What is Stainless Steel?

Stainless steel is a metal composite that was invented to be both rust resistant and shiny.  It includes steel, chromium and nickel.  The later two are added to increase the resistance to corrosion. 

How do I know if what I'm buying is high quality?

There are three levels of quality: 18-0, 18-8 and 18-10.  The first number refers to the percent Chromium, which is a constant 18% in most manufacturing processes.  The second number represents nickel, the major ingredient in stopping corrosion. 

The Good . . .

Types 18-8 and 18-10 are nearly the same.  This is because manufacturers can use 8.6% nickel instead of 8.0% and label the product 18-10 as a trade measurement.  Kind of confusing, but that means these two types of stainless are nearly identical. 

. . . the Bad and the Ugly

Type 18-0 means there is no nickel in the metal, and that it therefore is NOT stainless steel.  It will tarnish and corrode faster than high quality stainless steel.  Always check stainless steel grades to avoid overpaying for low quality metal.