doesn’t show as many fingerprints or scratches as the polished options.

Cleaning stainless steel is easy: the nonporous nature of the material means that foods and liquids sit on top of it and are best removed with mild soap and a soft cloth. Fingerprints, too, accumulate on the surface until cleaned. You can use special stainless steel cleaners and polishes to minimize fingerprints, but over time there’s no avoiding some signs of use and abuse. Mirrored polish stainless typically requires periodic polishing to maintain its high luster.

Stainless steel is not a budget choice. They run between $75 and $150 per square foot installed. Prices vary depending on site-specific needs, the level of customization, your location, and the gauge of the stainless sheeting used. This is comparable to quality natural stone counters and more expensive than butcher block.