A kitchen island is one of the most used workspaces in a kitchen. Most often, an island isn’t strictly used for food preparation but is also utilized as an intimate seating area, extra kitchen storage, display, and an opportunity to create a unique focal point. Personally, I love designing kitchens that highlight a multifunctional island.
Below, I highlight one of my favorite kitchen island countertop materials : Stainless Steel.
Stainless Steel Countertop Advantages
Stainless steel countertops are extremely durable and resilient to almost anything : water, heat, stains, etc., and can be disinfected easily. A stainless sink can be integrated seamlessly into this countertop which makes this an easily maintained solution. Besides all the functional reasons one may choose a stainless steel countertop, they age beautifully! (See the first photo in the section.)
Even though stainless countertops are mostly popular in modern and contemporary kitchens, stainless steel kitchen islands can also be introduced in a traditional or transitional décor. In this case, I recommend this product be used with a wooden base, maybe with a vintage or rustic design, to balance the coldness of the metal.
SS Countertop Installations
The first stainless steel island I designed was for a client in 2010. His home was in the style of “Modern Texas Hill Country”, thus the stainless island was perfectly balanced by warm highly grained kitchen cabinets and floors.
This stainless countertop just had it’s 10th birthday! You can see how beautifully this type of countertop ages. We designed this countertop to have a double stainless sink integrated seamlessly into the top.
I am infatuated with this floating geometric stainless steel island designed by Hacin and Associates. It’s integration into the wood supports is genius! https://www.hacin.com/
This island top is a mixture of Corian and Stainless Steel. You can see the stainless steel units are on wheels, integrated into the island, making for an extremely versatile kitchen island.
Custom handcrafted kitchen by Stephen Graver. https://www.stephengraver.com/the-green-kitchen.
Cleaning and Maintaining Stainless Steel Countertops
Stainless steel is extremely easy to clean and maintain. To clean, spray down with any countertop cleaning spray. (I enjoy using the Mrs. Meyers Lemon Verbena Multi-Surface Everyday Cleaner https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01IQ9R37E/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_VUe7Eb52B5PCA ). Wipe down with a soft cloth or paper towel.
If you are looking to add a brilliant shine to your stainless countertops, you can follow up with a Stainless Steel Cleaner or olive oil. To apply the olive oil, sprinkle several tablespoons of olive oil to the countertop and massage into the surface in a circular fashion. Follow up with a dry cloth, wiping and then buffing the top into a brilliant shine.
Note : Stainless steel, over time, will scratch and age. Most people find this weathering and aging a benefit of this beautiful material.
