The ABC's of Stainless Steel Cabinets

[Faheemkhatri4]

Today's latest trend in kitchens is using the strength and beauty of stainless steel throughout. All the upscale commercial appliance manufacturers - Viking, Hobart, Garland, etc. - have for many years used it as the main component in their products. The advantages of this material are numerous. It isn't porous like most materials and therefore, has fewer tendencies to stain. The ability of stainless steel to inhibit bacteria growth, unlike regular porcelain, wood, or tile makes it the healthiest material. Furthermore, the durability of the material is unsurpassed as far as kitchen use goes.

Aesthetically, when you match your cabinets to the appliances, the uniform quality of the kitchen theme remains intact. They never have to be painted, and general maintenance is the fastest Tủ giày inox and simplest of all the materials used. Finally, the "green" factor - in 20 or 30 years when anyone wants to change the kitchen the cabinets are 100% recyclable, so there is no damage to the environment.

Because of the recent popularity of full stainless steel kitchens many manufacturers - both in the United States and abroad - have entered the market. Therefore, you need to be vigilant as to the quality of the base material - that is the steel. Stainless Steel by definition contains minimum 10% chromium. This is the lowest grade available and the least expensive to manufacture. Many overseas suppliers of cabinets will use this grade to keep their costs down. A quality cabinet maker will use Type 304 steel - that is steel where the iron is mixed with at least 18% chromium, and 8% nickel. This gives the metal a higher corrosive resistance and strength. Be sure any cabinet you buy has at least this quality of stainless steel.

Another aspect of using stainless steel cabinets is how the cabinet itself is constructed. Quality manufacturers will only weld the "box", that is, the basic construction of the cabinet. If the cabinet you are considering is "bolted" together it is really not a high quality cabinet. A high-end cabinet maker will also use only laser welding, besides using a laser to cut the steel to form the cabinet pattern. The precision, aesthetics, and strength of laser welding/cutting are unsurpassed. A cabinet door that is cut, and welded using precision lasers will last a hundred years or more. Remember when building a steel kitchen you cannot just trim the cabinet to correct mis-assembly similar to a commodity wood cabinet. The steel cabinet must be precise in its dimension to insure correct fix and finish.

When shopping for stainless steel cabinets be sure to open and close the doors several times. The hinges should be of the best quality and made of the same material as the box. The door should close evenly and without any hollow sound. Furthermore, no sharp edges should be evident anywhere on the cabinet. If you buy pre-made cabinets be sure to measure precisely - both the cabinet and where it will be mounted.