I've wanted to post this message for a couple of years. Today is the day. I do this only to give people who are planning a kitchen a very clear view of what it will mean to shop for, buy, and then live with a stainless steel kitchen.
I didn't want stainless but I wanted finishes that would sell well when the time comes and it seems everyone....for some reason....wants stainless. I purchased a KA dishwasher and french door refrigerator; a Panasonic built in microwave which I put over a Bosch ss oven. I also bought a Caldera ss gas 5 burner cooktop. Now as far as I know, magnets don't stick to ss and yet magnets stick to every one of my appliances except the Caldera cooktop. All of the appliances except the cooktop are a nightmare to keep looking clean. They are covered with finger prints and drip marks all the time except immediately after a strenuous cleaning followed by a dry buffing. I used to clean my old white refrigerator doors once a month and then only if it looked like it needed it and lots of time it didn't. My Caldera ss cooktop on the other hand, is a breeze to clean. Unless it's particularly greasy I don't need more than water on the cleaning cloth. I am convinced it is the only ss in my kitchen that is REAL. The only appliance that my magnet will not stick to.
I would NEVER buy ss again unless a magnet stuck to it, or in other words, it was real and not a composite or whatever this other stuff is. When I think of how much more I had to pay for ss over the other colors like black or white I could cry. I think the black textured refrigerators look very swank.
My microwave and oven are not much of a problem because there's really such a small amount of ss(?) used as trim and the rest is glass which is way easier to clean.
I've tried all the recommended products and methods of cleaning, believe me. I just never wanted to have appliances that would need constant attention and if you don't either, I suggest you think long and hard about it....and bring a magnet with you when you go shopping. If it grabs you may regret buying it unless you're someone who likes spending lots of time cleaning and polishing your appliances.
As one final note. My KA dishwasher and French Door bottom freezer refrigerator both required major repairs within one year of ownership. The design flaws in the dishwasher are inexcusable. Never KA again for either in any of my future renovations.