In this present time, almost everyone knows about the effectiveness of the stainless steel cookware. It is the most common type of cookware that can be found in almost every kitchen. People love to use these cookware because of its shiny and beautiful outlook, durability, and its rust resistance ability. Moreover, stainless steel is considered one of the safest materials for kitchen utensils.
However, while shopping, you may have seen that steel cookware comes with some labels such as 18/10 stainless steel cookware. And many of us don’t know the actual meaning of this kind of numbers unless we’ve completed homework about this type of cookware. In this post, I’d like to share every single piece of information that you ever need to know on this topic. So, let’s begin it.
What is 18/10 Stainless Steel Cookware?
When it comes to the stainless steel cookware, 18/10 is a term used to describe the percentage of nickel and chromium found in the stainless steel alloy. The first number 18 is the amount of chromium while the 10 refers to the amount of nickel. These two metals are included in the stainless steel to enhance durability and add resistance to rust and corrosion.
There’re also other combinations available like 18/8, 18/0, and 13/0 that you might have seen when recharging about steel cookware. These numbers also refer to the different amounts of nickel and chromium that are added to the stainless steel alloy.
1810 Stainless Steel Cookware is made of…
Stainless steel is the most popular material for cookware due to its smooth and attractive appearance, durability, and sturdiness. This is an iron-based metal alloy or combinations of various metals that must contain 11% of chromium. Chromium gives durability and makes the cookware resistant to rust. Chromium alone is not enough to make the cookware durable and provides a brighter appearance.
Nickel is another element that increases the efficiency of the protective coating that forms above the steel surface. It also gives high polishing characteristics to the cookware and makes cookware blaze more brightly. However, the most important downside of the chromium and nickel composition is that these metals interact with food and can be slightly reactive. With proper care, you can minimize the reactivity of that.
Effective Tips to Minimize the Reactivity of the Stainless Steel Products
There’re some most effective tips to minimize the reactivity of this kind of cookware. Let’s check it out to get more.
- Remove the foods from the pan as soon as your cooking is completed.
- Some ingredients like salt and acids will corrode your cookware. So avoid adding lemon, vinegar, wine, and salt directly to the stainless pan or pot.
- Avoid scouring your stainless It can damage your cookware completely. If you’ve any burned foods on the pot, you can apply baking soda to clean it. Gently cover the burn area with baking soda and allow it to soak overnight. After that, clean the burned area with a soft and non-scratching pad.
Advantages of Using this Cookware
- Stainless steel cookware is best known for its durability and its toughness as well. It is resistant to scratch, cracks, dents, and dings meaning your cookware will last for many years.
- Another great useful side of the cookware is that it’s recyclable and also environment-friendly.
- Quality stainless cookware items are coated with an aluminum or copper layer to enhance their heat transferability.
- This kind of cookware requires less effort for maintenance; convenience to use and very easy to clean. Most of them come with dishwasher-friendly features that mean you can save your time by avoiding hand wash. However, if you are looking for more dishwasher safe cookware options, then you can check these recommendations by Cookware Ninja.
- One of the most effective features of the stainless pots or pans is their versatility. You can cook almost all of your favorite food items using those.
Disadvantages of Stainless Steel Cookware
- The biggest drawback of this cookware is that it doesn’t conduct heat well. That is why it may not be an ideal option for cooking foods evenly unless they come with an aluminum or copper layer.
- The outside of the cheap grade steel cookware items can be discolored easily if you use it over high heat temperatures.
- With your pan or pot, you cannot avoid adding oil or butter while cooking. Unlike non-stick cookware products, stainless cookware isn’t perfect to cook zero-fat meals.
Safety Facts
There has been some question whether it is safe to use or not because of the content of the chromium and nickel. Well, steel cookware is safe to use and it usually doesn’t leach any metallic components into the food.
However, some nickel might get transferred into your foods if you use any cheap graded steel pans or pots. Although the trace amount of nickel that leaches into the foods while cooking is safe unless you have an established allergy to this element. So, if you want to avoid this undesired problem you should choose quality cookware items for your kitchen.
Last Words
The number 18/10 in cookware products refers to the quality that comes with safety and durable construction. This sort of steel cookware item is highly resistant to rust, stains, and corrosion while maintaining an attractive, bright, and shine. However, 18/10 stainless steel cooking products can be expensive so you’ll have to spend some more bucks while shopping.
