Stainless steel cutlery is a staple to any stand-alone restaurant, restaurant in a hotel, or golf course, banquet hall or party rental that deals in tabletop supplies. There are three main types of stainless steel cutlery that exists in the market – 18/10 stainless steel cutlery, 18/8 stainless steel cutlery and 18/0 stainless steel cutlery. The “18” number refers to the percentage of Chromium in the stainless steel flatware. Chromium is a strong durable metal that gives cutlery its hardness. The “10” or “0” number is the percentage of nickel in the flatware. Nickel gives the cutlery corrosion resistant properties, is very expensive and gives cutlery its shine and luster. The nickel helps stainless steel cutlery mimic the shine silver plated cutlery possesses. We’ve written about the difference between 18/10 and 18/0 cutlery so this post delves more into what pros and cons 18/0 stainless steel cutlery has – and which style of restaurants tend to favour 18/0 cutlery.
Pros of 18/0 Stainless Steel Cutlery:
- Less expensive then 18/10 cutlery because lack of nickel content
- Still possesses durability for everyday use
- Dishwasher safe
Cons of 18/0 Stainless Steel Cutlery:
- Can rust more quickly due to lack of high nickel content
- Doesn’t have the same high polish shine that fine dining restaurants would look for
- Can stain more easily due to lack of high nickel content
For casual restaurants or high volume events / restaurants, choosing an 18/0 cutlery will work well with its soft sheen and economic value. It will allow you to wash them in the dishwasher multiple times a day, while allowing you to keep your costs down when they accidently get thrown in the garbage! Higher end fine dining restaurants or rental companies who service a luxury clientele will be happier with 18/10 flatware for its high shine and stain resistance. That being said we corrosion-test all our cutlery over a 3 day process and have chosen a supplier who provides 18/0 cutlery that didn’t rust during our in-house testing.
If you’re interested in a quote for any of our 3 lines of 18/10 cutlery or 2 lines of 18/0 cutlery: