304 vs 201 vs 202 Stainless Steel For Sinks
All three grades are austenitic stainless and all three make a usable sink. What differs is how much nickel is in them, and nickel is what decides how the steel behaves in salty, chlorinated or hard water.
Why nickel is the variable
304 is the classic 18/8 composition: roughly 18% chromium and 8% nickel. Chromium forms the passive layer that resists corrosion; nickel keeps the structure austenitic and helps the passive layer repair itself.
201 and 202 replace part of the nickel with manganese and nitrogen. They are still austenitic and still stainless, but the passive layer is less tolerant of chlorides.
In practice that means the difference shows up around the drain, under standing water, and anywhere salt or bleach sits for hours.
Where each grade belongs
304 is the grade to specify for coastal markets, hotels, commercial kitchens and anywhere the water is hard or heavily chlorinated.
202 sits between the two and is common in price-conscious residential ranges.
201 is the entry grade. It is legitimate in a dry, low-chloride domestic market when the customer knows what they are buying.
The part buyers get wrong
The grade matters most on the parts that stay wet: the bowl base, the drain seat and the strainer body.
This is why our waste strainers are made in 304 even when the bowl above them has been ordered in 202.
A sink is rarely rejected because the rim corroded. It is rejected because a ring appeared around the waste.
How to check what you are being sold
A magnet tells you very little — cold working makes austenitic steel slightly magnetic, so a sink that attracts a magnet is not automatically 201.
A material certificate or a spot test is the honest answer. Ask for it at sampling, not after delivery.
We state the grade on the order confirmation, so there is a document to hold the order against.
Products This Guide Refers To
A metal basin that survives hotel cleaning routines and still looks like jewellery
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The bowl for the 400 mm cabinet nobody makes a sink for
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One deep bowl, a drilled ledge, and a finish choice that changes the price point
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Questions On This Topic
Is 201 stainless steel safe for a kitchen sink?
It is a stainless grade and it is used in sinks worldwide. In hard or chlorinated water it will show marks around the drain sooner than 304.
Does a magnet prove a sink is not 304?
No. Forming work makes austenitic steel slightly magnetic. Ask for a material certificate instead.
Which grade do you supply by default?
304, unless your order specifies 202 or 201. The grade is written on the order confirmation.
Specifying A Sink And Want A Second Opinion
Send the drawing or the sample. We will tell you what will hold and what will not before you commit to it.