Commercial kitchens look nothing like their home equivalents. While the kitchen in your house is likely warm, cosy and features lots of wood, commercial kitchens are bland and packed to the rafters with stainless steel. But why?
Part of it has to do with the law. If you want to set up a kitchen for a business, you have to bend the knee and accept government regulations to use certain types of material. But part of it also has to do with the properties of stainless steel itself.
Clearly, you don’t want to use stainless steel in the same way as regular commercial kitchens. You’d wind up hating the space and derive no benefit. But you can still use it in critical areas and get all the benefits.
What Is Stainless Steel?
Stainless steel is actually an alloy of steel and chromium. The chromium element prevents the steel from tarnishing, even when exposed to water and salt – a highly corrosive combination. The material, therefore, is virtually rust-free, even if you spill liquid on it and don’t clean it up for days.
Stainless steel is also notoriously anti-pathogenic. In other words, dangerous microorganisms find it challenging to survive on the surface for any longer than a few days. Unlike wood, they can’t penetrate the surface and take up residence in the interior. They either have to tough it out on the surface or die.
How To Use Stainless Steel In Your Kitchen
So how should you use stainless steel in your kitchen? Take a look at these ideas.
- Choose kitchen handles made of stainless steel. While you can get wood and brass handles for all the cupboards in your kitchen, it’s a good idea to go with stainless steel for the reasons that we mentioned above. Note that we’re not saying that you have to replace the entire kitchen cupboard unit – that would be unnecessary. Just the bit that comes into contact with your hands and suffers the most wear and tear.
- Stainless steel range. Your oven has to take a lot of abuse throughout its lifetime. Spills are common. And because of the high temperatures around the hob, rust is a constant threat. Commercial kitchens, however, have been using ranges made entirely of stainless steel for decades. And now they’re making their way into the home. If you’re not used to the sight of them, they can stick out a little bit in the average kitchen. But now several companies are making more subtle and elegant products that fit in with the rest of your interiors.
- Choose a steel countertop section. By all means, have a regular chipboard or granite worktop. But don’t forget that you can augment it with steel. Having a stainless steel area where you do your chopping and mincing can help protect the rest of your kitchen.
Stainless steel is a superior material for practically every application in the kitchen. It doesn’t chip or bend, like iron, and it will not leach into your food. Try it and experience the difference.