[creaturecat]

re: the pdr approach. internet quote: As the founder and former CEO of a stainless steel door company, I can tell you that very rarely is there a satisfactory dent removal method, and you will NEVER be able to restore the factory appearance. If the dent is 'sharp', there is no way to fully remove it, but if the dent is soft you may be able to improve the condition somewhat. The heavier gauge the material, the worse the problem. Most of the reason for this is that the act of denting, causes what is called 'work hardening' of the stainless steel, which renders the dent itself to be harder than the surrounding un-dented material, resulting in distortion of the area surrounding the dent when trying to pull the dent. Unfortunately, if the stainless is scratched or scored, the problem only becomes worse, as refinishing, or 're-graining' to a factory finish is impossible with a hand held machine even with experts.
The best solution, and maybe most cost effective, may be to buy a replacement panel from the manufacturer on products which have replaceable doors.