I’m getting my kitchen redone & want to know why copper alloys like brass isn’t used more. It seems perfect for counter space and prep areas with its self sanitation properties.
Am I missing something bc I’m stupid or maybe just ahead of the curb ?
In: 312
Brass tarnishes, requiring frequent care to stay looking nice.
It’s also softer than steel and aluminum, so regular kitchen tools and appliances can scratch and damage it.
Self sanitation =/= self cleaning. Brass sanitizes itself because the metal reacts with proteins, destroying them and killing cells.
From a cleaning and sanitation perspective, smooth surfaces are the easiest to keep clean and sanitized. That’s why polished stone (granite and marble) are common in home kitchens, why wood composite countertops have a hard polished veneer on them, and why commercial kitchens often use flat rolled stainless steel prep areas. Scratches and gouges on a surface provide safe haven for bacteria.
Stainless steel tables in a kitchen are the best. They can take an *astounding* amount of abuse. Weight, temperature, shock loads (dropping/banging), they’re relatively lightweight for moving and rearranging, they offer storage below the prep surface, they won’t be scratched by kitchen ware like other steel pots and pans, and a brushed finish reflects and diffuses a lot of light making the kitchen better lit and easier to see.
Brass can’t take nearly the same abuse. The instant you slide a metal pan or tray across it, it’ll have scratches on it. A dishwasher drops a pot and there’s a big dent or gouge in the table now. Lastly the brass is just a darker colour, making it more difficult to see clearly.
Also any food prepped on the brass surface is going to taste like brass as brass ions dissolve into the food. That doesn’t happen with stainless steel.
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