Classification of kitchen equipment and standard for functional division of kitchens in the catering industry

Commercial kitchens have high humidity, high temperature, and high intensity of use, so the main materials of commercial kitchen equipment are stainless steel. The stainless steel we often talk about is the abbreviation of stainless acid-resistant steel. This type of material is resistant to weak corrosive media such as air, steam, and water, or has stainless properties. It is a general term for a class of materials, not a specific material. Therefore, with the same name of stainless steel, the performance of stainless steel is also very different due to different proportions of steel components. In order to avoid misunderstandings, today Shinelong kitchenware will take you to understand the classification and characteristics of commonly used stainless steel, hoping to help you. Iron and steel are distinguished by the amount of carbon content. Iron-carbon alloys with a carbon content of less than 2% are steel, and those with a carbon content of more than 2% are called iron. Steel is both tough, elastic, and rigid, and is therefore widely used. The decisive element that makes stainless steel have corrosion resistance is chromium. Steel containing more than 10.5% chromium is not easy to rust. So how to distinguish stainless steel materials? At present, the stainless steel commonly used in kitchen equipment mainly includes 201 and 304. 201 stainless steel is cost-effective and cheap, but it is easy to rust; while 304 stainless steel is the most widely used stainless steel material, not easy to rust, good quality, and the price is relatively higher than 204. In the eyes of many consumers, there is almost no difference between 201 stainless steel and 304 stainless steel, and it is almost impossible to distinguish them with the naked eye. Here are some methods to distinguish them. 1. Specifications: Commonly used stainless steel plates are divided into two types: 201 and 304. In fact, they are different in composition. 304 is of good quality, but expensive, and 201 is worse. 304 is imported stainless steel plate, and 201 is domestic stainless steel plate. 2. The composition of 201 is 17Cr-4.5Ni-6Mn-N, which is a Ni-saving steel and an alternative to 301 steel. It is magnetic after cold processing and is used for railway vehicles. 3. The composition of 304 is 18Cr-9Ni, which is the most widely used stainless steel and heat-resistant steel. It is used for food production equipment, Xitong chemical equipment, nuclear energy, etc. 4. 201 has a high manganese content, and the surface is very bright with a dark luster. It is easy to rust with a high manganese content. Manganese is also harmful to the human nervous system. Therefore, 201 stainless steel is not suitable for food-grade equipment. 304 contains more chromium, and the surface is matte and does not rust. The two are compared together. The most important thing is the difference in corrosion resistance. The corrosion resistance of 201 is very poor, so the price is much cheaper. Because 201 contains less nickel, the price is lower than that of 304, so the corrosion resistance is not as good as that of 304. 304 stainless steel is safe and belongs to the food grade material. At present, food grade stainless steel is 304 stainless steel and above. 5. The difference between 201 and 304 is the nickel content. And the price of 304 is relatively expensive now, but 304 can at least guarantee that it will not rust during use. (Stainless steel potion can be used for experiments) 6. Stainless steel is not easy to rust because chromium-rich oxides are formed on the surface of the steel body to protect the steel body. 201 material is a high-manganese stainless steel with greater hardness than 304, high carbon and low nickel. 7. Different ingredients (201 and 304 stainless steel are mainly distinguished by carbon, manganese, nickel and chromium content) Steel No. Carbon (C) Silicon (Si) Manganese (Mn) Phosphorus (P) Sulfur (S) Chromium (Cr) Nickel (Ni) Molybdenum (Mo) Copper (Cu) AISI (304) ≤0.08 ≤1.00 ≤2.00 ≤0.045 ≤0.03 18-20 8-10 AISI (201) ≤0.15 ≤1.00 5.5-7.5 ≤0.05 ≤0.03 16-18 3.5-5.5 It can be seen that the best material for kitchen equipment production is 304 stainless steel. However, many unscrupulous merchants on the market now use 201 stainless steel to replace 304 stainless steel. It is difficult to distinguish them during acceptance. Therefore, when purchasing stainless steel kitchenware and kitchen equipment, first of all, do not choose brands that are lower than the industry price. In addition, you should choose a manufacturer with a good reputation and preferably a warranty period of more than half a year. Of course, the quality of kitchen equipment does not only depend on the selection of materials, but also the production process is very important. Keywords: commercial kitchen equipment, stainless steel kitchenware, 304 stainless steel kitchenware.