If you have never heard of a cutlery retriever, then this is a very beautiful invention.
You see, one of the most common ways for restaurants to lose cutlery is to be thrown away.
This happens when customers are busy at their tables and when the waiter is clearing the table.
It is easy to ignore knives, forks or spoons because they are scraping plates and trays.
The cutlery collector is a strong magnet that can be built into the lid of the trash can.
The opening allows food scraps and waste to pass directly, but the utensils will be magnetically glued to the lid for easy removal.
But…
The cutlery retriever does not automatically work with all types of cutlery.
To explain this, we must talk about the metal quality of the cutlery used in most restaurants.
Although it is often referred to as "silverware", the cutlery used in restaurants is usually a stainless steel alloy.
There are two important elements with different content: chromium and nickel.
These elements are represented by 2 numbers. For example, you might see a cutlery series advertised as 18/10.
The first number represents the percentage of chromium, while the second number represents the percentage of nickel in the alloy.
For cutlery marked 18/10, this means:
18% chromium
10% nickel
Restaurant-quality cutlery usually contains 18% chromium, which helps prevent rust and corrosion.
The nickel content contributes to the surface finish of the cutlery. The higher the nickel content, the higher the finish on the stainless steel.
However, for the cutlery retriever, you should look for items marked 18/0.
This means that the cutlery has no (0%) nickel content, but it will be magnetically attracted to the cutlery collector.
Keep in mind that although this grade of cutlery is very economical, its surface gloss is not as good as
the 18/10 grade cutlery with higher nickel content.
If you find that you often lose cutlery, you should consider using a cutlery retriever...Of course, match the right type of cutlery!