I just did a black bathroom in July. Black. Don't do it! I've had stainless and that's why I won't have it again but if my choice was black or stainless, I'd go stainless. All my appliances in the whole house are white.

Ours are stainless. The cleaning lady cleans them properly every 2 weeks. I never do a thing to them. (Well, I clean the cooktop if something spills.)

I just recently started cleaning our SS appliances with a mixture of rubbing alcohol, water, (30-50% alcohol to water) and a few drops of essential lavendar oil in a spray bottle (wiped/buffed dry with a microfiber cloth). Works great! Seems to resist fingerprints and smears better than oil-based SS sprays, and easily spot-cleaned, too. I like the look of SS appliances and would get them again.

I have a friend who recently bought SS and she told that was one HUGE mistake and would never do it again! For that reason, I am sticking to white....or at least, that is my thought for now.

I was in an appliance store recently and there was a lady who did nothing but wipe finger prints off of the SS appliances...she thought they were a real "pain". There are a couple of lines of applicances that are carrying a "stainless look alike" that you might want to consider.

Keep us posted on what your decision is and good luck.

I'm interested in the answers as well....currently reno'ing kitchen to white cabinets and trying to decide on SS or black for applicants...black Uba Tuba countertops

Get stainless appliances with the special finish that makes them fingerprint-proof or fingerprint-resistant. Asko dishwashers have that. I'm sure you could find out what other brands to go with for the fridge and stove.

I can understand how a SS range gets dirty looking, although I don't think ours is such a big deal to keep clean...but refrigerators have handles and you should have clean hands when you handle food? Don't people use the handles? Whats with all the fingerprints?

My kitchen has been finished now for two years, and I don't find SS a problem to keep clean. I just don't get all the fuss. I use a damp microfibre cloth (get mine at the dollar store), and everything wipes off.

All colors are a pain to some degree...

The white appliances in our old kitchen showed every speck of dirt/dirty fingerprints. The handle of the refrigerator eventually was permanently "stained" (i.e., it had a gray cast to it).

Black shows dust (we have a black glass cooktop) and fingerprints.

Stainless Steel, so far, has been the easiest finish/color to deal with...and it's been over two years. Not much actually shows...no dust, etc.

I would definitely do SS over again...far easier to keep looking clean!!!!

Every week or two I wipe my SS appliances down with either Weiman SS cleaner or, if I don't have/can't get the Weiman, Pledge in the brown can...using a microfiber cloth. Not only does it clean them, but they resist fingerprints for at least a week or two. I do, though, wipe the handles down every day or two...not b/c they "look" dirty but b/c everyone is touching them and not only do they get "stuff" on them, but it's also a "germ thing" (like door room knobs/handles!)

I had a Jenn-air SS fridge in my previous home. As of now, I say never again. At the time, I had 4 kids under 10 and it was awful to keep clean. I used soap and water most of the time; but when it needed a really good clean, I used a SS-specific cleaner. Both worked well. Other than the frequent cleaning issue, I have two big beefs with SS and that's why I won't buy an SS appliance again:
1. SS isn't supposed to rust -- but mine did. I had rusty coloured streaks on the entire length of the fridge half of the refrigerator. I suspect my former housecleaner cleaned it with something she shouldn't have. She had a long history of ruining my things (that's why she's no longer my housecleaner ;) ).
2. SS scratches. I wouldn't let my kids put fridge magnets on the fridge because if they dragged the magnet, it would leave awful permanent scratches on it.
Now I'm not sure if it was just my fridge that had these problems or others have found the same thing... Just thought I'd add my 2 cents according to my experience. For the house we're building now, I've decided on covering it with custom panels. Hopefully, that won't be a pain too.

sillybilly, I thought SS didn't take magnets?

We've had SS for five years, have two kids and I don't have any issues with it at all. I mean, yes, some smudges occur but a quick wipe with a damp microfiber cloth and then dry with the other half of it and it's smudge free. I've just never understood the big deal about the maintenance part of it. Our appliances are Maytag.

I think you absolutely have to take into account the specific brand and model of stainless in order to answer your question accurately.

The folks who say their stainless fridges are 'easy' do not have my stainless fridge. None of the above-mentioned regimes works to rid mine of smears and smudges. (I have the 30" Liebherr and I adore it otherwise -- it only comes in stainless.) I've tried everything and now just wipe it with warm water on a microfiber cloth and let it do what it wants.

