Nine years ago, I scratched a row of brand-new refrigerators to sound the alarm on black stainless steel and why you shouldn't buy it.
Here we are, nine years later, and people are still buying it.
You probably like the look, and you may have heard it hides fingerprints. Both are true. The question is how the finish looks after five years of keys, rings, lunchboxes and cleaning sprays.
For a kitchen you plan to keep, we still say skip it. We sell, deliver, install and service appliances across Massachusetts, southern New Hampshire and Rhode Island, with more than 33,000 service calls a year.
Finish damage is cosmetic, so it never shows up in our service rates. What we have instead is a scratch test, a decade of watching this finish age, and one garage down South.
Here is what you will learn:
- Why black stainless is still on the market in 2026
- What black stainless actually is, and how Bosch makes it differently
- Whether it scratches, and whether those scratches can be repaired
- Which brands still make it and which have moved on
- What to buy instead, and the few cases where black stainless makes sense
- How to choose a finish, and the mistakes to avoid if you buy black stainless anyway
Why Are Black Stainless Steel Appliances Still Around in 2026?
Black stainless is harder to kill than Dracula. I first wrote about it in 2016, when it was the hot new finish. We have been warning people about it ever since.
A few years ago, I visited my parents after they retired down South. In their garage, I found a Samsung black stainless refrigerator. They had bought it at a price low enough to shock me.
They are clearly not avid readers of our blog. They also did not care about the finish, because the refrigerator lives in a garage. Nobody minds a scratched door on a garage refrigerator, and that is exactly where black stainless belongs.
We saw the same thing during the pandemic. People needed freezer space quickly, and we sold Samsung black stainless French door refrigerators for $799. Nobody buying one was worried about how it would look in ten years.
That is the real market for black stainless today: purchases where price matters more than looks. For the kitchen you see every day, the math is different.
What Is Black Stainless Steel?
A Coating, Not a Color
Underneath, black stainless is ordinary stainless steel, the same kind used on standard stainless models. The black is a tinted layer applied over it, and that layer is what you see and touch.
That coating is why black stainless hides fingerprints well. The same coating is why every deep scratch on black stainless exposes a bright silver line.
Each manufacturer uses its own coating and tint, so the shade differs from brand to brand. LG, for example, calls its version PrintProof Black Stainless Steel.
How Bosch Does It Differently
Bosch says its black stainless is baked directly onto the appliance rather than applied as a film. That makes it noticeably tougher than the coated versions.
Bosch does not claim it is scratch-proof, and neither do we. If you are set on black stainless, though, Bosch is the version to buy.
Bosch still offers it across dishwashers, refrigerators, wall ovens, cooktops, microwaves, ventilation and industrial-style ranges. You can build a whole matching kitchen from one brand.
Does Black Stainless Steel Scratch Easily?
A scratch on regular stainless is silver on silver, so it fades into the grain. A scratch on black stainless is silver on black, so it jumps out from across the room.
Nine years ago, I scratched black stainless French door refrigerators from all the major brands. Yes, I depreciated $25,000 of refrigerators doing it. That was not my finest hour.
Every scratch left a bright line of steel. Over time, normal family life leaves the same constellation of marks on its own.
If you have young children, pets, or a kitchen that works hard every day, expect those marks to add up quickly.
Can Black Stainless Scratches Be Repaired?
Touch-Up Kits
Some manufacturers and parts suppliers sell touch-up kits and paint for black stainless. They can make a scratch less obvious from a distance.
Up close, the repair usually looks like a repair. The color and sheen rarely match the factory finish, and touch-up paint does nothing for peeling.
Replacement Panels and Doors
The only full fix is replacing the damaged door or panel. That can be expensive, and parts in an aging finish may get harder to find.
What Your Warranty Covers
Manufacturer warranties generally exclude cosmetic damage, and scratches or worn finishes fall into that category. Read the finish language in your warranty before you buy, not after the first scratch.
Peeling is a separate concern. Samsung has faced a proposed class action in federal court in Texas from buyers who say its black stainless coating peels and flakes. In 2024, a judge allowed most of those claims to move forward.
If you want to understand what extended coverage does and does not include, read our article on whether appliance extended warranties are worth it.
Read More: What Appliance Brands Have the Best Warranties?
Is Black Stainless Steel Being Discontinued?
Who Still Makes It
Bosch still sells black stainless across most of its kitchen categories. LG still sells PrintProof Black Stainless Steel on several of its refrigerators.
Who Moved On
Samsung, long a trendsetter in appliance finishes, now sells its dark finish as Fingerprint Resistant Matte Black Steel. That is a different look from black stainless, and the two do not match.
Sub-Zero and Wolf went the other way years ago. Their earlier dark finish, carbon stainless, was discontinued in 2010.
Why That Matters for Your Kitchen
A kitchen is rarely replaced all at once. If your dishwasher fails in year eight, you need a black stainless replacement in the same tint.
