Black or stainless steel dishwasher?

[MercyA]

Okay! We are trying to decide between two in-stock dishwashers at two different businesses. Stock on all dishwashers is very low right now and we need it replaced pronto, so our options are limited. 

Our kitchen has cherry cabinets and a wood floor with a rug (orange/yellow/red striped).

Right now, on one side of the room, there is a stainless refrigerator, a stainless microwave, and a stainless stove with a black top. The microwave has been acting up and one of the two ovens isn't working. So, there is a possibility that we might need to replace those at some point. Probably we can have the oven fixed.

On the opposite side of the room is a black sink and a stainless dishwasher.

I have never loved stainless. It's hard to get it to not look water-stained / smudgy, although frankly I do not care enough to try very hard. I keep things clean but don't spend a lot of time trying to get a mirror-finish, IYKWIM. If I was picking out appliances for the whole kitchen, new, I think I'd just get black.

That said, I've never had black appliances. Maybe they show water spots, etc. and I don't know about it. Also, a stainless would match what we have now--although I don't think black would be at all unsightly. 

Complicating things: we have a slight preference for the store selling the black one. They are a local business, they service the appliances they sell, and we've been happy with them in the past. The business selling the stainless one is Lowe's. 

Right now the cost is about the same with installation and removal. However, we likely can get the small business to come down some on the black dishwasher, maybe $100. 

Which should I get? 

 

[Katy]

I put stainless because it’s been classic for 40 years, newer ones are easier to clean, and they match. But my real answer is go with black if that’s what you want. Just avoid black granite recomposed sinks. Utter disaster that needs oiling after being cleaned 5 ways. 

[blue plaid]

I voted stainless before I read your post. Sounds like you want black so I would go with that then 🙂

[gardenmom5]

2 hours ago, Katy said:

I put stainless because it’s been classic for 40 years, newer ones are easier to clean, and they match. But my real answer is go with black if that’s what you want. Just avoid black granite recomposed sinks. Utter disaster that needs oiling after being cleaned 5 ways. 

Doesn't have to be black . . . I had a white one and basically had to soak it in bleach to keep it clean.  Then it cracked from draining pasta.

[J-rap]

I was going to say silver because I think that more easily allows for changes, but then I realized that the upper half of my present dishwasher is black and the lower half is silver, and the black part blends in better with the overall look.  So I say, just choose what you really want and don't worry about the long-term!  Dishwashers don't last forever anyway.

[Resilient]

Black looks like a hole in the cabinetry.  Stainless sort of just is there.  But me, I choose based on price to a large degree.  I just got white washer dryer set to save $80.  And I know I will be sad when all the different white plastic parts age at different rates...they just do.  But it's a laundry room, for Pete's sake, and so I saved the $80.  In the kitchen, though, I will never get a white appliance because the different rates of yellowing really annoy me.  

[Carol in Cal.]

I’m gradually switching to white across the board.  I hate the way stainless always looks dirty no matter what I do, and so black is my second choice, at least for the dishwasher and microwave, but the last time I got a dishwasher I asked whether they had it available in white even though there were no white one on the floor, and they did.  I think it took about a week to get it in, which was OK with me or I would have gone back to black.  But never ever stainless, especially for a dishwasher that gets handled so much.

[easypeasy]

We have stainless appliances that resist smudges. Before this, we had glossy black. The stainless looks waaaaay better with a lot less effort than our black appliances ever did. So, that gets my vote. 🙂

[Corraleno]

Seconding what Easypeasy said — my current house came with a black refrigerator and dishwasher and they are worse for showing smudges than my previous stainless ones were. The new stainless finishes hide fingerprints pretty well, plus they reflect a light instead of sucking it up like a black hole. I also dislike mismatched appliances, and since all your other appliances are stainless I would stick with that.

[Elizabeth86]

10 hours ago, Carol in Cal. said:

I’m gradually switching to white across the board.  I hate the way stainless always looks dirty no matter what I do, and so black is my second choice, at least for the dishwasher and microwave, but the last time I got a dishwasher I asked whether they had it available in white even though there were no white one on the floor, and they did.  I think it took about a week to get it in, which was OK with me or I would have gone back to black.  But never ever stainless, especially for a dishwasher that gets handled so much.