Palimpsest, it's not dirty hands; we're a household of two clean adults. ;-) It's the mere touch of human skin -- like one's knuckles brushing when opening the door -- that makes the marks.
This is how my fridge looks after a wipedown with a microfiber cloth. No, that's not dirt smeared around, the fridge is very clean -- that's just how it LOOKS from certain angles after you wipe it:

Also: I used to have a cheapo Maytag dishwasher in stainless that was also just awful - it showed every drip and streak, which were many because of the steam, etc.

I think paneled appliances are a godsend; my current paneled dishwasher is a snap to keep clean and looks 98% better than the stainless ever did.

Palimpsest, you don't have kids do you?

How do stainless appliances get dirty? Let me send my 13 month old DD to your house. You'll see how. She'll crawl over, put her slobbery hands all over your dishwasher, and then open her mouth and plant a great big wet kiss on her reflection.

I used to have a black range in a small 1920s house. It sat on the open end of the run of cabinets (if the 24" countertop next to it can be considered a "run" with one side exposed to the main passageway through the house. It was alway a dusty mess.

My mom has white appliances and has never been the world's best housekeeper. So hers always seem to have some grime and gunk on them, and it is very visible. Also, I find that the white plastic bits on white appliances tend to fade and yellow strangely over time. It makes them look old and dated even if they really aren't too long in the tooth.

We have had our stainless range and fridge for about 18 months now and they don't seem to me to be a big problem. They are KitchenAid and wipe down nicely with a microfiber cloth and a little windex. The Bosch DW is different. The stainless grain on that one runs horizontally, so it a bit more counterintuitive to clean. And it seems to have a glassier finish -- less grain than the range and fridge -- so is harder to get clean and is quicker to get fingerprints. We don't have little ones at home, but I would think with kiddos, you are going to be wiping anything regularly -- regardless of finish.

I've never had stainless, but I don't find my black appliances to be low maintanence. My frig is the smooth kind, not the textured kind, which I would have preferred. It shows fingerprints if you even think of touching it. Yes, they clean off easily with a squirt of cleaner and a wipe with a cloth, but silly me, I don't think you should have to wipe your frig handle every time you open it.

My black cooktop is a dust magnet and tends to look streaky regardless of how I clean it. Still, if I had to pick appliances again, I'd probably go with black, just because they give the overall look I want.

Totally Confused

Our fridge is more forgiving than our dishwasher. DW is Samsung and it never really seems to get clean. Fridge is Kenmore and doesn't really seem to ever get dirty.

Not all stainless finishes are created equally.

We have had very few problems with fingerprints or streaking in the almost three years we've had a stainless fridge (KitchenAid), dishwasher (Fisher & Paykel), and range (Aga). These particular appliances may be fingerprint resistant, but if they are, I didn't know that when I bought them.

I think that one piece of advice I got here has made all the difference in the world. We only ever wipe them down with a microfiber cloth and warm water. On the single occasion that something nasty got spilled on the front of the dishwasher and dried until it was noticed the next morning, I used Lysol Kitchen spray, let it dry, and then wiped the whole thing with water and a microfiber cloth.

Pal, We have a blind dog, basset hound, that comes into the kitchen at one end, runs her nose against everything , and goes out the other end.

My SS fridge has permanent streak about a foot off the ground.

My suggestion: Take your glasses off when at home, like I do.

;)

On the fridge we might get a smudge behind the handle, but I can clean it with soap and water with a micorfiber towel. And every now and then I use Sheila Shine on it. Just a little goes a lonnnng way. I am sure the can I have will be the only can I ever buy. I wipe everything down with it: the fridge the hood, the range, the dish drawers. (I've even done the inside of the ss sink when I'm on a real roll).

Here is a link that might be useful: Sheila Shine (bought mine through Amazon)

Hi arkansas...

I have had the same ss fridge for 3 years. Here's a pic in my before kitchen and in my after kitchen, just so you know I'm being honest.

An important point I want to make REGARDING MICRO FIBER TOWELS IS THAT IT STATES ON THE PACKAGE THAT YOU ARE NOT TO USE FABRIC SOFTENER OR DRYER SHEETS ON THEM. THEY NEED TO AIR DRY. (okay, I'll quit shouting...just wanted to make sure you saw that;)

As others have stated, they can be purchased at the 99 cent store (I found a 2 pack for that price). I use a little water on it to rub out any smudges on my fridge or other ss appliance, then use a dry one to wipe down again.
It works great! I also use Weimann's SS cleaner when I'm doing an extra special cleaning.