Because each brand's black stainless is a different shade, you may only find a match from the brand you started with. If that brand drops the finish, you end up with a mismatched kitchen.
Add a Sub-Zero refrigerator later, and it will never match the rest of a black stainless kitchen.
What Should You Buy Instead of Black Stainless Steel?
The main options compare like this:
Fingerprint-Resistant Stainless Steel
Stainless steel is still the default for good reason. It matches across brands, it is easy to replace one piece at a time, and it hides small scratches in its grain.
If fingerprints are why you looked at black stainless, look at a fingerprint-resistant stainless instead. LG PrintProof Stainless Steel (the silver version) and KitchenAid PrintShield are two examples.
For full kitchen ideas, see our list of the best stainless steel kitchen appliance packages.
Read More: Which Stainless Steel Appliances Hide Fingerprints Better?
Matte Black and Black Glass
Matte black is a finish over metal too, so it can scratch. Brands are still developing true black finishes, so a matching replacement should be easier to find years from now.
Café offers matte black with interchangeable handles and knobs in finishes such as brushed brass, brushed copper and flat black. Fisher & Paykel uses black glass on its contemporary designs, such as its induction cooktops.
White Appliances
White was the high-end finish before stainless took over, and it is back in design-forward kitchens. Café's matte white, paired with brushed brass or copper hardware, is one way to get that look.
Custom Colors
At the high end, custom color is no longer a niche upgrade. About 75% of the BlueStar ranges we sell are ordered in a custom color.
BlueStar offers more than 1,000 colors, plus seven metal trims on its gas Platinum ranges. True offers 16 finishes and six hardware options on its refrigerators. La Cornue offers more than 50 colors.
Wolf, which held to stainless for decades, now offers three colors and five knob finishes on its ranges. For a wider look at the options, read our article on stainless steel alternatives.
Panel-Ready Appliances
Panel-ready appliances take a panel that matches your cabinets, so the finish question disappears. Sub-Zero, Miele, Bosch and Thermador all offer panel-ready models.
Expect higher costs for the panels and installation. In return, you get a refrigerator and dishwasher that never need a matching finish again.
Read More: The Best Panel-Ready Dishwashers for 2026
When Does Black Stainless Steel Make Sense?
Black stainless is a finish problem, not an appliance problem. The appliance inside works the same as its stainless version.
It can be a reasonable buy in these cases:
- A garage or basement refrigerator. Like my parents, you will not care about a few scratches.
- A rental unit. A deep discount may outweigh a finish tenants will scratch anyway.
- A house you plan to sell soon. It looks new on day one, as long as the discount is real.
- You already have a black stainless kitchen. If one piece fails, replacing it with the same brand and finish keeps the kitchen matched.
Buying for a kitchen you will keep for ten years or more? Choose a finish you will still like after the first scratch.
How Do You Choose the Right Finish for Your Kitchen?
- Think about wear. Kids, pets and busy cooking favor stainless or panel-ready.
- Plan for replacement. Choose a finish you can still match when one appliance fails.
- Check every brand on your list. Make sure your refrigerator, range and dishwasher brands all offer the finish you want.
- See it in person. Finishes look different under kitchen lighting than in photos. Our showrooms have more than 60 working kitchen displays where you can compare them.
Read More: Timeless Kitchen Design: 6 Essential Tips to Make Your Space Stand Out
What Mistakes Should You Avoid With Black Stainless Steel?
- Mixing brands: Each brand's black stainless has its own tint. Two black stainless appliances from different brands side by side usually look mismatched.
- Buying one piece at a time: If you start a black stainless kitchen, buy the core appliances together. Waiting years for the next piece risks the finish being gone.
- Using abrasive cleaners: Scrubbing pads and harsh cleaners can damage the coating. Use a soft cloth and mild soap.
- Assuming the warranty covers it: Finish damage is usually cosmetic and excluded. Ask before you buy.
- Buying it only for fingerprints: Fingerprint-resistant stainless solves the same problem without the scratch risk.
What Should You Read Next About Appliance Finishes?
- Explore color: Our articles on custom color appliance finishes cover BlueStar, Café and other brands that offer color.
- Plan the whole kitchen: Our list of kitchen renovation mistakes to avoid covers the decisions that are hardest to undo.
Should You Buy Black Stainless Steel Appliances in 2026?
Black stainless trades a few years of looking new for years of scratches no repair hides well.
If you want a darker kitchen, matte black or black glass gets you there in a finish brands are still developing. If price is the whole point, black stainless is perfectly fine in a garage.
The finish is still with us, but every year there are better ways to get the same look.
Why Should You Trust Us?
It seems that every appliance review has nothing but glowing comments about almost every product, yet you read customer reviews and they are almost universally bad.
We are here to fill in the disconnect. We'll give you the best features, and the drawbacks as well, including reliability based on over 33,000 calls performed by our service team just last year. Our goal is to give you ALL the information so you know what's right for you.
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