Stains are not an issue, nor is cleanliness once you assume stainless is a "brushed" finish, not a polished finish. It is no accident that commercial kitchens are all stainless ... but they are not polished stainless. You can also order your appliances in brushed finish, usually referred to as fingerprint free or some such language. Once you decide brushed is the way to go, all those scratches add to the ambiance.