Paneled 42” SZ, and paneled Bosch DW here. The only major stainless in our kitchen is the Vent A Hood. All other stainless is what little frames the double ovens, microwave, and the front side of the rangetop, where the knobs are.

Much prefer the virtually seamless look of the panels, and not having to deal with fingerprints on SS.

I prefer custom panels, but I don't feel too strongly about stainless steel. If sometime in the future one of our appliances dies and has to be replaced with a stainless model, I am sure we'll adjust. But for the time being, I am very happy with panels.

On the other hand, I don't really like the fully integrated look that has become so popular in recent years. I would never have a giant 36" storage cabinet in my kitchen, so I felt the integrated SZ would look overwhelming and out of place when trying to masquerade as a cabinet.

We ended up buying the built-in version, recessing it into extra deep cabinets, and installing the door flush with the cabinet fronts.

The upshot is that we gain a little bit more fridge capacity. But more importantly, the fridge now looks just a little bit different from all the other cabinets. I love the look. It's subtle, but it makes just the difference I was looking for. But this is obviously a very subjective choice.

Is your kitchen open to anything else? My husband and I had this debate with our new kitchen but decided paneled everything would make it look like a wall of cabinets as we have a LOT of cabinets and to the ceiling in our new build. We thought it would be too much so decided the SS would break up the kitchen and give it a lighter look. I do like the idea of paneled appliances for function and cleaning though. However my kids are now adults and don’t do the ‘touch everything with their dirty fingers’ anymore, so the cleaning issue isn’t as big of a deal for me.

@juneknow why?

I think matching the appliances to the cabinets is a much more upscale, aspirational look. I have SS, and it's ok, but it's an upgrade, imho, to go to panel ready. You're already getting a SZ, why stop there?

SS hits a note for her, probably because photos of nice kitchens show it often. It's a neutral-ish choice, and has the benefit of having similar appearance to other SS brands and choices. But it seems like an upgrade to me to have the panel-ready.

A similar debate could be resolved by saying, ok honey, SS it is, but I get to choose the backsplash.

@JuneKnow, the workflow might not be 100% ideal. And I am sure the "kitchen" forum could help come up with an improved configuration. But honestly, this is a very small kitchen. It'll probably only have a single person working in it most of the time. In that case, it doesn't matter all that much if everything is perfect. In the end, you can't really walk more than three big steps in any direction :-)

Having said that, I would try to move fridge to a spot where it can be reached without having to enter the kitchen. That will help when others want to grab a quick snack, while the chef doesn't want to be bothered. It's not a deal breaker, but it certainly could be improved.

The first time you see an eye-level dent in a stainless refrigerator door from the adjacent microwave door, you'll wish you went with panels. Some dents are the designer's fault.