Stainless Steel Cabinet Handles Buying Guide
Stainless steel is the plain, hard-wearing option in cabinet hardware, and it is the metal most often used where handles meet water, steam and daily use. This page holds stainless steel cabinet handles, also searched as brushed stainless steel handles, stainless steel drawer handles, stainless steel kitchen handles and stainless steel cupboard handles. The range has D pulls, rail handles, T handles and lip pulls for kitchens, bathroom vanities and laundries. Stainless handles are sold in 304 or 316 grade and in brushed, satin or polished finishes, and the products here do not all share the same details. Read on for what stainless steel is, how 304 and 316 differ, which finish to pick, what each handle measures, how to size a pull and how to clean it. For handles in every material, start at cabinet handles.
304 or 316
Buyers ask about grade more than anything else. Type 304 is roughly 18 per cent chromium and 8 per cent nickel, which is why it is also called 18/8. The chromium forms the protective layer and the nickel helps resist pitting. In full, 304 runs 18 to 20 per cent chromium and 8 to 10.5 per cent nickel, with no molybdenum. Type 316 runs 16 to 18 per cent chromium, 10 to 14 per cent nickel and 2 to 3 per cent molybdenum. The molybdenum is the difference. It raises resistance to pitting, which is the damage chlorides cause.
Chlorides come from salt, pool chemicals and bleach. Specify 316 wherever chlorides are present or expected, such as marine, pool and coastal settings within about a kilometre of the ocean, and keep 304 for indoor, inland and general use. In coastal or salt spray settings 304 can develop a surface corrosion called tea staining, and 316 is the usual choice for marine conditions. Tea staining shows up as a brown discolouration. It is cosmetic and not structural, because the passive layer stays intact.
Now the point that matters on this page. The grade is given for some products and not others. The Castella Stream, the Castella Flint rail and T handle, and the Momo Barletta are 304. The Castella Ledge, the Momo Handles Ferrara and the Momo Handles Sola say stainless steel with no grade. None here is 316. If you need 316 for a coastal house, read the specification on the product page before you order, and ask us if it is missing. Door handles in stainless steel are a separate range at stainless steel door handles and hardware.
Brushed, satin or polished
The finish decides how the handle looks and how it shows marks. The standard finish numbers help: No. 4 is brushed and No. 8 is the mirror finish. Brushed steel is dull and matte, made by brushing in one direction so very fine lines run along it. The word satin is used loosely. Some people treat it as brushed, and others mean a frosted, milky look. When you buy, trust the photograph and the finish line over the word.
This page offers brushed, satin and polished versions. The Castella Stream, the Flint and the Ledge come in satin stainless steel, and the Ledge also comes polished. The Momo Handles Ferrara comes in brushed and in polished stainless steel. For other finishes, compare chrome cabinet handles and brushed nickel cabinet handles.
The ranges on this page, measured
Hole centres, also called the fixing distance, are the gap between the two screw holes. Overall length is the whole handle, and projection is how far it stands off the door.
- The Castella Stream is a tubular D pull in 304 stainless steel. It runs from 106mm to 490mm overall on centres from 96mm to 480mm, is 10mm thick and projects 32mm. It is rear-mounted, with screws included. See D shaped cabinet handles.
- The Castella Flint rail handle is 304 stainless steel with a slender profile. It runs from 168mm to 624mm overall on centres from 128mm to 544mm, is 12mm thick and projects 34mm. The Flint T handle is 40mm long and 12mm wide, with the same 34mm projection.
- The Momo Barletta is a hollow 304 stainless steel D handle, 148, 180, 212 or 308mm overall on 128, 160, 192 or 288mm centres. It is 10mm wide with a 34mm projection, and screws are not included.
- The Castella Ledge is a stainless steel lip pull in 30, 100, 200, 300 or 400mm lengths, 20mm wide with a 35mm projection. It uses two 16mm timber screws, and rebating the door gives a flush finish.
- The Momo Handles Ferrara lip pull is 38, 100, 150 or 200mm overall on 25, 88, 128 or 160mm centres, 35mm wide with a 20mm projection. The Momo Handles Sola half round lip pull is 80, 120, 160 or 240mm long and 40 to 80mm wide with a 35mm projection, and two used together form a circle. See half moon and eclipse cabinet handles.
