3

I recently bought a set of stainless steel pans from Amazon (I live in the UK). The information on the product page says the material is 18/8 stainless steel. I believe this refers to a (common) type of 304 stainless steel, comprised of 18% chromium and 8% nickel.

But when the pans arrive, on the bottom of them, there is a number 275 (see image below).
That is on all of them, so it shouldn't indicate the diameter.

Therefore, could anyone suggest what this number means?
In particular, does this indicate the grade/type of the stainless steel? And if so, what is this type of material, and is there any indication/research on its implication to health as a cooking ware (sauce pan)?

I know some stainless steel products have a mark (e.g., on the bottom) stating the grade/type of the material. But I did not find 275 as a grade for stainless steel. The closest thing I found was S275 steel – not in the stainless category (if there is such a thing).

To be complete, there are 5 pieces in this set: 3 are stainless steel, 2 are stainless steel with non-stick coating.

The package says pans were made in India (not sure if it's useful or not).

Pictures:

Bottom of pan Side of pan Side of pan (tilted)

renyuneyun
  • 161
  • 6
  • Welcome to the site. Can you post a picture of the pan from the side? – GdD Jul 18 '22 at 14:19
  • 2
    Is there any reason to believe that the number isn't simply the pan model, used by the mfr? – FuzzyChef Jul 18 '22 at 15:41
  • @GdD I added more pictures (pixelated/smeared a little bit) – renyuneyun Jul 18 '22 at 16:10
  • It could be @FuzzyChef, usually a set is a collection of models each with their own model number, I've never seen a set with the same model number on each pan, but that doesn't mean it can't be. – GdD Jul 18 '22 at 16:27
  • I notice your pans have a separate bottom, often this means that another metal is sandwiched in there to help conductivity, but I wouldn't expect that to be S275 steel. – GdD Jul 18 '22 at 16:29
  • @FuzzyChef I don't have definite answers, but there are some circumstantial evidence: 1) this set is called K0C1; 2) every pan has this number on the bottom, so it won't be for an individual piece but for the set (which already has a name); 3) as found on the product comment reviews, one earlier buyer of a different product model / set (K028) also has 275 on the bottom (and that's the only bottom picture I found). – renyuneyun Jul 18 '22 at 16:32
  • @GdD Yeah, thanks for the comments. I thought about the other layer thing as well (because 304 alone should not work on induction hob, yet this set claims to work). But I did not find any article saying if S275 is magnetic or not. And if it's not stainless, then it will be another problem for the product to sell... – renyuneyun Jul 18 '22 at 16:40
  • 3
    Things to rule out: there is no way it's S275, that's mild steel and would rust. Also, just checked and India uses the same steel formulation IDs that the US does, so it's not an Indian number either. – FuzzyChef Jul 18 '22 at 17:17
  • 2
    You could always reach out to Kaufmann directly and enquire. They may or may not tell you, but it might be your best bet on a definitive answer. – bob1 Jul 20 '22 at 00:35
  • If you do ask the manufacturer please come back and post an answer. – Luciano Jul 20 '22 at 13:15
  • @bob1 Thanks. Yes, I went to contact the seller yesterday, and they did reply (see answer below). But just to be clear: it's the seller on Amazon; the brand's website redirects me to talk to Amazon (then the seller?) rather than to them directly. – renyuneyun Jul 20 '22 at 14:41
  • @Luciano I did :) – renyuneyun Jul 20 '22 at 14:42

1 Answers1

3

I have reached to the seller. It was third-party on Amazon, but it was directly linked from the brand's website, so I presume that is the reply from the manufacturer (or at least with a close contact with them).

They say the number 275 is the batch number, telling them when they were manufactured.
And they say they can confirm that the pans are 18/8 stainless steel.

Although there is still a little uncertain, I'll take their word.

renyuneyun
  • 161
  • 6