Stainless Steel
Stainless steel is one of the safest materials to use with food and drinks. Free from BPA, phthalates and lead, stainless steel is anti-bacterial and easy to clean, and it does not absorb flavour or odour from contents.
The grade of stainless steel refers to its quality, durability and temperature resistance and the numbers (e.g. 18/8, 304, 204) indicate the relative amounts of chromium and nickel in the product. Chromium and nickel both enhance corrosion resistance in stainless steel and nickel also increases strength and durability.
304 grade, also known as 18/8 is the best material for sporks and straws, whereas the extra durability in grade 204 makes it ideal for lunch boxes and containers.
A quick note on marks or scratches: In India, where our products are made, stainless steel product polishing is done manually using a buffing wheel. It is a labour intensive and highly skilled process, where the metal is rubbed against a high-speed revolving wheel to bring the shine to the metal. However minor scratch marks are formed when buffing wheel touches the metal.
To obtain a completely flawless finish it would be necessary to use the electroplating method, where products are dipped in chemicals which then has electrodes passed through to form a polished layer on the surface. This is a cheaper and faster method of polishing, and is widely used in China, however it also generates a high amount of chemical waste. For this reason electroplating plants are mainly banned in India.
We have chosen to support traditional, skilled manufacture in India over high tech factory production in China and hope this is a choice you support. All of our products are quality checked before they leave India, but may still have a few small cosmetic marks which will not affect their performance at all (and will probably be added to as you start to enjoy and love your product!).