What should I watch out for when purchasing colored Flatware?

There are many concerns for a customer when buying colored Flatware. Can I clean it with the dishwasher? What color is it and will it keep its color in the long run? Is a PVD coating good or bad? How prone to rust is it? We clarify everything in this article.

We try to answer all questions and give you information on what you should look out for when buying colored Flatware.

"Regardless of the color, the quality of the Flatware is always characterized by its chrome and nickel content."

Regardless of its shape, the quality of the stainless steel is crucial. The quality is characterized by its proportion of chrome and nickel. The chromium content gives the stainless steel its ability to protect itself from corrosion and thus its natural protection against rust. In general, if the chromium content is 10.5% or more, it can be considered stainless steel. The nickel content is responsible for the neutral taste of the cutlery. The currently highest quality silverware is made of stainless steel with the quality 18/10, with 18% expressing the chrome content and 10% the nickel content.

In addition to the quality of the stainless steel, the PVD coating method is also crucial. Inadequate methods where the cutlery is dipped in a plating tank without proper processing steps will take on the color but will not retain it for long term. Unfortunately, there is no guarantee as to which manufacturers use particularly good PVD coating methods. The coating method can often be assumed from the price of the flatware, but it also harbors risks. Basically, there is a relationship between the coating method and the quality of the stainless steel, lower quality PVD coating techniques tend not to use 18/10 stainless steel, but rather use 18/0, 10/0 or blade steel, which is very susceptible to corrosion.

Can 18/10 stainless steel also rust? 

Unfortunately, 18/10 stainless steel can also rust, but this only happens through so-called rust film. This does not come from the flatware, but comes from other metals present either in the dishwasher or from other metals that are cleaned with the dishwasher. The metal particles are transferred from the rusting metal to the silverware in the dishwasher and settle primarily on the exterior surface of the stainless steel.

 

How can I prevent this?

Make sure that any metals you wash with the dishwasher are not rusting and that your dishwasher is not showing any signs of wear. If you want to avoid the risk of rust film appearing on your flatware set, you should wash your cutlery by hand so that you can preserve the finishing of the flatware for a long period of time.

 

What can cause scratches on the Flatware?

It depends on what kind of cutlery you bought. Matte finishes on heavy stainless steel is more prone to small surface scratches than on thinner metals, which tend to have glossier finish. This has something to do with the plating method of the cutlery. Basically, it can be said that scratches on cutlery do not look nice at first, but are unavoidable in everyday life and in everyday use. In the case of matte coatings, distinctive dents and smaller scratches are sometimes even desired in order to give the desired vintage or retro look to the flatware set.

We hope that we were able to help you a bit and would like to introduce you to our Minimalist Flatware set from Scope Kitchen. It is made of 18/10 stainless steel and with a high-quality matte coating. The biggest difference to any standard Flatware is the thickness of the stainless steel used, which makes the cutlery feel much more appealing and provides it with a significantly heavier weight.