Stainless steel is durable, easy to clean and resistant to food stains, which is why appliances made of it have long been popular in commercial kitchens, and, more recently, in home kitchens.

As for its environmental consequences?

"It's a simple question with a really complex answer," said George Bollweg, an environmental health scientist with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in Chicago. There are dozens of steps involved in making stainless steel -- from mining the ore to producing the steel -- and all of these steps consume energy.

In Minnesota, for example, some of the taconite that's mined and processed probably ends up in stainless steel products, although the final processing is done elsewhere. And, according to Gregory Pratt, a research scientist with the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, the taconite industry is a major source of air, land and water pollution.

However, stainless steel can be -- and is -- recycled. (According to the International Stainless Steel Forum, new stainless-steel products are made from about 60 per cent recycled stainless.) Its alternative, enameled steel, also is recyclable, so stainless steel isn't significantly better or worse for the environment.

But materials aren't all that important when trying to determine how Earth-friendly home appliances are.

What matters most is energy efficiency, said Lise Laurin, founder of EarthShift, a Vermont company that works with corporations and institutions on sustainability.

If you want to go green, look for a high-efficiency appliance and make sure that it gets recycled at the end of its life.