Stainless steel is a term that spurs a little debate. It is confusing because stainless steel is not any special steel and it can be stained. Why am I saying this? Because stainless steel, after some time can rust, can lose colour and even lose its lustre appearance after some time. You see! It is not as special as many of us might be thinking about stainless steel phrase.
Types of stainless steel are grades 304 and 430, and each of the two has different qualities, which also applies to the stainless gas grills. This is a hint to you to note and be aware of while shopping for stainless gas grills. Other factors should be kept in mind before considering buying a stainless steel grill like the thickness of the grills, the dimensions of the overall BBQ, among others.
Stainless steel-grades
Stainless steel grade 304 is the most popular in the world amounting to about fifty per cent of the total stainless steel. Its uses are diverse, ranging from cookware, cars, building and more. Grade 304 stainless steel is praised for its corrosion resistance. They are also non-magnetic, so it is to know these types of stainless steel because they can’t attract a magnet. Some stainless grills may be made from grade 430 which is less resistant to corrosion as their counterparts do and they are magnetic, hence easy to identify again. Being non-magnetic means, they can’t attract magnets. One sure way to check the steel grade is to use a magnetic bar, the one that attracts the stainless steel is grade 430 while the one that does not attract the magnet bar is grade 304.
It is possible to find a grill that is made from a mixture of the two grades, but the issue that will arise from the mixing of the two grades is the overall quality of the BBQ. So, if you want more quality, order a stainless steel barbeque made of pure grade steel.
Stainless steel thickness
By looking at the size of the grills, you will know whether they are thick or not. You do not need rocket science to ascertain this; another option to be sure that you have the right thickness for your gas grills is to try to press with your hand or an object. If they are not of the right thickness, they can heed to pressure by bending. This way, you will know the grills are of low quality. The overall weight of the barbeque can tell whether the grills used are of the right quality. When they are lighter, you should doubt and activate the next plan of checking the quality of the gas grills.
Stainless steel finishes
Rusting of the stainless steel normally starts from spots of imperfections on the surfaces of metals. Contours on the surfaces of the stainless steel will let moisture accumulate in those areas of imperfections which will later cause corrosion because in as much as steel is resistant to corrosion, still they are not fully immune. While checking for these spots of weaknesses in stainless steel, you can feel the smoothness via your hands. Uneven surfaces mean there are poor quality finishes.
BBQ Parts assembly
Spot welding is one of the methods of BBQ assembly that will leave a lot of vulnerabilities to the stainless steel grills. Continuous welding is better, or assembly using nuts and bolts will be better than spot welding.