What is 18/10 stainless steel?
What is 18/10 stainless steel mean? and what is grade 304 and 316? Do they mean same thing?
We recommend 18/10 stainless cookware Stainless steel is actually an alloy of metals including steel, carbon, nickel and chromium combined. There are three type of stainless steel available.
1) 18/0: 18% chromium, 0% nickel, 82% other metals
2) 18/8: 18% chromium, 8 % nickel, 74% other metals
3) 18/10: 18% chromium, 10% nickel, 72% other metals
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Detailed explanation:
Steel is an alloy that combines various metals including iron, carbon and other metals. Stainless steel made from various metals to make final combination of material to be stronger, harder, greater resistance to corrosion and rust.
Chromium gives resistance to corrosion and rust and nickel gives its shine. Hence, many nickle free cookware will be not shinier. Many experts believe that 18/10 combination meaning 18% chromium and 10% nickel with other combination metal provides the best cookware that is stainless, corrosion and rust free and shiny enough to see your face in it.
To add more confusion, new numbering and naming standard has changed how stainless steel products are being built and marketed. New series is called 300 series which is in addition 18/10, 18/8 and 18/0 stainless steel products.
Although 18/8 stainless steel is similar to 304 grade, and 18/10 is somewhat similar to 316 grade steel, but % of chromium and nickle and carbon have little wider range and varies a little.
304 grade:
304 grade steel has minimum of 18% Chromium and 8% nickle and maximum of 0.08% carbon. Some of the benefit of 304 grade steel or 18.8 steel are;
- Easy Welding
- Corrosion/ oxidation resistance
- Tough cookware
- Low temperature properties responding well to hardening by cold working
- Ease of cleaning
- Looks shiny and beautiful
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316 grade:
316 grade stainless steel has molyddenum added to make more resistant to corrosion and staining. 18/10 stainless steel is been also called 316 grade steel. Some of the benefits of 18/10 stainless steel are;
- Higher corrosion resistance
- Forms a better shape
- Very strong material
- Dent and Bend resistance
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What does it all mean in simple English?
For all of us who are not techies or rocket scientist, simple explanation was needed. So we asked our in house tech guy to help us simplify all these numbering system. According to him, basically, 18/10 stainless steel and 316 grade steel are more stronger, tougher to handle, hard to put a dent on, shiny and better corrosion and rust resister. So, if you are looking for a quality stainless cookware look for 18/10, 304 or 316 grade stainless steel cookware products.
Click to see Best 18/10 Grade Stainless Steel Cookware Sets
