If you’ve browsed a commercial kitchen website in preparation for opening a restaurant or just out of curiosity, you’ve almost certainly noticed stainless steel is one of the most popular materials for pans and many other essential products. What has caused it to become so widely used in the fast-paced and demanding environment of commercial kitchens?
1. It’s Easier to Remove Food Allergens From Its Surface
People with food allergies know how important it is to check with restaurant staff before ordering. Despite improvements in labeling, risks can still occur.
One reason is cross-contamination can introduce allergens into consumables formerly free from them. Stringent cleaning methods reduce those threats. Thankfully, research indicates stainless steel is less likely than other materials to retain remnants that may trigger allergic reactions.
A study investigated different cleaning methods’ effectiveness at removing allergens from stainless steel, maple wood, and textured plastic. Researchers contaminated the surfaces with foods containing eggs, peanuts, and milk to see how well people could clean them off the specific materials and whether certain methods were more useful than others.
Removing these traces from stainless steel or wood was easier than textured plastic, likely because wood has a semi-porous surface, and textured plastic can trap dirt, germs, and chemical residue. Conversely, stainless steel is a nonporous surface, making it more hygienic and safer for allergy-prone restaurant patrons.
2. Stainless Steel Is a Durable Choice
Stainless steel is a popular option for commercial kitchens because of its high wear resistance. Knives made of it keep their sharpness through extended use. Why do restaurants use stainless steel pans? They resist warping and can withstand frequent use for years. Chefs also appreciate how they hold heat evenly.
Although products made from it are more expensive than aluminum ones, many people buying products for commercial kitchens determine the longevity benefits outweigh the costs. Mild, non-abrasive cleaners will also retain the shiny appearance.
Stainless steel has excellent impact resistance, so it’s more likely to retain its shape if dropped. That explains why a company specializing in travel-friendly meal sachets recommends preparing the products in a stainless-steel shaker to ensure the ingredients blend smoothly with water or milk. If you want to make one before an early flight or a busy day at the office, the shaker’s resilient materials suit a busy lifestyle.
3. The Material Supports Food Safety Efforts
Commercial kitchens periodically undergo stringent inspections to ensure everyone in them follows the necessary practices to keep guests safe from foodborne illnesses. Many of stainless steel’s characteristics align with safe practices. For example, it is a non-reactive material, so staff can use numerous common cleaning products on it.
Austenitic stainless steel — comprised of approximately 35% nickel and 16% to 26% chromium — is most prevalent in the food industry because its corrosion resistance is higher than any other stainless steel. That characteristic also improves safety because rust creates surface imperfections that can trap food and bacteria. Stainless steel’s natural resistance makes it a perpetually popular choice.
Another of stainless steel’s food safety benefits is it’s less likely to leach toxic metals than alternative metals commonly used in cookware. Scientists tested aluminum, brass and stainless-steel cookware items to determine the potential risks. One relevant finding was none of the 17 stainless-steel products tested leached lead exceeding interim reference levels for humans. However, some of the brass and aluminum items were significant lead-contamination threats.
4. People Can Modify It for Specific Requirements
Researchers and product developers have found numerous practical ways to alter stainless steel and make it even more applicable to commercial kitchens. One of the traditional options is to apply a non-stick coating. High-touch stainless-steel surfaces such as refrigerators and countertops may include coatings that prevent fingerprint smudges. Additionally, some nano coatings make it oil-resistant or easier to clean.
Keeping foods at 41 degrees Fahrenheit or lower slows bacteria growth, promoting safety. Could stainless steel modification also help? One university team found nano-sized etchings and copper deposits on stainless steel’s surface result in a dual-function outcome that kills bacteria without contributing to antibiotic resistance. They developed two electrochemical processes to achieve their aims.
The first adds nanoscale, needle-like structures to stainless steel’s surface to puncture cell membranes. The second puts copper ions on the stainless steel, which harmfully interact with germs, killing them. This group specified that the texturing works on Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria, but the addition of copper increased the surface’s antibacterial activity.
Bacterial reductions were as high as 99% in experiments, highlighting its robust effectiveness. Additionally, the researchers said people could easily integrate this approach into existing industrial methods.
Stainless Steel: Enduringly Popular in Commercial Kitchens
Stainless steel will continue to be popular in commercial kitchens for these reasons and others. Whether someone prioritizes food safety, durability or a sleek, appealing look, this material offers all those benefits and more.