I had a white textured fridge before, and it never looked clean. The dirt got into the texture and I couldn't get it out for the life of me.

Fridge is 2 years old in this picture.

KA:)

I'd never get SS again. We have Kenmore, Amana, and Whirlpool appliances. Between those and my dark granite I'm wiping stuff down with stone cleaner and SS cleaner several times a day. I haven't tried a microfiber cloth with warm water though; will try that next.

White is definitely the easy upkeep. Keeping the frig ok is pretty easy - no kids - but the dishwasher is another matter. I can't up dripping on it (usually from handle to front) and the drips go down the front.

I've had my brand name rainbow of kitchen appliances in my current home for almost 6 years now. GE range, LG fridge and Fridgidaire dishwasher all SS. At first my son was 6 yrs old and we had an English bulldog (RIP my little slobber bug!) I don't think I was finding myself fanatically cleaning my appliances anymore than my previous rental appartment with white appliances. If I use a wet cloth I dry/buff it right after also a SS cleaner treatment usually monthly.

The SS looks great even today- except for when my son tried to juggle soup cans and dented the poor fridge ;-( Also the microwave is just a messy area but now the kid is FINALLY trained to keep his grubby little fingers clean and to wipe it himself! ;-)

Go for the SS! It finishes the home off nicely and its way sexier than just Black or White. Life isn't just black or white is it?

I own Whirlpool Gold and I have absolutely no problems, I use Stainless steel wipes and Bang Pow its clean as a whistle!! I only have to do that maybe once a week, And i am fussy about smudges!
I would never have anything but Stainless, honest to goodness

I have Kenmore stainless range and fridge and Siemens stainless dishwasher. I am not finicky about how the appliances look and only really polish them up every month or so. We have no children, but my partner pays no attention to where he grabs the fridge and often leaves smudges all over the door. Our fridge also has a very frequently used ice and water dispenser of which I am the only one that wipes up drips. Most days you can see some smudges and drips down the stainless. However, it simply does not bother me. If I have company coming or desire my appliances to look super clean, I use some stainless steel cleaner (from Sears - came with the fridge and range). However, the smudges and drips definitely show up more than they did on my hideous old almond colored appliances. Though in general, the almond appliances always looked a little dirty. We also have a spare white fridge in the garage and in general it looks fairly clean despite its location. My main annoyance with the stainless is that it does dent. I accidentally bumped the door with a glass jar and left a tiny ding. If I had rambunctious children, I might rethink the fridge or at least place it away from their standard paths of destruction/play. However, I really do love the stainless despite its drips and smudges and in general the stainless appliances look fantastic even when a little dirty.

Stainless is a breeze to keep clean looking compared to black appliances. THere is no such thing as "no maintainence" appliances, but if you use the right products, stainless is boatloads easier than either white or black. Fingerprints and smudges are oil based blemishes, and those who use an oil based stainless "cleaner" will have a lot more of them and they will be harder to clean because the oil reinforces the oil. If you use a wax or silicone based cleaner (after fully cleaning off the shipping oils with soap and water) then that places a barrier between the oil of your fingerprints and the metal. My favorite cleaner is plain old Pledge in the brown can. I maintain a whole showroom of appliances with it and some microfiber cloths. Easy peasy. After a visit from a family with "touchy feely" shopping techniques, all it takes is a simple swipe with the microfiber cloth and everything looks like new. It's also all I use at home, and the line of kitty noseprints at ankle height just disappears after a single swipe. Once a week, I'll respray the Pledge and do a good wipedown, but during the week, all it takes is a single swipe for the targeted area.

White appliances were much grosser in my home, especially the handle. The black appliances in the showroom are a royal PIA, because you have to dust them 3-4x daily if you want them "showroom ready". I'll never have anything but stainless appliances. They look great, and are easy to maintain.

cat_mom - what does the lavender oil do?

Not to be grumpy (well, just a little), but one truly cannot make the global claim that stainless is easy to maintain when there are types of stainless finishes that very obviously aren't.

Looking around the internet, there are actually a number of damning consumer reviews on the extreme difficulty of maintaining a Liebherr stainless finish (one guy says don't bother unless you have an electric buffer). Whew! Otherwise I might have assumed I'm slowly going mad in the face of all the other positive reviews. In fact, someone on this very forum recently mentioned that they're buying a new Liebherr and it advertises an improved stainless finish.

