Strength

• Stainless steel flatware varies by grade. Chromium is the most common steel found in household stainless steel flatware. The chromium component in stainless steel flatware is what gives the flatware its strength and makes the steel hard. Stainless steel flatware can remain intact after being dropped and is difficult to bend or break.
  
  

Resistance to Corrosion

• Another common component of quality stainless steel flatware is nickel. Nickel is a metal also found in coins and bridges. Adding nickel to stainless steel flatware protects the flatware from corrosion, or rusting, when it is washed or used to eat, hence the name "stainless" steel. Most flatware packaging will tell you how much nickel is in the flatware. Common ratios found on packaging are 18/10, 18/8, or 18/0. The second number is the amount of nickel found in the flatware.
  
  

Recyclable

• Unlike some other materials used to make flatware, stainless steel is very sustainable and 100 percent recyclable. Old, damaged or unwanted stainless steel can be melted down and used to make other high-quality stainless steel products. On average, between 65 and 80 percent of the scrap obtained from melting down stainless steel is used to make new stainless steel.
  
  

Temperature Resistance

• Stainless steel has a very high tolerance for extreme heat and extreme cold. Although it can be melted down to be used for other products, it can withstand heats as high as 1800 degrees Fahrenheit. Stainless steel is unaffected by temperatures well below 32 degrees, the freezing point for water. This helps prevent your flatware from burning your hands when you eat hot soup or freezing them when you eat cold ice cream.