Before the advent of stainless steel, cutlery was also known as silverware because spoons, knives, chopsticks, and other cutlery were mainly made of silver, a non-corrosive metal. But silverware had the disadvantage of being more expensive and limited in terms of the people who could use it.

The invention of stainless steel revolutionized the food and restaurant industry, not only because its applications expanded to include pans, knives, kitchen sinks, prep tables, and even cheese graters.