KA: thanks for the good microfiber information, even in ALL CAPS. ;-)
Actually, my partner is a total Eco-Howard-Hughes type who is extremely paranoid of any cleanser with additives, and is convinced that Pledge causes cancer. As a result, we use very few commercial cleaning products and stick with vinegar, baking soda and the like. We've never used laundry softener or softener sheets, and we air-dry our microfiber cloths (they can pick up lint otherwise, even if you air fluff only microfiber items in the load). So alas, it really is the stainless itself and nothing in the towels. It simply smears and streaks in reaction to even pure water.

Caveat: in sheer desperation I have, of course, smuggled into my house the following: Pledge in the brown bottle, Method stainless cleaner, Ecover stainless cleaner, Orange-Glo, Stainless Magic, Perfect Stainless. And the fridge came with a bottle of NeoBlank, a German stainless cleaner. All of these leave streaks or wind up smudging worse after cleaning than before. (Livewireoak, that's enlightening re. the oil- vs. wax-based cleaners.)

So there you have it, arkansaswifey. My advice is to test-drive the exact model of fridge, if at all possible, before purchasing. Bring 10 children after a trip to Dairy Queen on a hot day. Borrow Biochem's blind dog or other slobbery creatures. Bring a dripping chicken carcass that has to be balanced in one hand while opening.

If it was just me and my DH, then cleaning the s/s fridge wouldn't be bad at all. But kids come visit and we have two dogs. One likes to lick so the front of the stove and bottom freezer door is just a mess all the time. The dishwasher has never looked good between water marks, dog licks and nose prints.

My stove is gorgeous .... s/s front and black top but is a nightmare to keep clean. Even when I don't use it, it shows every dog hair and dust mote.

I used to have white appliances. The fridge had a textured handle and looked terrible until I discovered Mr. Clean erasers and I never had a problem with it after that.

I love the look of stainless but think I'll go back to white one day. Everything is only 2 or 3 years old so it'll be awhile.

OK, 4 words for you.

Miele Clean Touch Steel

I had stainless for the first time in our last house. We were there one year. I never had any issues with them. I would say I wiped them as often as I did the almond appliances I had for 23 years. We are building now and will be putting stainless in again. I also don`t have small children. Once a week I would get my bottle of stainless cleaner out and a soft cloth and wipe them. Probably took 10 minutes. I like the look more than any other choice, so that amount of time is worth it to me.

I'm still on the fence about stainless myself. I went to a big box store today to fondle the stainless and noticed something there - there is a greasy film on all the appliances that don't have finger prints. All the others had fingerprints. I assume they used something oil based to clean the appliances and didn't get it all off?

Also, on the LG refrigerators, they had removed stickers and where the sticker had been didn't have the same look as the rest of the fridge. Has anyone else had that & gotten rid of it?

As much as I would like stainless, I'm thinking of going back with white just because I know I can deal with it and stainless is an unknown.

My favorite is a smooth white finish. I want to know if it needs cleaning and when clean, no smudges.
I have no trouble with things looking bad when dirty, but it is annoying if things look bad when clean.
We are having a secondary wall oven in stainless for our new kitchen and a black dw. The rest will be white. I did not like the handles on the newer white wall ovens and the dw just looked better in black to us. I guess I'll have a very fair answer to this question in a few months.
As we have 2 young boys in the house, it will all be very road tested from day 1!
The people who are raving about keeping SS easily but mention not having kids make me chuckle....

I must have low standards, lol! I have a Whirlpool smooth top range with SS door, a GE Profile SS refrigerator, a SS Bosch DW. I find them easier to keep clean than the old almond appliances that they replaced. I use microfiber cloths and either plain water or Sprayway glass cleaner.

I have had stainless appliances for years and never knew what everyone was complaining about as far as maintenance goes. Until I got my PITA Kitchen Aid french door! I have other Kitchen Aid appliances that I just spray with Favor High Shine, it takes a sec to clean. However, like I said the frig is a PITA and I have tried the furniture wipes and every cleaner on earth. Not long ago I was reading this book about southern maids back in the day called "The Help" and they used Crisco shortening for so many things, so I tried it and it works. But I have found something better, clean with windex or vinagar and then shine up with a little liquid vegetable oil on a paper towel. The vegetable oil shines it up like a babies butt and takes no time and very little oil...even works on my cheap quality stainless that's on my expensive frig.

