The material difference of stainless steel cookware

Stainless steel is often considered "not rusty." In the history of the development of cooking utensils, stainless steel kitchen utensils have different grades of materials. Next, I will talk about the material difference of stainless steel pots.

Stainless steel pot material difference:

1. Good stainless steel (corrosion resistance): 316 stainless steel (also called 18/10: in terms of mass percentage, the chromium content of this steel is 18%, and the nickel content is 10%).

2. 304 stainless steel (also called 18/8 stainless steel). Many stainless steels sold at 18/10 on the market are actually 18/8.3. Still very corrosion resistant.

3. Chantal Induction 21 steel is a renamed steel called JYH21CT. It was invented in Asia and is a cheap substitute for 304 stainless steel. It has similar corrosion resistance, but due to the lack of nickel (nickel improves the hardness and corrosion resistance of stainless steel, but the price is 200 times higher than iron), so it is cheaper to manufacture. Chantal 21 adds the following elements to iron: 21% chromium, 0.3% titanium, 0.008% carbon, 0.01% nitrogen and 0.43% copper. Chantal contrasts it with 18/8 stainless steel, which has 18.2% chromium, 8.2% nickel, 0.06% carbon and 0.04% nitrogen. Therefore, the main difference is that Chantal 21/0 has a slightly higher chromium content (21% vs. 18.2%) and no nickel (0% vs. 8.2%). Chantal claims that its 21/0 stainless steel conducts heat 30% faster than 18/8 stainless steel, but who cares? The thermal conductivity of 18/8 is very poor, so even an increase of 30% is still not satisfactory. Bottom line for buying: Unless you are one of the few people who are allergic to nickel, Chantal 21/0 may not get much benefit compared to the 18/8 and 18/10 used by most manufacturers.

4. SAE 200 series stainless steel (18/4 stainless steel). It is still very resistant to corrosion, but it is recommended not to try to use this grade of steel for pots and pans that often stew salty or acidic food, because it is not as corrosion resistant as 18/8 or 18/10.

5. 18/0 stainless steel. It has sufficient corrosion resistance and can be used in a dishwasher without rusting. It is also magnetic, so most induction-compatible stainless steel cookware uses 18/0 (SAE 400 series) steel at the bottom.

6. Poor stainless steel (low corrosion resistance): You may occasionally find other grades of stainless steel, such as 14/1 or 14/4 stainless steel, which are usually produced in India. Usually, manufacturers feel embarrassed about the quality of stainless steel and cannot disclose the grade of stainless steel. As far as household kitchen utensils are concerned, try to avoid using Indian stainless steel because of their low quality control and most of them are inferior stainless steel.