Vintage stainless steel dessert cups, all you need to know before buying online

What is stainless steel?

Before all, stainless steel is… steel, an alloy of iron and carbon. Add some chromium and you’ll get stainless steel, a steel resistant to corrrosion. These properties were discovered as soon as 1821, with french scientist Pierre Berthier already suggesting the use of stainless steel for cutlery.

What is 18/10 stainless steel?

18/10 stainless steel is the combination of steel with 18% of chromium and 10% of nickel. The chromium will be the protection against corrosion while nickel will play a role, amongst others, of giving its shiny / bright effect to stainless steel. Basically, standard stainless steel (also referred as 18/0 stainless steel) will have less mirror effect than 18/10 stainless steel on top of being less resistant to corrosion. 18/10 stainless steel creates a tiny protective layer that will regenerates itself over time, the guarantee that your flatware will remain in great condition even after several years of use.

What are the watch-points when purchasing vintage stainless steel coupes online?

As explained, if you plan to use your stainless steel tableware on a regular basis and in the long run, 18/10 steel is a must-have. If you plan a punctual event and don’t need your flatware to be extra bright, then standard stainless steel will be enough. So the first thing to do is check whether the item is made of standard stainless steel or of 18/10 stainless steel. Some vendors will mention it in their listings while other won’t, some of them not even being aware both exist. An experienced vendor will be able to spot instantly the difference. Some stainless steel manufacturers used to add a stamp below the coupes, such as french Letang & Remy silversmith. See an example below:

Another important matter is the density and depth of scratches. While it’s quite common to find vintage dessert coupes with rather numerous scratches inside the bowls themselves (the scratches will be hidden by the food anyway), it’s a bit more problematic when these scratches are on the external sides of the coupes. Too many external scratches or stains will be quite unaesthetic and alter the beauty of the items. While its quite obvious to immediately check the scratches inside a dessert bowl, it’s less natural for a vendor to carefully check the entire outside zone, especially the one just below the bowl near the junction between the foot and the bowl. The shape of the coupes and how they were stored can produce scratches overt time. For example, coupes that have been piled together for years can leave scratches to the internal side of the bowl below as well as it can create scratches to the external side of the bowl above. So before purchasing, always ask the vendor about the scratches on the external sides of the coupes, especially because these scratches can be more or less visible depending on the light. Here is an example of scratches below the bowl of a cup.

With genieoftheattic.com, be assured that all the coupes are thoroughly checked before shipping (on top of being cleaned, polished and packed individually).

What are the major french vintage stainless steel dessert cups or dessert bowls brands?

France, as the country of gastronomy, has a long tradition of tableware and silverware. During the 1970s and the 1980s, stainless steel took a prohiminent space on french tables thanks to its undeniable advantages: cheaper than silver-plated for a quite similar look, very resistant, and the fact that it’s not subject to oxidations (the dark stains / patina that cover silver and silver plated items). No need to spend hours cleaning and drying the silver plated Christofle cutlery set anymore.

Jean Couzon, Létang & Rémy and Guy Degrenne are among the most notable brands when it comes to stainless steel tableware of the 1970s and 1980s. Most of their production is in 18/10 stainless steel, a guarantee of quality (“see below what is 18/10 stainless steel?”)