A Barbecue Maven’s Search For Quality Stainless Steel

It’s a well-known fact that Canadians love their barbecues and I am no exception. However, it seems that no matter how hard I try to protect and maintain my barbecue, every four to five years I have to replace it. And regardless of the brands I have chosen or how much I pay, the flavor bars and burners in particular inevitably rust and crumble into flakes over time.

Use A Magnet To Attract The Best Product

This year, I decided to take another tact. I could have borrowed the Niton Analyzer gun, which we use here at Peel to determine specific metal content. But instead, armed only with a Peel Scrap Metal hand magnet, I went to an upscale appliance store to find a barbecue whose flavor bars and burners were made of at least 18/8 stainless steel (18% chrome and 8% nickel). The reason is that they would be both ‘food grade’ and less resistant to corrosion. scrap yard in Mississauga

I was surprised to discover that some of the most popular barbecue brands had flavor bars and burners that were either not made of stainless steel or made from lower-quality stainless steel. The salesman was surprised too. He had me check a number of different brands along with some of the many fridges, stoves, dishwashers, and other appliances in the store.

I finally gave him my magnet to use as an uncompromising sales tool and left after purchasing a quality barbecue that I am hopeful will last a while. About Stainless Steel Stainless steel is the “generic” name given to a large group of low-carbon steel alloys, all of which differ in their composition but are similar in that they contain at least 10.5% chromium by weight. Stainless steel was discovered in 1913 by an English metallurgist by the name of Harry Brearley, and like many scientific discoveries, he stumbled upon it serendipitously.

It was around the time of World War I and Brearly had been commissioned to eliminate corrosion in gun barrels. The friction created by the bullet spiraling through the gun barrel eventually caused the barrel to become too big for the bullet and this led to inaccuracies when the gun was discharged. He needed something harder that could deal with the high temperatures inside the gun barrel. After months of trying different alloys, he tossed his samples in a scrap heap. A few months later, he happened to notice that one was still shiny while the rest had rusted.

Upon further examination, he found that this sample contained chromium. The Stain In Stainless Steel There are many, many grades of stainless steel but it is the chromium content that gives the steel its stain “less”, or corrosion-resistant properties as opposed to other types of steel. The way this works is that when the chromium is in contact with the oxygen in the air it forms a thin barrier or film that can actually repair itself. Those corrosion-resistant properties, and other useful properties of stainless steel such as hygiene, strength-to-weight ratios, and fire and heat resistance are enhanced as the chromium content is increased and other elements are added such as nickel and molybdenum.

Stainless Steel

In general, better grades of stainless are non-magnetic and this is what I was looking for with the magnet. There are grades of stainless steel that are magnetic but they are generally a lower quality application in a barbecue (or sink for that matter) and will rust unless they receive a lot of attention. Stainless steel is 100% recyclable and is extremely durable. In fact, the peak of the Chrysler building, which was constructed in New York City in 1930, is clad in 302 stainless steel and has shown no signs of corrosion in more than 80 years.

I hope my new barbecue will be just as durable! A Big Thank You To The People Of Oakville We are pleased to announce that Peel Scrap Metal Recycling Limited has been selected as the best recycler in Oakville. We were chosen in Oakville Beaver’s 19th annual Readers Selection Awards. It is a great privilege for us to be the top pick and we want to sincerely thank our customers and the Oakville community for their support.