Yeah... we've had our reno done for all of 3 weeks... already got big scratches in the range.

Oh well... it's patina!

-Looks good from across the room.

i feel your pain....

i love the look of unscratched stainless but wonder how practical it really is and i don't have little kids at home any longer(although sometimes big kids are worse:i find myself hovering when anyone else is in the kitchen cooking just to be sure they are being extra careful which doesn't make cooking any fun for either of us

Can't imagine how the fridge is gonna look in ten years; or would that be now 8 years of expected fridge life?

Unless you have a "show" kitchen, relax and enjoy it. A kitchen is for cooking and hanging out - it will not stay pristine if used properly but you can keep it fairly clean. Just remember the mantra: patina, patina, patina :-)

It definitely looks great from across the room (minus the fingerprints), but just thinking about those scratches and etch marks make my heart sink. It's definitely not a "show" kitchen, but we paid a premium to make it look nice. I wish it could stay that way...

You're probably the only one who notices the scratches - everyone else will probably ooh and ahh. We all have little imperfections that only we notice. Good luck.

I'm sorry, but you were ot a good candidate for stainless appliances if this little bit of ordinary use is freaking you out. Life happens, and it shows. It shows on our faces, on our automobiles, and it shows in our kitchens. Even showrooms that never get real use as kitchens develop patina from visitors touching appliances and cabinets and opening doors and drawers. Life doesn't stay static, and there are no materials that are impervious to wear and tear. However, the painted finishes of appliances do tend tonot show the scratches and dings quite as badly as the shiny stainless will, and you were probably a better candidate for a white or black appliance suite than stainless. The only thing you can do now is learn how to properly clean it to maintain it to it's best, and try to stop the angst. Pledge furniture polish helps to repel those fingerprints and a microfiber cloth will polish out anything. Barkeepers Friend will take care of any severe water spotting and even some of the heavier "fine" scratches as long as you aren't too aggressive in any one area trying to polish it. The other thing you might consider is using a Scotchbrite pad to accelerate the patina to the point that it is less noticable to you.

live_wire_oak, I definitely agree that I was not a good candidate for SS appliances! Prior to purchase, I read up on them and I thought my main issue would be fingerprints that need constant cleaning. Not a big deal. But had I known they scratched and etched so easily, I probably would have went with black.

I'm looking at the palm rest of my laptop and it's made out of some kind of brushed metal. This thing has taken a beating over the years, and there's not a single scratch on it. Why can't my appliances be like this? :(

I'll get over this eventually, but if budget allows me, next time I'm getting overlays! Anyway, thank you for the tips. I'm going to have to pick up some Bar Keepers Friend.

You are all making me feel better about a ding in the front of my SS frige. My son barely leaned against it with his backpack on! I think the zipper caused it. It is really not that noticable but I find myself looking at it every time I go in the kitchen. I have lost sleep over this! It's crazy. I can't imagine having had SS appliances when my kids were small and riding their little cars around. I do love the way they look, though.

I don't think you're alone. I photograph model homes and it looks like a lot of the higher end manufacturers (viking or wolf, can't remember) are starting to carry metal finish appliances that have a metallic color, but not stainless steel. I think that people don't want to devote themselves to stainless steel like it seems to need for keeping fingerprints, etc off. I've even seen some newer frig's with a non-smudging SS look in the mid-price range.

uncauzi - I don't know what laptop you have, but my palm rest is metallic-colored plastic. No scratches. I wouldn't be surprised if yours were also plastic; stainless steel would make the thing too heavy to carry.

LoL .... funny, but until Apple starts making appliances, I guess you'll have to wait, or pick another colour ..... iFridge, iRange, iWash .... okay, you get the iDea (sorry, couldn't resist) ... I'm typing this response on my MacBook Pro bty. Enjoy your kitchen .... I'm awaiting my SS gear for mine, and MAY be ranting myself in a couple of months ;)

Ciao for now!

Kitchens can't stay shiny and new forever. Please don't fret. You may be the only one who notices! (It's like when I sold my house last summer: boy, after weeks of prepping and staging, I saw every mark/scratch/ FLAW! You just get so focused on something (kitchen reno / selling a house) that you become...really focused. But I bet everybody else who walks into your kitchen just thinks how lovely it looks!

I just ordered SS myself. Oh well. Apparently, bronze is the new emerging trend...

I think my lap top is made out of titanium. Also, scratch free, with lots of use. Maybe someday they'll make a fridge out of that. Probably cost way more than SS though.

Don't get pure black appliances or counters, either, if you are a perfectionist. Looks amazing when just cleaned, but shows every speck of dust and drop of water.

I have a long scratch on our SubZero handle that I have no idea how it got there. I frustrates me, but nobody else has ever pointed it out.

It would be weird if a kitchen didn't have scratches. It would be more like an appliance showroom rather than a home. Relax and enjoy your kitchen--scratches and all.

I only have one SS appliance, a range, and it's so scratched with 2 years of use I don't notice a thing. I did notice the first scratch, then the second, then I was too busy cooking to care. Once you get enough scratches it's like a new finish!!!

The rest of my appliances are integrated but the "integrated" look is not everyone's taste or budget. Also, integrated appliance mean custom panels with their own set of "patina" issues.

Luckily I'm in an old house and have no problem thinking of scratched SS and chipped paint as patina. Which is a good thing since I have black tile & painted cupboards & marble & all kinds of opportunities for life to leave its mark.

Enjoy your new kitchens & kitchens to come!