Has the whole world gone stainless?

It’s been a while since I shopped for kitchen appliances.  Every house we’ve lived in came with the appliances, typically older, drab devices that got the job done, but offered no design appeal.

As part of our kitchen remodel, we’ve banished them to basement, where we hope to set up a kitchenette…or sell them on eBay…or donate them to Habitat For Humanity’s ReStore.  OK, we have no idea what we’re going to do.

So to fill those empty slots upstairs, I accompanied my wife on two appliance hunts.

Our first stop was at a Lowe’s near our house.  As we approached the appliances, I thought we had stumbled upon a commercial kitchen section.  Stainless steel gleamed everywhere.

Sure, there were a few white and black models, but they were dwarfed by the stainless steel selection.  The days of pastel appliances appear to be long-gone.  I still fondly remember the green appliances my parents owned in the 1970s.

We quickly learned that stainless products don’t always match.  Most manufacturers produce their own grain patterns and color tints, so a sharp-eyed person might notice some clash among your multi-brand appliances.

Fortunately, there are many brands to choose from, with lots of cool options.  There were ranges with “mini ovens” above or below the main oven, a great feature for empty nesters like us.

There were “French door” refrigerators.  The doors and shelving were light, yet sturdy, and displayed items well. Digital readouts provided a little high-tech flavor.

I am a little worried that the new refrigerator is talking digital smack with the other household appliances.  Either that or they are plotting an escape.

Dishwasher designers have hidden the controls by moving them from the face of the front panel to its top edge, a neat trick that maximizes the sleek look.  Clever.  For a moment, I thought maybe the dishwasher was just going to read my mind.

And while integrated microwaves and range hoods are not new, they too sport an increasing number of digital features and options.  I’m going to see if I can “brown” my popcorn.

We ended up buying most of our appliances from Sears because of a killer sale during our appliance hunt.  Spiffy stuff.

The Kitchen & Bath Industry Show took place in Chicago over the weekend.  While there, I took a spin trough some of the booths featuring appliances.

Not surprisingly, there was row after row of stainless steel appliances.  Occasionally manufacturers tossed in a bright red appliance, which appeared extremely bold among the sea of stainless.

I even saw a stainless steel tub with glass sides.  Hey, why stop at appliances?

Perhaps the quirkiest product I saw was Thomas’ Liquid Stainless Steel, billed as the world’s first brush-on product for home appliances, furniture and fixtures.  Surprisingly, the samples displayed in the booth looked impressively close to the real thing.

I’m not sure I would try it, but for someone with a steady hand and precise eye, it might worth a shot.