Are you keeping this house or selling it? Are you in a higher-end neighborhood, where ss might be "expected"?

My old black dw and range don't show fingerprints or smudges, but they aren't in the direct path of light from windows which I've heard makes a big difference. (And my dw has a very slight matte quality to the surface, which helps.) White shows everything, IMO. I'm buying new stainless just because I like the way it looks :)

Thanks for responding, I would say we are definitely in the middle, not high end. That being said, the model homes around here, which are more spendy, do tend to have SS.

I've had both black and white appliances at various times and white is much, much easier to keep clean (ever look at a black car?). However, I would just get what you like and not sweat this at all.

I have black appliances. The fridge is a Kenmore Elite French door with a matte finish and shows nothing. Its a dream!

I also have a black GE oven, with the oven controls on a touch tone panel. The front of the oven and the doors always look good, but the shiny touch tone panel across the top always has multiple fingerpints that are difficult to wipe because the burner knobs are in the way of simply wiping all the way across. I need to use a microfiber cloth and kind of "sweep" around the knobs.

The black looks good and I wouldn't change to white. I had white before since the 80's. Also, black is a perrenial and never looks dated. Black would have worked in the 70's, 80's, 90's and now the 20's. Knowing what I know now, however, I would either avoid a touch tone panel or get all touch tone without knobs so that I can wipe it easily.

I would definitely not go with white, but this is personal preferance. My SS doesn't seem to show many finger prints but maybe it's because no children are at home. My black stove top shows every speck of dust!

I will be upgrading soon, but for now I have a black kenmore stove that cleans up pretty well with Fantastik. Dust does show up easily though, but I'd imagine with white, everything else would show up--tomato sauce, grease etc. etc. Bottom line is that if you cook regularly, you'll have to clean regularly with all of them.

My neighbor has a black gas range. She loves the range but hates the fact that it's black. And I have to agree with her. Every speck of anything shows up on it. It really is a nightmare to looking nice because it has to be perfectly clean. And polished. Because soap residue & even the minerals in our water leave a hazy film on it.

Thanks so much for the responses. I guess no matter what one chooses, there's going to be upkeep and pro's and con's.

My refrigerator is black and shiny lexan. It scratches easily and shows lots of smudges. The DW is also black but a more matte surface and doesn't show any smudges. If you get black, make sure it is matte, not shiny.

I have lived with a black smooth top range and yes, it was horrible for showing the dust. I would wipe it down in the morning and I could see dust on it again by evening. It also showed fingerprints. None are really easy to keep clean or hide dirt or dust. White shows a lot but does not show dust, black shows dust and fingerprints but not as much else, and ss is bad for fingerprints but not as bad for dust.

Pick your poison.

Just get what you like.

JMHO
Sue

I agree that you should get what you like and don't be afraid to mix finishes. I have a black dishwasher which I like because I feel like it grounds that space. My SS fridge is okay, but I hate the SS stove. The knobs are at the front and it is a never ending task to keep that front panel clean. I like the SS and black together because the SS has a lot of black trim anyway. I think SS and white would also look just fine.

I have stainless steel for most of my kitchen the exception is my white refrige which I'm praying will die soon so I can buy a SS w/french doors. The stainless is really easy to keep clean, but the stove top is black and a nightmare with dust. Black is a very nice alternative but if you have a small kitchen, it will make it look smaller. I also have the older oak cabinets and the SS does help the overall look to appear more updated.

I've always liked white appliances, but as someone in the real estate field, I can tell you white unfortunately is a turn off to many buyers. Lastly, I'll throw this out there because you did mention resale, and it holds true especially if you live in an area with a declining market, if the SS doesn't help with the value it could help with a quicker sell. Because buyers see it as a very positive upgrade. That said, keep in mind, in real estate everything is negotiable. If you hold out until the market picks back up, maybe you can just offer an allowance at closing so the buyer can pick their own appliances. That way you can buy what you want and take them with you if and when you decide to move.

Again, all responses are appreciated and guess what, the range I wanted is no longer available in black, and the upgrade to stainless is $500, (and I didn't like the look). Anyone know a good range below $2000 that doesn't loose a huge amount of BTU's when converted to LP?

Then again maybe I should just buy a big Coleman cooler and fill it with ice, drag the grill in from outside, buy a dishpan and be done with it.

Thanks everybody.

Don't get discouraged, it will work out. What stove in specific were you looking at Kaelkriver?

Don't get discouraged, it will work out. What stove in specific were you looking at Kaelkriver?

The model - Kenmore Elite #7942. The kitchen is about 13' long by 12' wide, and I believe could handle black appliances. I liked the range (I really like to cook, but can't afford a gazillion dollars for a range) because the loss of BTU's for LP wasn't as drastic as I've seen in other models. Any advice, as said before, is appreciated.

I have a white range, and wouldn't have anything else, because after I cook, no matter how sloppy (e.g. splattering spaghetti sauce), I just wipe and go. A little Formula409 and finished! There have been so many threads on this Forum about how to clean stainless steel ranges; it must be such a challenge if there have been so many questions about it. I remember discussions about how you need a special cleaner, you have to "wipe with the grain", be careful not to scratch the SS, and then there's a finishing step(s) too. Too much for me. Also, I won't be a slave to fingerprints.

My other reasons for buying white was the dollar savings (I was on a VERY tight budget), and I felt that white was a more "homey" look than SS, which was a look I was going for. However, the SS finish is more a "professional" look if that is what you want, and I agree that realtors like SS appliances which they can list on the property description. I think a happy medium is to mix the finishes of SS and white. Since a range gets the most dirty the most often, get that in white. The fridge can be stainless since that is a very large visible surface and will please the realtors. My sister got a white DW after having a SS one cause any drips down the front of the DW showed a lot with the SS, but doesn't show at all with white.

I have a stainless range and the top is black. I don't think any I personally looked at were ss on top.

Sue