Yaamu

If you’re looking for durability in the kitchen, look no further than stainless steel. Buying stainless steel flatware and cookware for your kitchen means purchasing something that that is durable and easy to clean. In fact, a majority of the stainless steel cookware out there can be cleaned right in the dishwasher.

Whatever the item, it is important to be aware of the grade of stainless steel used. There will be two numbers in a grade, like “18 10″ (which is the preferred grade). The first is almost always 18 and stands for the amount of chromium in the stainless steel. If it is lower than that, take it as a red flag and walk away. The second number stands for the amount of nickel in the stainless steel formula. “10″ is high quality. Any lower and the steel loses its shine and hardness.

With flatware, you definitely want to stay with 18 10. It may cost a little more than 18 0, but it will be so much easier to care for. With low grade you run the risk of tarnishing, and that requires special polishing to remove. High grade? Throw it in the dishwasher! Boom! Done!

There is a little room to give when it comes to stainless steel cookware, but it depends on the type of cookware you’re looking at. Some types of multi-clad cookware have internal layers of stainless steel. It isn’t as important for those inner-layers to be 18 10 since they aren’t exposed. You won’t have to worry about it tarnishing, so why not save a little in the cost to manufacture it?

I prefer copper bottom cookware. The majority of the cookware is stainless steel, but having the copper on the bottom allows the heat from the burner to spread quickly and evenly along the cooking surface. Definitely a plus!

Do you have stainless steel cookware? If so, what brand, and why do you like it?