Same here. I only like white appliances. Idk care stainless is trendy, I don’t like it.

[73349]

I think black can look dated.

I don't have trouble keeping my stainless appliances (fridge and dishwasher) looking clean.

[SanDiegoMom]

Black looks worn pretty quickly, and dated.  Stainless steel looks better.  Smudgeless stainless is best, if they have it!  

[Resilient]

I had all white appliances at one house we had for 15 years.  By year 8, they weren't all white anymore.  The paint on the fridge was white, but the plastic handles were yellow.  The same thing on the oven: the control dials were yellow, and the plastic on the handles was different on the sides vs the front, so there were two MORE colors of yellow. Same on the dishwasher.  They all worked great, but looked old and made the kitchen look run down.  THAT is why I won't get white again, although I like it when it is new.

[KungFuPanda]

I just panicked and ordered one today. I wanted white, but the stainless was in stock and I’m sick of hand washing dishes so I pulled the trigger. This thing better be awesome. I paid twice as much as I did ten years ago. 
 

ETA, I haven’t had any white appliances turn yellow and I’ve had mostly white for 30 years. Usually, though, the handles are black. 

Edited January 11, 2023 by KungFuPanda

[easypeasy]

9 hours ago, Resilient said:

I had all white appliances at one house we had for 15 years.  By year 8, they weren't all white anymore.  The paint on the fridge was white, but the plastic handles were yellow.  The same thing on the oven: the control dials were yellow, and the plastic on the handles was different on the sides vs the front, so there were two MORE colors of yellow. Same on the dishwasher.  They all worked great, but looked old and made the kitchen look run down.  THAT is why I won't get white again, although I like it when it is new.

Hey! The good news is that nowadays, your white appliances probably won't work long enough to age to yellow! 😅

When we moved here, we had the appliances that the previous owners had installed fairly recently. They lasted for a solid decade. We eventually moved the (working) fridge to the garage for a second fridge after the dishwasher died (it was white and the handles were ghastly by that point).

Since then, it's just a revolving door for appliances. Any brand, any price category.... they last a few years and then-kaput. (well, fridge, dishwasher, washer/dryer.... the stovetops and ovens seem to do okay, knock on wood....)

[TechWife]

Stainless. I think black is hard to keep clean because it shows up a lot of smudges & stains. I also think stainless appliances blend in with their surroundings better. We replaced the old, white appliances in our old house with stainless steel as we were getting ready to sell it & the difference in the overall appearance of the kitchen was really surprising. It looked much bigger and the appliances didn’t stand out at all. We had oak cabinets and oak floors, FWIW. 

[TechWife]

23 hours ago, easypeasy said:

We have stainless appliances that resist smudges. Before this, we had glossy black. The stainless looks waaaaay better with a lot less effort than our black appliances ever did. So, that gets my vote. 🙂

Ours resist smudges, too. I spray all purpose cleaner on a clean rag, wipe down the appliance and then wipe it down a second time with a clean, dry rag to dry it so it doesn’t streak. 

[BlsdMama]

I have black stainless and like it. It’s relatively new. It’s darker than stainless and more modern looking than black. 

[KungFuPanda]

Ummm, what's a "PrintShield Finish?"  My new stainless finish dishwasher will have this and I have no idea what it means?  Less susceptible to fingerprints?

[katilac]

On 1/10/2023 at 2:46 PM, Resilient said:

I had all white appliances at one house we had for 15 years.  By year 8, they weren't all white anymore.  The paint on the fridge was white, but the plastic handles were yellow.  The same thing on the oven: the control dials were yellow, and the plastic on the handles was different on the sides vs the front, so there were two MORE colors of yellow. Same on the dishwasher.   

That's never happened to my white appliances, but I was so curious I looked it up, and there are some things you can to remove the yellowing. It sounds like you don't have white anymore, but just in case someone does and has that problem, they can probably fix it. 

[Clarita]

I have 4 and 6 year old so I think my stainless steel appliances are all "smudge less"  but nevertheless everything has smudges on it. Although I don't think that would be any different with any other color. I will say if I want it to look good for guests I just wipe them down and they are shiny again. 

You should just get what you like. When you sell the house and the one you love isn't trendy then replace it with a cheap one in the "right" color.