Lori Dendy-Molz Nov 26, 2006:

Also, as my husband is in the nano biz and deals with kitchen surfaces, I can add that they want to avoid referring to the top of the cooker because nano coatings quickly get worn off by abrasive cleansers used by ambitious housewives.

Lori Dendy-Molz Nov 26, 2006:

Hi Rowan. I think they're still basically referring to the "front" of the cooker/stove, i.e., the door. They're kind of abusing the term "front" here, though. You could just say "surfaces," but that will probably get repetitive in your text.

Rowan Morrell (asker) Nov 26, 2006:

Another Example I have just come across this word again quite a bit later in the text. It again appears in a list of things a product can be applied to:

"Edelstahlspülen, Handläufe, Deko- Zieroberflächen, Küchenfronten (Herd etc.), Edelstahlmöbel, Fahrzeugteile (Chromverkleidungen) und vieles mehr."

The interesting thing about this example is that a "Herd" (cooker) is specifically mentioned as being part of "Küchenfronten". Don't know whether that inspires anyone afresh or causes any changes of mind. Many thanks to those who have contributed to far. I'm going with Lori's phrase at the moment, but I'm a little bit thrown by the use of "Herd" here, as it implies that Küchenfronten are more than just kitchen cabinets.