Tell me about stainless steel worktops...

[Helliecopter]

Anyone any experience? Cost, look, performance etc. OH is really keen on the idea but I'm not sure how it'd look with a wooden painted kitchen. Feels more like a modern surface to me. But prepared to research it and consider it!

Thanks :)

I haven't had ss worktops, but think they'd be a nightmare to keep clean (finger marks, scratches would be very visible) and might even dent? My fave is iroko wood (appreciate this won't look great with a wooden kitchen, maybe), or corian. Good luck!

Thanks. I'm having such trouble with options. About to throw the towel in and just let the builder decide!!

they are common in commercial kitchens, but it is a dull, grey metal, not shiny and silvery. Same as catering sinks. It is thicker too. Doesn't show marks much. Chopping boards are essential. get it with a built-in upstand formed for bending up the back edge.

If you go to a catering supplier you can look at samples.

Thanks PigletJohn. I like the brushed steel and when it gets a bit of a patina...looking a bit well-loved! Will see if I can find a catering supplier. Struggling at the moment and a couple of companies I've spoken to say it's really expensive. Can't be more than the slate quote I had!

can't see worktops on here but our installer provided some as well as the sinks and prep tables. They cut them to size. I think the sink is greyer than the tops, might be a different metal, might be the water contact or cleaning materilas.

p.s.

I know this is a table not a worktop, but £310+VAT for 1800mm wide seems very reasonable compared to granite, and it is good thick stuff.

We have some stainless steel worktops that we bought around two years ago, and we think they look wonderful in our kitchen. Yes they have developed a patina with being used every day by a family of four but that just makes them unique.

Personally I wouldn't consider any other work surface type. I think out stainless steel worktops will outlive anything else we could have bought, and we looked at granite, corian etc

@Helicopter, we bought our worktops from these guys if you're struggling to find someone to make you some:

www.dsmstainlessproducts.co.uk/stainless-steel-products/catering-stainless-steel/stainless-steel-worktops/

We have some stainless steel worktops that we bought around two years ago, and we think they look wonderful in our kitchen. Yes they have developed a patina with being used every day by a family of four but that just makes them unique.

Personally I wouldn't consider any other work surface type. I think out stainless steel worktops will outlive anything else we could have bought, and we looked at granite, corian etc

@Helicopter, we bought our worktops from these guys if you're struggling to find someone to make you some:

www.dsmstainlessproducts.co.uk/stainless-steel-products/catering-stainless-steel/stainless-steel-worktops/

Sorry, double post!

Great, thanks for the link! Great to hear you love the patina, think that's what I'd like too. How did prices compare to the granite/corian?

It depends what you have, we had bowls and a drainer in ours that is all welded in and polished so it is part of the worktop. It was a bit more expensive than granite, but not when you then add the cost of a separate sink on etc -plus we really liked that seamless look.

Plus we were told that stainless steel worktops would last well in excess of twenty years or even longer, longer than granite which tends to chip etc, which I can well believe!

i would suggest you add warmth somewhere else if you go for this look. ie wooden floors, or warm paint colours, as it might look too cold if you go down the white or blue look with these tops ? the industrial look is in at the moment ! so you'd be bang on trend !!

Bang on trend, that's a first for me!
We are having wooden floors yes...I agree about the warmth.

Just had our first quote - £2400 inc vat and delivery but not fitting. Seems steep! More than I expected anyway. Might have trouble convincing DH!

:-( that's pricey !