I am really glad we picked this over the stainless steel. They both perform well, but this black one preserves its sleek finish longer. I mean a friend of mine just bought a stainless steel range recently and it already has visible scratches on its surface. Not the porcelain stovetop because that's tought to scatch but the stainless steel rest next to the knobs. In terms of firepower, this one's a beast. No doubt.