"They" have been saying that SS is going out of style for at least 5 years. Some of "they" have said this for 10 years. Consumers keep buying SS.

Ten years ago you were a slave to your SS appliances to keep them smudge,fingerprint, and waterspot free.

There are now alot of compnanies offering something like Frigidaire's EasyCare SS. Much much easier to keep clean. Not as easy as basic white appliances.

That being said I will limit the use of SS in my new kitchen.

But SS will not be banned. LOL.

As a material. SS is 100 % recyclable. This does matter to the manufacturer's when applying for grants and such, therefore: IMO, I don't see it going out of style anytime soon.

I think everything that comes out of the industrial designer's hands is prone to fad cycles. I suspect that there is a burgeoning revolt against stainless going on now if I read the zeitgeist of this forum correctly. In fact, I am pretty sure that the bright colors from the last 2 years in washers and dryers and the brilliant paint jobs on some of the Italian and high-end US range lines is an attempt to break free from stainless. The only thing is, stainless is a pretty good choice for a kitchen. It isn't garish, it blends nicely with about any color, isn't as lurid as Speed Queen white or as dull as glossy black. It holds up extremely well in commercial kitchen settings, too.

I don't think there is a pat answer about ease of cleaning. Our Miele stainless items shine like mad with just a spritz of Windex and a wipe. Our LG refrigerator is a pain to clean but it is pretty good about not showing fingerprints and such. My Bosch built-in mixer is super prone to showing fingerprints and is a pain to get clean. So it depends.

Stainless steel appliances have been popular for more than 10 years. I consider that more of a trend than a fad.

Bright colors on washers/dryers have been around for more than 2 years. I bought orange Kenmore's in 2004. Still waiting for orange appliances to migrate to the kitchen, but I'm not holding my breath. Brightly colored washers and dryers work because they are alone in their little laundry room universe. Kitchen appliances have to coordinate with so many other items... cabinets, counter tops, backsplashes, etc., as well as have broad appeal to potential buyers in the future. In most cases, the washer and dryer goes with the seller, but the kitchen appliances stay with the house.

I thought SS was an attempt to evoke professional kitchens, so as long as it remains the standard among pros, I think it will remain in style for those seeking that level.

#9 + 1. Who's been to Graceland? Elvis had stainless in his kitchen in the 70's. Looked good to me and I bet at the time it was very professional. Still looks good today. It outlasted coppertone and the cool new avacado. ":^)

My inlaws put stainless cooktop and ovens in the mid 50's.

We were at my uncle's beach house recently and went to a neighbor's house for dinner. They had this gorgeous house, right on the water in Bayhead, NJ. Major bucks. They had redone the kitchen, with a huge industrial cooktop and beautiful cabinetry. But they kept the old stainless wall ovens. I asked her how old they were and she told me from the early 1960's. They were sooooo cool looking I absolutely loved them, and I had been redoing that kitchen, I'd have saved them too. I wish now I'd had my camera to take a picture of them. She'd have been delighted, she was completely in love with those ovens.

i don't think stainless will ever go out of style, yes it may not be for everyone, but its the most popular out there right now. I find that the foam spray stainless cleaner is the best to keep SS appliance spotless.

Come to think of it, I live next door to the first house built by Eric Lloyd Wright, Frank's grandson, done with and for for his stepbrother, and built in 1961. Still all the original kitchen components, including a 24" drop-in gas cooktop and a 24" wall oven, both stainless. If its just a trend, its a long-lived one.

My parent's house had a Westinghouse stainless cooktop and wall oven, dating to the mid-late 50s. The cooktop had problems, but the oven -- still works. And the oven in particular still looks good.

It is hard for me to put stainless in my kitchen that I want to be cozy and relaxing. I think stainless is going out--by dear husband disagrees. I want black electrolux double ovens but have been outvoted by my husband, by builder, my builders wife and everyone else....so it may be still cool...but is it cozy????

Its austere, no doubt.

Wikipedia and other places will give you tons more information about Stainless. E.g. it comes in a hundred different types. 304, 430, 316 etc, There far more to know about it than the 18/10 information they stamp on cookware.

Since some of its recipes make it impervious to almost anything, it will stand the test of time.

Thank you all! Such great answers and information. We have had white appliances in every rental and house we've owned and it is time for a change! And so, stainless it is.

Suzanne