What knids of cutlery is good?

author: Alisa

2026-09-18

We can sort by material, together with pros & cons, plus suitable use cases, especially for your cutlery business.

1. Solid stainless steel cutlery (most popular)

Grades: 304 (18/8), 410, 420J2

✅ 304 stainless steel: Best for daily use, rust-resistant, food safe. Good for forks, spoons and lightweight knives. Not easy to harden, so dinner knife edge will not stay sharp long. Great for hotels, retail gift sets.
✅ 410 / 420J2: Can be heat-treated for harder edge. Ideal for dinner knives. But needs proper polishing and anti-rust treatment; easier to stain if poorly finished.
Finishes: Mirror polish (shiny, premium), satin/matte (fingerprint resistant).
Pros: Dishwasher safe, no handle peeling, long service life.
Cons: Higher cost than plastic-handle cutlery; solid heavy weight.

Handle materials: PP, ABS, TPE

ABS: Good hardness, easy for pad printing. Nice surface for logo. But high heat may cause deformation; not the best for repeated dishwasher use.
PP: High heat resistance, dishwasher safe, low cost. Hard to print — must do flame/plasma pre-treatment for strong logo adhesion.
TPE: Soft grip, non-slip. Good for kids cutlery or premium daily sets.
Pros: Light weight, many handle colors, low cost, rich custom logo options.
Cons: Plastic may wear over time; printed logo can peel if process is poor.

Pros: Smooth texture, can make marble/stone color effect, good printing or laser marking. Better chemical resistance than ABS.
Cons: More expensive than PP/ABS.

Pros: Natural look, warm touch, high-end style.
Cons: NOT good for frequent dishwasher washing. Wood will crack, swell or mold. Mostly hand wash only.

Hotel / restaurant bulk use: Solid 410 stainless steel cutlery. Low maintenance, no broken handles.
Supermarket retail, gift sets: Plastic handle (PP preferred if dishwasher claim needed) or solid 304 sets.
Premium home brand: Resin handle or satin solid stainless steel.
Children cutlery: PP + TPE soft touch handle, rounded edges.