Set them side by side. The Stream, Flint and Barletta are bar handles with a slim 10 to 12mm section and projections of 32 to 34mm. The Ferrara has the lowest projection on the page at 20mm, which suits a narrow walkway. The Castella ranges stretch to 490 and 624mm, which suits pantry doors and tall panels. The lip pulls fix to the edge of the front and keep the face flat; that range is at lip pull handles.
Where stainless steel suits
Stainless handles suit high-use kitchens, bathrooms and integrated joinery, with a smooth finish and substantial weight. Brushed finishes hide fingerprints better than polished ones, which helps on drawer fronts and the doors beside the sink. Stainless steel is the natural partner for stainless appliances, and a brushed nickel tone is similar to stainless, so it matches appliances too.
Door style points to a shape. Modern flat-panel doors take slim bar pulls or round knobs. Shaker and traditional doors take pulls, round knobs and classic bar handles. Industrial rooms take matte black, gunmetal or antique bronze. A slim stainless bar suits a flat slab door, and a rail handle suits a tall pantry. In a bathroom, a stainless handle on a vanity drawer copes with steam and splashes; the cabinets are at bathroom vanities. For a darker neutral, see gunmetal grey cabinet handles and black cabinet handles.
Choosing the size
Length is read from hole centres, not overall length. A pull is commonly about one third of the drawer or door width, as a guide and not a strict rule. Pot drawers and pantry doors take longer handles of 250mm or more, while smaller handles or knobs suit upper cabinets.
Against this page, a Castella Stream, a Flint rail or a Barletta on 160mm centres suits a drawer front of 450 to 700mm. The 288 to 352mm sizes suit a wider drawer or a pot drawer, and the 416 to 544mm sizes suit a pantry door or a very wide front. The lip pulls and the T handle suit a small door or a narrow front.
When replacing handles, measure the centres of the holes you have. A 128mm handle will not fit 160mm holes without new holes, which can leave marks on a painted or veneered front. Match the existing centres unless you plan to fill the old holes. Many handles come with screws for 16 to 18mm cabinet boards, so check your door thickness.
Where to put the handle
Centre the handle on a drawer front. On a base door, put it near the top corner on the side opposite the hinges, and on a wall door near the bottom corner. A long vertical pull on a pantry door sits at hand height, not at the exact middle. The general rule is horizontal handles on pull-out drawers and vertical handles on doors. Horizontal handles on doors look streamlined but may not open as naturally, and handles must not hit each other when cabinets open.
Test before you drill. Put painter's tape where the handle will go, to compare sizes and check that fingers have room to grip and that the shape will not catch on clothing. Hold a handle against the cabinet and check the grip, and choose one that suits everyone who will use the kitchen, including larger hands or arthritic fingers. Pick an in-between length and use it throughout for a calmer look, and fit handles only to base cabinets and drawers if you want overhead doors bare. See also cabinet pull handles and cabinet knobs.
How to clean stainless steel handles
Cleaning takes a few steps. Wash with warm water and a few drops of mild dish soap on a soft, non-abrasive cloth, wiping with the grain if the surface has one. Rinse with plain water and dry with a clean cloth. For stains or build-up, use a non-chloride stainless steel cleaner or cream, and for fingerprints a non-acidic, bleach-free stainless spray.
Keep these away from stainless: bleach and bleach-based sprays, other chloride sources such as salt and pool chemicals, acidic cleaners, steel wool, magic erasers and abrasive sponges. Vinegar sprays are acceptable only if diluted and rinsed off. Dry after every clean, especially in humid or coastal areas, to prevent water spots and early corrosion, and remember that wiping across the grain on a brushed finish leaves visible marks. Chlorides are the weakness of 304 in warm, moist conditions, so wipe any bleach splash off a handle at once.
A short checklist before you order
- Read the product page for the grade. Choose 316 for a coastal house, and expect 304 to be fine inland.
- Choose brushed or satin to hide fingerprints and polished for a bright look.
- Measure the centres of your existing holes, and aim for a handle about one third of the drawer width.
- Check the projection, whether screws are included and the cabinet thickness.
- Keep to one metal finish in the room, with a second metal only as an accent.
For the full range of handle styles, return to cabinet handles, or see the Castella cabinet handles and Momo Handles premium cabinet handles ranges.
