When I saw the cost of what a "real" backsplash costs, I paid $35 at my local metal yard for a sheet of stainless and glued it to the wall in the in-law kitchen.

It looks great, and is generally easy to clean. But I find it is difficult to keep in absolute pristine show-kitchen condition. The frequently are minor streaks.

Not sufficiently noticeable to bother me though. That was $35 very well spent!

A mirror finish on SS is difficult to keep pristine. Go for a heavily brushed or swirled finish for easier care.

I got mine cut-to-order from Commerce Metals. They have an online order form where you enter length and width, specify the finish (i got the most popular, Brushed Appliance), and choose the thickness. There's all kinds of patterns and finishes and options for rolled edges. I think it was around 30"x16" for about $80 delivered. I mounted it with Loctite double-sided tape from Home Depot and clean it with the same stuff we use for the SS refrigerator.

Commerce Metals Stainless Steel Backsplashes

I've had a stainless steel back splash behind my viking range and under my broan hood for almost 25 years. I love it!

My Thermador 48" professioanl range came with a stainless backspash. It was never a proble.

The pictures shown at the top of this thread shows a range with an "island trim" in front of and flush with a stainless steel backsplash. That is probably not up to fire code, but the details would depend on what the stove manufacturer tells you. There might be things you can do with the wall behind the backsplash that possibly allow you to go this route. If it is possible at all, I'd expect it to require having several inches of fireproof insulation on top of the studs.

I just looked this up for my Bluestar RNB, and I couldn't legally and safely do this with an island trim unless I moved the stove forward and away from the wall by 6". Fortunately, we are getting extra deep cabinets/countertops, so this actually happens to work OK for us. But I recommend you make sure you get the correct trim piece or you'll be disappointed when the building inspectors make you rip things out.

On an unrelated topic, as far as I can tell, the first picture has a woefully inadequate vent hood size. It doesn't have any overhang on the sides (3" each is recommended), there are no upper cabinets that help guide the fumes towards a hood that is mounted really high, there does not appear to be full coverage of the stove in the front, and the hood looks pretty but not actually powerful (i.e. use of mesh filters instead of baffles is suspicous).

This leads me to belief that it is a show kitchen and not necessarily functional nor up to code.

Because you don't often touch the backsplash, fingerprints aren't an issue.

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We have brushed stainless steel behind a Gaggenau smooth-top cooking surface and an often-used Miele wok burner. Easy to clean; love it! Would definitely do it again.

I have a twelve YO 6" SS backguard on my rigorously used 36" Bluestar range top and it is scratched & scorched. Looks anything but new and pristine. Two things I learned over the years; wipe off splatter, even if you don't really notice it, after cooking and it won't set in the next time you cook, and I would stick with the island trim next time. With the island trim, I would get maybe a half inch extra rear movement with large fry pans on the back burners that is otherwise restricted with a full or 6"height backguard. Obviously, the wall material needs to be properly considered.

If you are really bothered by the unsightly backguard, you can probably fix things. If I recall correctly, it can be removed pretty easily. You could then go to town with oven cleaner to remove the scorch marks, and with fine sand paper to restore the grain of the stainless steel. Or if you value your time more than money, you could buy a replacement backguard from Bluestar for a few hundred dollars.

In fact, you could even buy the island trim if that's what you prefer. Of course, that doesn't address any concerns with the wall material behind your range. If it isn't suitably fireproofed, installing island trim could be a very bad choice.

M, nah, I don't care at all about a well used looking backguard. I was just pointing out to the OP that not everyone is able to maintain pristine SS.

I would have considered switching to the island trim for height reasons, however, my fancy EyeTallian glass tiles (that accent the entire kitchen) don't go all the way down behind the rangetop. Adding the additional 22k burner up front probably solved more flexibility issues for less money and hassle than major retiling.

The way I look at it is that compared to tile and grout, cleaning stainless steel is a breeze. I figured the number of times I would clean the grout was zero.

Stainless is a BREEZE. I have had for 20+ years. Soapy water is best to clean - do NOT use that crappy stainless "spray" which essentially ends up being an oil that "hides" fingerprints.

You can also clean with a microbe cloth.

Heavier issues use Barkeeper's Friend. Easy peasy.

Has anyone ever used the "peel and stick" metal tiles for the backsplash behind the stove? Kinda thought if one or two got gross or damaged, or even started lifting, I could replace it.

I had a stainless backsplash for several years. Due to the extreme depth of my old stove, cleaning was a bear - as anyone with a stainless refrigerator knows, stainless will streak if not carefully cleaned. It was a nuisance and I replace it with ceramic tile.

Don't use "peel and stick" anything. The heat will cause the glue to dry out and they will fall off. Bit the bullet and put tile behind your stove - it's not that costly - you could even do it yourself.

From what I can tell, No one touches the backsplash the way they do the fridge, so fingerprints and such aren't an issue. No problem with cleaning mine for the two years I've had it.