What a timely question this is for me. I'm about to replace all of our main appliances, starting with the fridge. I have all white appliances now and honestly, mine never look dirty. I am not anal by any means nor am I the best housekeeper, but even with four kids ages 5 to 11, my white appliances do not look dirty. They are all Kenmore appliances. They are 14 y/o and have all served their purpose very well. However, my cooktop is cracked, we've outgrown our fridge and our DW isn't doing a good job cleaning any longer so time to upgrade.

I was planning to do all white again b/c I think they are timeless and easy to keep clean, but dh prefers SS. I'm on the fence b/c I'm worried about scratches and fingerprints - with four young kids, I'm only being realistic!

I agree that a stainless finish can vary greatly so one manufacturer's appliance might be very easy to keep clean compared to another manufacturer's finish. I would love to get the finish that does not show fingerprints, however, I narrowed down our selection of fridges to two and neither come in that fingerprint-less finish unfortunately.

Wish I had some advice to offer but thank you for introducing this thread b/c it has been very informative in my own decision-making process!

I would always get stainless, unless I could get cabinetry panelled instead.

No problem with our microwave, our oven, or our dishwasher, all of which are three years old and came with the house. They're all GE. Those appliances in our last house were Jennair, Kitchenaid, and GE and no problem. We did have a problem with a cleaning girl rubbing too hard with a scrubby sponge on our SS stovetop, but those scratches seem to have faded away with further cleanings.

We brought our GE Monogram fridge with us (it's now about 6 years old). We rarely had a problem keeping it clean UNTIL the move. Our movers on this end were particularly inept... and it didn't help that it was a hot Dallas day when everything was delivered. Five sweaty guys were manhandling it and this translated into white stuff all over it when it was all over. I assume it was dried perspiration. It was murder to get it off. In fact I never could get it off until I got the greatest cleaning woman, and she did something to get it off. So now I'm back to normal with no problems at all keeping it clean. I think she used Bruce hardwood floor cleaner (comes in a green bottle at Lowes, is a blue colored liquid which smells a lot like rubbing alcohol and I suspect it's water, alcohol, blue coloring).

The one time at our last house that something happened to it (can't remember what it was) I got it off with a paste of Barkeeper's friend and water, and very gently massaging it up and down in the direction of the "grain" of the SS, then rinsing it oh so gently. I was on the edge of my seat though, fearing the BKF would forever damage it. Not sure I'd have the courage to try that again.

Now I just keep it clean with a natural window spray similar to Caldrea. Spray it on, wipe it off with a soft cotton towel. I hate microfibre cloths, they feel like nails on a chalkboard to me for some odd reason.

I have almost all Kitchenaid stainless appliances(french door fridge, dishwasher and winefridge) and a DCS range. I have no issues with keeping them looking great. I really think kitchenaid has an easy finish. Although reading jterrilyn's post has me wondering why she is having trouble.

I just wipe with a wet microfiber cloth(from automotive department in target, they come in a pack of grey and white ones). Then I follow with a dry one, takes 2 minutes and everything looks great all day long. I use the grey ones for wet and the white ones for dry.

I use to use pledge and other ss cleaners and got many ugly streaks. Once I got that stuff off, all was good.

Have to say I am loving the stainless and how it looks.

I would buy kitchenaid again, just for the fact that I know I can keep them looking clean and streak proof.

The easiest-to-clean appliances I ever had were a textured white Kenmore fridge with black handles, and range with white top and black oven door. A dated look now, to be sure, but they never looked dirty.

Some ss surfaces have a rougher texture that really shows everything. My step mom, who cleans houses for a living, hates her ss fridge but likes mine a lot. I can do the microfiber then Pledge route and it looks beautiful, hers always looks streaky. My Bosch dishwasher is smooth as glass and easy to clean, my VAH is rougher (but fortunately no kid/dog fingerprints at that height.)

I was that woman at the appliance store making work for the employees, rubbing my hands all over the appliances I was considering. :)

As for having clean hands when making food; probably should, but we don't always have freshly washed hands when grabbing a snack from the fridge, especially when we are a 16 year old boy, his friends, and his rambunctious dog. Or a less-than-professional cook who remembers an ingredient halfway through a messy recipe.

