The main difference is corrosion resistance, but for most standard kitchens, you don’t encounter enough humidity or saltwater to make a difference. In everyday cooking, you won’t notice any difference between 304 and 316 stainless. This compound makes it even more corrosion resistant than the 304 series, so much so that it’s used in marine environments and biomedical implants. These are easily the most common types of food-grade stainless.ģ16 stainless steel is less common and contains higher amounts of molybdenum. It’s known as an austenitic metal, meaning it contains lower levels of carbon and higher chromium and nickel levels. As far as performance goes, there’s little difference between the two despite what marketers like to say.ģ04 steel is nonmagnetic and nonreactive.
#Stainless steel cookware series#
The 304 series uses 18/10 or 18/8 stainless series, which means the percentage of chromium and nickel, respectively. 300 Seriesīy far the most famous type of stainless in cookware, the 300 series includes 304 and 316. The NSF international standard requires food-grade stainless to belong to one of three series, 200, 300, or 400 series. While there are many types of stainless, including things like construction material grade, it’s food-grade that this article will highlight. It adds a silver-like shine while chromium adds to the luster. Food grade also contains nickel, which further improves corrosion resistance. The higher the chromium content, the more corrosion-resistant stainless steel is, but the minimum would be 10.5% by weight to be considered stainless steel at all.įood grade stainless steel requires 16% chromium by weight. Chromium reacts with oxygen to create a tough outer layer that’s corrosion-resistant, or nonreactive. To help steel be more durable and resist natural corrosion, manufacturers then mix chromium with the steel to form stainless steel. Steel alone isn’t much better than iron at resisting corrosion. It uses iron and a small percentage of carbon to create a highly durable metal that’s warp, scratch, and chip resistant. That seems like a strange question, but do you really know what’s in your cookware? Steel is actually an alloy metal, a mixture in laymen’s terms.
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