Hi all, i‘m renovating my kitchen now and am considering using a brushed (#4 finish) stainless steel for the backsplash. Looking at installing it behind the stove area.

Can i find out for those who have installed brushed stainless steel, does it rust easily? I like the brushed finish (as compared to polish aka mirror finish) but am worried if it will rust easily.

May I know what’s the experience of homeowners who have used brushed finish stainless steel? Thank you!

No rust on mine.

We inherited a brushed stainless steel splashback, we had it for 7 years and the previous owners had had it for 11 years or so I believe. No rust, easy to clean and maintain, no fingerprints as you don’t really touch your splashback, looked smart.

I know this is an old thread, but anyone have tips on how to get rid of the discoloration on this stainless steel backguard? I just bought a house and inherited an old Viking range, along with said stain...

Thanks!

Linda M -- Barkeeper's Friend, maybe.

Sadly, elbow grease and elbow grease, or elbow grease and harsh chemicals like SS grill cleaners (goo gone makes one) and/or elbow grease and abrasives. What you have there is essentially grease and oils baked into a varnish onto the SS backsplash. The easiest way to avoid it once clean, is to be diligent at wiping down the bag splash after cooking even when you don't see visible residue. BUT, don't beat yourself up when you eventually get those 'scotch' marks, it is easy to let it slip.

Thanks, @Jerry Jorgenson! I just ordered some and will give it a shot

@stevep2005 I've never used elbow grease before but sounds like maybe I need to get some lol. Thanks for the tips! I'm gonna try and see if I can get some of this stain out with the barkeepers friend, and if not, I'll just do my best to keep it clean moving forward :)

It's extremely tedious work and stands a very high chance of messing up the grain. Ideally, you'd take off the raised backguard before working on it. It's bound to be removable somehow. Then use red Scotchbrite pads to both clean and to restore the grain. Make sure to only move in a single direction with the pad. That probably takes some practice.

@M Yikes! I'll have to figure out how to remove it....or if i can. I don't want to make it worse than it already is, so maybe I'll test a tiny non-visible area first. I'm up for the challenge!

While I'm not familiar with this particular model, these types of ranges usually can be ordered with different height back guards. The often get installed when the range is delivered, so they are made to be field replaceable. If you pull the range out, you're likely to see a couple of sheet metal screws that hold the back guard in place. If you remove those, it should come off -- possibly by pulling up.

My advise If you want to maintain sanity: don’t sweat perfection. The stove/range top is a tool, it’s not meant to be a work of art admired from behind a velvet rope. If you have to scrub a bit to remove the scotch and you blemish the perfect grain pattern, then so be it. If you happen to dent the SS with a vigorous flip of a fry pan, think of it as part of the character of a well used and loved stove. Perfection is for catalog show pieces.

Do the patterned/mottled ss backsplashes more easily hide dings and scratches?

worthy -- Not sure, but I haven't had an issue with the stainless steel backsplash, and mine runs around the entire counter, over the sink, and on the other side. Sure beats trying to keep grout clean. The way I clean behind the cooktop is to put water in a pot, boil it so that the backsplash is covered with steam, and wipe off. The hood fan needs to be off. Of course, this method won't work for the kind of discolouration in the OP's picture, and it won't work for gas since you don't want to poison yourself by not having the hood vent on.

I agree with Steve that it's a cooking area, not a work of art. It should look as if it's used and loved.

Thanks all for these helpful comments! Taking notes... :)

UPDATE: Soooo, my barkeeper's friend arrived today and holy moly! I haven't been this blown away since I discovered Mr Clean Magic Eraser. This stuff worked like a charm!

Thanks again!!!!

Just seeing this thread. A little late but wanted to comment that I love my stainless steel backsplash. Had it installed a couple months ago. Easy to maintain.

Hello E Moss and all, We are thinking of installing a stainless steel backsplash for the entire counter, not just behind the stove. We just installed new (super) white kitchen cabinets/a new kitchen. Our contractor said that he never installed a stainless steel backsplash. I understand from some research that the installation is a bit more elaborate and requires someone who has experience, and that it is quite costly. What has been your experience? Thank you!

hhoedl -- Here's mine. Not all that expensive.

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Many thanks Jerry, looks beautiful. Who did the installation? I understand it needs some durable, sturdy backing. Does it come in long sheets so you don't have any seams? Thanks a lot!

hhoedl -- A local contractor (Cowboy Remodeling) did the installation. The only seams are in the corner where they are covered by copper angle "iron". The backing is just drywall. I have no idea why it would require special backing. The only thing I've ever read is that if you are unfortunate enough to have a gas stove there needs to be fire resistant backing behind the stainless steel.

Thanks a lot, Jerry, this is very helpful! Enjoy yuh backsplash.

Lol finally normal people. Now they saying looks outdated yet its practical if you cooking. Those do tile across or decor behind it never cook in their kitchen. Stainless is super easy to clean.