No suggestions, but I can sympathize with you. A person in our household nicked my new Wolf cook top and scratched my mural when a vent cover from the range hood dropped out of her hands. It is next to impossible to remove these things because the buttons are too stiff and small to get a good grip. I have small fingers and I can barely get a hold of them.

Karen

I purchased a floor model, so mine came pre-scratched, likely from people moving the grates around while it was on display. Nothing terrible, but it wasn't pristine. Had it been a brand new model right out of the box and I scratched it myself, I would have been really bummed out. Having someone else do the honors made my life a whole lot easier. I've been able to use and enjoy my range without fear of that "first scratch." Your scratch was bound to happen sooner or later, and it is likely just the first of more to come. Try not to torture yourself over it ... it may take a while, but you will eventually quit noticing it. I don't think enamel is as durable as it used to be. I don't think my old range had any scratches at all and it was probably 30 years old.

One advantage to stainless steel is its relative repairability. The cleaning ladies did a number on this cooktop:

This post was edited by Trebruchet on Mon, Dec 16, 13 at 11:52

Fortunately, they're not too deep.

Corner before.

Corner after.

Better.

Done and homeowner happy. Saved the cleaning company the cost of a new cooktop.

That's why I don't like to have workers in my home! Good grief. Wow to a great repair though! The stainless can get a nice soft patina. Looks good evened out than the awful scratches though.

This is why I prefer used cars--never the guilt of that first ding!

Trebruchet, can I ask what, exactly, you did to remove the scratches?

Okay, Trebuchet, how did you do it?

After we had our kitchen ceiling replaced because of flood damage, we found a scratch on our SS hood. The GC used a SS buffing kit and was able to remove it, but there were fine scratches from the buffer. An improvement, but not perfect. You do need a steady hand to buff in one direction.

Wow, that is just amazing.

Yes, Trebuchet, how did you do that? I scratched the SS on my new range with the grate, too. I ordered a repair kit from Amazon but am worried I will make it worse.

I had just received an order for some Mirka Abralon 500 and 1000 grit abrasives. I had to hit the deeper scratches with the 500 then go to 1000. The abrasive is padded so it's best to use a small sanding block to be consistent. Sometimes the 1000 was just too shiny and I had to knock it back down with a red ScotchBrite pad. Too much and you sand off the black paint at the dials, too little and the scratches still show. Very seat-of-the-pants kinda thing.

Here is a link that might be useful: Mirka

That is such a shame! So frustrating that the finishes aren't as durable as in the past.

The finishing repairs do look great! Hope yours come out as well.

Melanie 2012:

Don't worry about making it worse. Put your abrasive paper on a block and duplicating the original lines, sand until the scratches are gone. Start with the highest grit that will remove the scratches. If they aren't coming out, get rougher, then work back up to factory. You should be able to feather that in nicely. Good luck.

AdminG1- I hope you get a suggestion for your repair. The first ding makes your heart sink, doesn't it?
Thank you, Trebruchet! I am encouraged to give it a try.

Dating myself here, but as Cat Stevens sang "the first cut is the deepest" We had a stainless cooktop for 26 years, and in the beginning, I was so careful, and would rub out any small scratch that would come along. Although as time went on, I realized it is a tool to cook on, not a showpiece, and accepted the daily wear and tear of life, ... just use the latest term "patina" ;)

This post was edited by ctycdm on Tue, Dec 17, 13 at 9:22