Steel, but better.
The Basics
Stainless steel is an alloy — a combination of metals melted together. At its core, it's iron. But iron alone rusts when exposed to air and water. So metallurgists add other elements to stop that from happening.
The key ingredient is chromium. When you add at least 10.5% chromium to iron, something remarkable happens: the chromium reacts with oxygen in the air to form an invisible protective layer called a passive film. This layer is self-healing — scratch it, and it reforms within hours.
That passive film is why stainless steel doesn't rust, doesn't stain, and doesn't react with most foods.
The recipe.
For food-grade stainless steel (the 304 grade we use), the composition is:
| Element | Percentage | Why it's there |
|---|---|---|
| Iron (Fe) | ~70% | The base metal. Structure and strength. |
| Chromium (Cr) | 18% | Creates the passive film that prevents rust. |
| Nickel (Ni) | 8% | Improves corrosion resistance and formability. |
| Carbon (C) | <0.08% | Adds hardness. Kept low to prevent carbide formation. |
| Manganese (Mn) | ~2% | Improves strength and aids manufacturing. |
This is why 304 stainless steel is sometimes called 18/8 — 18% chromium, 8% nickel.
From raw material to your kitchen.
1. Melting
Raw materials melted in an electric arc furnace at ~1,500°C. Refined to exact 304 composition.
2. Hot Rolling
Molten steel cast into slabs, then rolled at high temperature into thinner sheets while still red-hot.
3. Cold Rolling
Rolled again at room temperature to 0.8mm thickness. Gives the smooth, brushed finish.
4. Stamping
Flat sheets pressed into shape using a die. Our containers are deep-drawn from a single sheet — no welding, no joints.
5. Finishing
Trimmed, polished, inspected. Lid made separately, sized to friction-fit onto the container rim.
Why single-piece construction matters: No welds means no weak points. No joints means no crevices where bacteria can hide. One sheet of steel, one continuous surface.
A century of proof.
- Hospitals use it for surgical instruments — it can be sterilised repeatedly without degrading
- Commercial kitchens use it for every surface — hygienic and withstands constant use
- Breweries and dairies use it for tanks and pipes — doesn't react with acidic or alkaline liquids
- Your home probably already has it — pans, cutlery, sinks, kettles
It's not new technology. It's proven technology that, until now, wasn't applied to food storage containers with the same rigour.