Hi, yes it is weird about the stainless on my KA french door because it's not like my other kitchen aid stainless appliances. I guess I just got a bad load of the cheap batched in stainless from china or where ever. It seems to me that the closer to commercial grade stainless cleans easier...like the top on my nook table which is commercial grade. Anyway I'm glad to find a little vegetable oil gets rid of the streaks because that drove me nuts.

I would agree w/the above about different quality/materials in stainless finish appliances which would effect the ease (or lack thereof) cleaning.

I have JA CD fridge x 5 yrs - easy, peasy - kiddos & all once in awhile I deep clean/wax w/SS Magic - then it just warm microfiber quick wipe. Miele DW same - Range is Viking color finish but the ss is same as the rest of the appliances

I have had various brand and makes of SS. One of the worst for me was a Bosch integrated SS DW. I now have paneled DW and frig. I much prefer that to SS.

I have to wash my white appliances occasionally, but then, I have to wash everything in the kitchen occasionally. No particular trouble with the appliances. Oh, except the area under the electric range chrome rings at the calrod units--this finish is generally scratched and it's never going to clean up shiny any more, but then, the range is at least 25 years old and it's seen a lot of action.

I think that a special finish that needs to be babied is preposterous in a kitchen. As noted, there are people in the appliance stores whose JOB it is to keep the finishes looking good. We don't have hired help like this at my house and there's surely no way I would polish my clean appliances. The only dusting I would consider doing for a large appliance is on the upper part of the range hood and the top of the refrigerator. If your range is dusty, there's a different problem.

fourkids4us, I'm finding that there is a problem with white finish appliances, but it's not fingerprints, it's the assumption that this is the low-end finish in the status pecking order. I have just looked at a vendor website where it baldly says that stainless steel for the same white product is an "upgrade." Well shoot.

If you're looking for advanced design, larger size or larger capacity, or more features, you might need to let the white go. That's the sorry truth. Or you can mix and match finishes, which according to compulsives is also a low-end thing to do.

I will say also that rumors hit the GW last month that Martha Stewart's new Home Depot alliance includes white apppliances in her affordable kitchen product promos.
Will the appliance companies give this any credence? Crossing my fingers.--F.

As "empty nesters" (operative words) I LOVE our LG stainless fridge...

BUT...

if kids were normally in the house I'd think twice maybe as fingerprints show up easily. When our grandkids are over it's a given I'll have to wipe the SS fridge after they leave!

With just the two of us though I keep ours clean and wipe regularly with: ZEP Commercial Stainless Steel Cleaner and chammie style cloth. Doesn't take much and works great! I reuse the same cloth as spraying with more ZEP isn't always necessary as the cloth is still dampish. Keep it all under the kitchen sink.

Used to have a 1980's bisque color fridge and never washed it, but, probably SHOULD HAVE. The good thing about SS is that one DOES wipe regularly and probably is a lot more sanitary this way!

Think I bought ZEP at Home Depot

Here is a link that might be useful: ZEP Stainless Steel Cleaner

I have 4 stainless steel appliance by 4 different manufacturers and three are pretty finishes and require regular upkeep, and the 4th never needs anything but is an ugly, blackish tinted stainless finish -- I prefer the lusterous ones that require upkeep. When I've polished them they GLEAM, I love it. Between polishings they might need a swipe of the dishrag followed by the dishcloth to remove the fingerprints (usually all in one place -- around the handles). I've had my stainless fridge the longest and I can say that finding the right product to clean it with has made it much easier to keep up. I've used wipes and several polishes -- hated the wipes -- expensive and pretty much useless. Then I found Stainless Steel Magic in the trigger bottle -- better than the wipes, but took a while to cover fridge and get it all worked in and had to leave it for a minute before returning with a dry rag to polish (akin to polishing a car). Now I use Stainless Steel Magic in the Aerosol can and LUUUUUV it. Easy schmeezy. The aerosol covers the whole area quickly, and wipes smoothly and easily, the dry rag can go right after it and doesn't require the multiple passes to make it shine (just a quick once over). According to a reviewer on Amazon this stuff used to be made by Homax, and was popular but discontinued, but then bought by Stainless Steel Magic. So I guess that's why there's such a difference in performance between two products by the same company.

So all of this is to say go for the stainless (and I'd add go for the gleaming real-deal stuff, not the "easy care" alternatives). You can make it a cinch to care for it and I think you'll fall in love with the finish, which has become a classic.