Steel and Stone
If your home's kitchen does not have stainless steel appliances and granite countertops then I pity you. You are poor, you haven't amounted to anything in life. Yeah, kidding.
Around the 90s America had a mini revolution. HGTV became popular, as did any show that displayed home renovations or realestate. A common trope was along the lines of "this kitchen doesn't have granite or stainless steel, total remodel".
If you sincerely like this combo, good on you mate. Let us ponder for a minute though. Why is this combo popular, why is this even a combo?
Are these natural or "green"? Are they modern? What are their benefits? Do they go together?
First we will take a quick peak at each element on its own.
Granite, aka Stone
Granite is a stone that is mined. Most granite mines are in Brazil, India, Italy and China.
- Powerful machinery and explosives are used to mine granite out of the earth
- After quarrying, the blocks of granite are transported
- Blocks are cut into slabs using diamond blades
- Slabs are polished on one side
- Slabs are then shipped out to distributors
- Slabs get seleected by customers and are cut to fit
- About 20 to 30 percent of a slab is discarded as waste
- Edges are routed and formed
- Edges get polishedCountertops are shipped
- Countertops installed
- Seams are "phantomed" together to make them less noticable
- Countertops are sealed to protect them
Is granite natural? Sure, the same way oil is natural; its origins are earth. Granite does not regrow like wood.
Granite has been pushed as a "natural" material.
Stainless Steel
The history of Stainless Steel is a bit stained, apolgies for the pun.
The corrosion resistance of iron-chromium alloys may have been first recognized in 1821 by Pierre Berthier, who noted their resistance against attack by some acids and suggested their use in cutlery.
Until the 90s stainless steel was only seen in commercial kitchens, labs, and urinals. Stainless steel is a modern technolgy.
A Shotgun Wedding
How did the combo of "natural" and "rustic" stone get paired with a commercial grade sanitary metal?
Do these to elements share a common trait? Do they have some magical synergistic properties? Alchemy?! Follow the money.
Stainless steel appliances are more expensive than their white/black counterparts. Granite is more expensive than laminite, concrete, or wood. All the home improvement shows are sponsored by companies selling products. They want you to buy the most expensive options. So home reno shows say granite and stainless are the best.
Do they offer something extraordinary? No. Stainless steel is not natural. It is designed for indusrtrial applications. If you take granite in its natural forrm, it is terrible for a kitchen. If you pay a premium to gut the earth of granite, and spend godly amounts of money to ship it, then turn it into a usable material, sure it is up to par with synthetics. It is not pretty in its natural form.
The two materials do not belong together. Granite is not a "green" material.
Please, don't be a sheep. Choose what you truly like and what works best for you.