In recent years, the large demand for kitchen islands and kitchen carts has prompted top manufacturers to offer numerous style options in their island and cart collections. Where once homeowners were greatly limited in terms of choice, there are now nearly a countless number of looks that can be selected to complement the decor of their kitchens.

One way that designers of kitchen islands and kitchen carts change the appearance of their furnishings is by using different types of counter tops. Many manufacturers now use alternative materials than wood when producing the counters for their islands and carts, and among these materials, stainless steel is one of the most popular.

We created our Buyers' Guide to Stainless Steel Kitchen Carts and Kitchen Islands to help you find the perfect cart or island with a stainless steel counter top. This guide is based on the questions that we often receive from customers who are beginning to shop for a new island or cart with a stainless steel counter top. By reading the questions and answers, you'll get a thorough overview of all things stainless steel and find yourself ready to select the perfect new island or cart for your home.

What are the benefits of stainless steel counter tops on kitchen islands and kitchen carts?

The benefits of stainless steel counter tops on kitchen islands and kitchen carts are numerous. Many homeowners like the look of stainless steel, feeling that it brings a modern touch to their kitchen spaces. The shine of stainless steel can also make a kitchen table look elegant and refined. Stainless steel is ideal to match with stainless steel appliances, stainless steel counter tops and silver tone hardware on cabinetry.

Stainless steel counter tops on kitchen islands and kitchen carts also help maintain sanitary conditions in your kitchen. As a metal, stainless steel has no pores or openings, which can become contaminated with bacteria or mold. The hygienic nature of stainless steel makes it a requirement for food services business in most local and state health and safety codes.

After you've finished using stainless steel counter tops, cleaning them is simple. Stainless steel can be cleaned with regular soap and water and requires no regular maintenance beyond wiping away fingerprints and smudges. In addition, stainless steel is very durable and can be strong enough to support heavy weights and endure large amounts of force.

Are there any drawbacks to having stainless steel counter tops on a kitchen island or kitchen cart?

When used as a counter top, the largest drawback of stainless steel is that it can become scratched and that deep scratches will require the assistance of a professional to be removed. To protect the stainless steel counter top on your island or cart, you will always need to use a cutting board when you are performing knife work. If you are looking for a cart or island where you can cut, chop and slice without a cutting board, you may want to consider one with a butcher block top.

If you develop a minor scratch in a stainless steel counter top, you can often remove it yourself. To do so, just use a nylon pad and gently rub the top of the counter top, making sure that you only move with the grain of the metal.

Another thing that some people find troubling about stainless steel counter tops on islands and counters is how easily they can become fingerprinted and smudged. These marks can be buffed away with a dry microfiber cloth or wiped away with a liquid stainless steel cleaner. If this upkeep is a concern, you can also select a counter top with a brushed or satin finish, which shows fewer smudges. We'll talk more about finishes later in this guide.

I keep seeing the words "gauge" and "type" in the product descriptions for kitchen islands and kitchen carts with stainless steel counter tops. What do these terms mean?

Many product descriptions for kitchen islands and carts will mention the gauge and type of the stainless steel, though you won't find too much variation in the gauge and type among the styles available from top designers. The gauge tells you how thick the sheet metal that formed the counter tops is. The thicker the steel, the lower the gauge number is. Because thicker pieces of steel are stronger than thinner ones, a counter top with a lower gauge number will be stronger than another with a higher gauge number. Most kitchen counters will be in the 14 to 20 gauge range, with 14 gauge most commonly used in commercial settings.

The type of stainless steel tells you what metals were blended to produce the steel. Most kitchen islands and kitchen carts will be crafted from austenitic stainless steel, which is made with iron, carbon, a large percentage of chromium and trace percentages of nickel, manganese or both. Within the austenitic category, there are several type numbers, of which 303 and 304 are the most commonly used in for home furnishings.

What does the finish of a stainless steel counter top on an island or cart mean?

We already alluded to the finish in an earlier section, but to give you a specific definition, the finish refers to the appearance of the stainless steel. Just the way the finish of wood describes the paint or varnish placed on it, the finish of stainless steel tells about how the steel looks. For counter tops, brushed stainless steel is typically preferred. This finish does not reflect the light, making it difficult for fingerprints and smudges to be seen. A satin finish reflects light slightly, giving the stainless steel an attractive sheen, but showing fewer fingerprints than more reflective surface (but more than brushed stainless steel).

The more reflective finishes are the near-mirror, which reflects light nearly perfectly, and the mirror, which reflects light evenly across its surface. Often, finishes are referred to as numbers with brushed being No. 4, satin No. 6, near-mirror No. 7 and mirror No. 8.

What styles of stainless steel counter top kitchen islands and kitchen carts are available?

While you'll find a diverse number of looks in the lineups of stainless steel counter top kitchen islands and kitchen carts, there are some basic style categories into which the various models usually fall.

Kitchen table islands have four legs with a stainless steel counter top. These pieces are meant to be as attractive as they are practical and can double as seating and serving areas. Typically, storage in these styles is minimal and limited to drawers and open shelves. A kitchen table style with a stainless steel counter top will likely have a natural wood or painted wood base to give it resemblance to a traditional wooden kitchen table.

Work table islands are identical in shape to kitchen table islands, but are built to be extra tough rather than attractive. Often, these tables are made entirely from stainless steel. Most stainless steel work tables will have open shelves for storage. Some may even have backsplashes, which are commonplace in commercial work tables and are used to protect the walls from splashes. Typically, work tables are not used for seating.

Traditional carts are square or rectangular in shape and typically feature a stainless steel counter top above one or more shelves. Each of the legs on the cart is outfitted with a rolling caster. These types of carts are designed to be ultra portable and easy to move. A traditional cart with a stainless steel counter top may have any type of base, though solid stainless steel is most commonly seen. The counter top on a traditional cart is generally used for food preparation, though this type of cart is also often used to roll food up to a table for serving.

Cabinet carts are rectangular in shape and feature a stainless steel counter top over top of at least one drawer and one set of two cabinet doors. Larger styles may have additional drawers or cabinets. A stainless steel counter top cabinet cart is ideal when you want to keep your cart in a prominent location in your kitchen and prefer it to look more like a piece of furniture than a traditional cart. Most cabinet carts are highly decorative and have natural or painted wood bases. The closed-in storage area on cabinet carts makes them harder to move, however, so you will likely not want to move your cart over long distances on a regular basis. The counter top on a cabinet cart is used for food preparation and can function as a stationary serving piece for a buffet or hors d'oeuvres.

Utility Carts are rectangular in shape and are usually crafted entirely from stainless steel. Just as work tables are designed to be stronger versions of kitchen table island styles, utility carts are the heavy-duty versions of traditional carts with stainless steel counters. Utility carts are designed to bear very heavy weights and are meant to transport and serve rather than for food preparation. You'll find utility cart styles with both two and three shelves.