Advice

Choosing Cutlery:

• Ensure you have sufficient quantities for the number of covers and menu (we can provide advice).
• Request samples of the principle pieces and choose a pattern with all the items required for your establishment and menu.
• Compare the stainless steel: is it 18-0 or 18-10? 18-10 stainless steel has a longer lifespan, 72% steel + 18% chrome (to protect against corrosion) + 10% nickel (for added protection and a shiny appearance).
• Remember: heaviness is not a gauge of quality.
• Hollow handle knives are of monococque construction, i.e. made in separate pieces and are therefore two separate metals giving a better quality handle.

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Choosing Silver-Plated Cutlery:

• Traditionally silver-plated cutlery has a copper alloy base called Nickel Silver (EPNS) (copper, zinc and nickel), giving it a yellow finish and requires re-plating. Guy Degrenne cutlery has a stainless steel base (EPSS), giving it a white finish, to which the silver plate sticks better and therefore lasts longer (10 year guarantee).
• 18-10 stainless steel is the best possible alloy to ensure the quality of food is unspoilt as it has no taste and is still hygienic even if the silver-plate is wearing off. Traditionally made silver-plated cutlery can leave a bad taste in the mouth when the silver plate is wearing off and the copper alloy base is not hygienic.
• Look for ‘Quality 1’ which means 33 microns of silver guaranteed, based upon French Standard (best in the world) requiring 84 grammes of silver plate per 12 x Forks and 12 x Spoons.
  • Guy Degrenne cutlery is therefore ‘Quality 1’ although it exceeds it by applying 100 grammes of silver plate per 12 x forks and 12 x spoons and is hallmarked (which means 45µ).
  • Other European standards are less stringent and International Standards less again, so check Quality Standard and from which Country when buying.
• Ensure the manufacturer has a stringent Quality Control Process.
  • Every 100th piece of Guy Degrenne cutlery is cut with a laser for quality checking.
  • Guy Degrenne Lab Test for 10-year resistance to washing.
  • Guy Degrenne test for mechanical and thermal resistance.

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Advice for cleaning stainless steel cutlery:

All our products are easy to clean and are dishwasher safe providing that certain precautionary measures are taken: observe the recommendations made by the manufacturers of the dishwasher (setting on the water softener unit) and the cleaning and rinsing products (type and quantity).

Special risks of corrosion:

• Certain food or cleaning products are acid (vinegar, lemon, scale removers or rinsing agents for glasses, etc) or contain chlorine (salt, bleach) and can cause corrosion.
  A few precautionary measures or simple rules:
  • Wash the products (knives) immediately after use; if you do not wash them straightaway, rinse them in hot water.
  • Rinse properly after cleaning.
  • Do not expose the cutlery to any splashing (sauces, food particles, etc).
• Contact between two pieces of cutlery of different grades of steel in a damp environment (dishwasher) leads to a localised dissolution of the least resistant steel: oxidation with pitting and discolouration (blades are particularly sensitive).
  A few precautionary measures or simples rules:
  • Do not overfill the baskets.
  • Pay special attention to the drying of the cutlery (make sure there are no traces of humidity left when it comes out of the dishwasher).
  • Avoid mixing 18/10 cutlery with that made of other steels.

Advice for cleaning silver-plated cutlery:

• Use proper and standard powder: the dishwash powder must NOT contain any chlorine, which makes black spots of oxidation; liquid gels and ‘compact’ powders can cause this.
• Sulphur contained in the air and numerous foods (eggs, cabbage, etc).
• The chlorine contained in the cleaning products (observe the manufacturers recommendations).

Wiping with a cloth soaked (or by immersion) in liquid deoxidizer can help treat this discoloration. However, be careful not to let these products come into contact with the stainless steel, notably the knife blades.

Regular cleaning of large quantities of cutlery can be carried out using a burnishing machine: surface treatment via mechanical action means it is possible to clean the treated cutlery in just a few minutes, reduce scratching and dents, hardens surfaces and gives an exceptional sheen to the cutlery in question.

Avoid exposure to temperatures over 100°C (there is a risk of the silver peeling).