| As we know, the stainless steel is composed of elements such as iron, chromium and carbon. Generally speaking, stainless steel for household products and drinkware commodity can be divided into three grades: 304 (18-8) stainless steel, 316 (18-10) stainless steel and 430 stainless steel.  18-8 stainless steel: Compose of Iron + 18% chromium + 8% nickel, can resist chemical oxidation, 304 is the code in JIS (Japanese standard), so it is also called 304# stainless steel.As a high grade stainless steel, it is often used in stainless food containers as stainless water bottle, stainless vacuum bottle flask mug and stainless vacuum pot. 18-10 stainless steel: In some places with serious pollution,even 18-8 stainless steel also rusted ; Therefore, need a kind of advanced stainless steel with better durable and corrosion-resistant. This kind of stainless steel is called 18-10 stainless steel, it is compose of Iron + 18% chromium + 10% nickel, 18-10 stainless steel is not only used on food contact commodities,but also be used on advanced medical products. 430 stainless steel: Composed of Iron +12% chromium, which can prevent oxidation caused by natural factors, It's also called stainless iron. However, 430 stainless steel can not resist the oxidation caused by chemical substances, it is often rusted even only used in kitchen. Nowadays 430 stainless steel is not used as a food grade stainless steel any more, mainly used for building decoration, household appliances parts, and Kitchen sink. How to distinguish these three kinds of stainless steel? The simplest way is using a magnet to test the commodity bottom, 430 stainless steel can grip it firmly, but 18-8 （304） and 18-10 （316） cann't. However, the edge of 304 pot, or the front and back ends of the spoon, sometimes can also grip the magnet because of the magnetism produced during polishing. |
