SS comes in different qualities. I think if you do a search on this or the kitchen forum you might find the postings that give details on the different qualities.

Once you educate yourself on the categories of SS, you can shop for different brands of appliances with confidence that you will get the same SS. The trick will be to find out from the appliance manufacturer the category of SS they used. Some do not tell you.

We do not have SS appliances, but we do have a SS sink basin and a SS range hood, installed about 16 years ago. We were not then very aware of different qualities of SS, and I am sure that the 2 things we got are probably not identical SS, but it does not seem to matter. They seem to blend in nicely, and do not stand out as a mismatch. But I think a fridge, versus a range, versus a DW front panel should either match exactly or be very similar, or you'll not be happy with your purchase.

If you cannot find answers to this question on these forums, I would go to one of the merchants that sell on the Internet and ask some detailed questions. They sometimes have very knowledgeable people on their 800 # customer service phones and can guide you. Of course, you should buy from the merchant you feel most comfortable with.

Unless your appliances are very close together, you probably won't have a problem with them matching (or not matching). Most appliance SS colors are pretty close and the differences are slight. Most people prefer to mix brands so you can get exactly the features you want.

I'd worry more about handles being compatible than stainless steel color.

We bought a Maytag dishwasher and a Maytag stove, but went with a GE OTR Microwave. All are SS. The GE microwave matches the stove and dishwasher better than the Maytag microwave did!