There are two main types of kitchen mixers available on the market today - made from brass/zinc or stainless steel.
While stainless steel is the more expensive option of the two, it is considered the superior choice for a number of reasons.
In this blog post, we take a look at the benefits of stainless steel as well as features found in high quality mixers.
The most hygienic metal available
Commercial kitchens and hospitals only use stainless steel throughout for good reason. Stainless steel simply has the strongest hygienic properties of any type of metal.
The surface of stainless steel is not porous, making it incredibly hard for bacteria and germs to grow and live on it.
Hard as rock
You won’t find a more durable and strong tapware metal than stainless steel. It has an impressive strength-to-weight ratio compared with other materials.
Stainless steel mixers have the ability to resist chemical damage, corrosion and even heat damage. For the life of the mixer, you won’t have to worry about it bending or denting due to normal everyday use.
It’s called ‘stainless’ for a reason!
As we mentioned above, stainless steel has a nice, smooth, non-porous surface. This makes it a breeze to keep clean. All that’s required is a wipe with warm water to make your mixer shine. Fingerprints, water spots and other stains are just wiped away.
If you’re shopping around for a stainless steel mixer, you’ll notice that you’ve got two choices of finish - brushed or polished. If you want the easiest-to-keep-clean option, go with brushed. Mixers which have a brushed finish have a more matte appearance as opposed to the shiny and reflective look of a polished finish. While both types of finish are easy to keep clean, fingerprints and water spots tend to be more noticeable on polished mixers.
Kind to the environment
You’ve probably not given much thought as to the ecological footprint of your kitchen tapware, but with a stainless steel mixer, it’s not something you need to worry about.
Stainless steel is environmentally friendly as it does not contain lead and does not leak nickel. As it is resistant to corrosion, mixers made from stainless steel don’t require any additional protective coatings, such as chrome-plating, which are heavy pollutants.
What to look for in a high quality stainless steel kitchen mixer:
- Not all stainless steel is created equal. There are different levels of quality available which are rated by different grade numbers. For example, 316 grade stainless steel is extremely strong and durable, therefore suitable for marine use. 304 grade is also of high quality and is widely used in commercial kitchens, so look out for this number if you’re shopping for a mixer. Some mixers are made with 204 grade stainless steel which is considered to be of a lesser quality, try to avoid this where possible.
- The best stainless steel kitchen mixers are designed in such a way that the inside of the mixer is as smooth as the outside surface. This all round smoothness helps to prevent the build up of grime on the inside components of the mixer. In lesser quality models, the outside of the mixer may be stainless steel, however the inside is made from other materials such as cooper or brass/zinc resulting in a rougher surface than stainless steel. Look for mixers that are made from 100% stainless steel both inside and outside, such as Villeroy & Boch.
Interested in stainless steel kitchen mixers? Talk to the team at Argent.
Whether you’re renovating or building from scratch, Argent is here to help. Our kitchen experts have all the right know-how to recommend the perfect products for your needs so that you can make that final decision with confidence.
Click here to get in touch with us today. We have Resource Centres in Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne and Perth. Or give our Customer Support team a call on 1300 364 748.
