paint

Why not laminate the whole alcove in stainless? You could try Benjamin Moore Aura

I like Primer's suggestion. Why introduce yet another element for such a tiny space. If there isn't enough room for even tile adjacent to the stainless panel, why not just get a new panel that covers the entire space? You likely don't even have to remove the old one and can apply a new one right over it since they are very thin. FWIW, if ever tiling next to a stainless panel, be sure to leave a 1-2mm gap between the metal and tiles to allow the metal to expand when heated without cracking the tiles.