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Need help urgent Cooking Surface plated with Nickel or Chrome question

Q. Hi there. I am testing a new grill surface design. I am having a 1 1/12 inch solid steel bars welded to create a grill design for grilling food as a surface. I wish to have this hard chrome plated. But too expensive or unavailable for a small sample out here in Providence, Rhode Island. Now I was told just nickel plate it. I wish to run some tests for grilling food on it. Is such nickel plating safe as a cooking surface. How about just regular chrome plating. Appreciate any advice.

Sam Farahani
- Rhode island
December 13, 2011

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Personally, I would not want to electroplate a grill with nickel or chromium, but instead would use stainless steel bars. The reason is that the high thermal cycling and abrasion with spatulas etc will inevitably result in an ultimate loss of adhesion of the coating and this will result in a very messy appearance that will be difficult to repair

Trevor Crichton
R&D practical scientist
Chesham, Bucks, UK
December 28, 2011

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Hi, Sam.

Trevor is right, of course, but solid stainless steel bars of your size may be cost prohibitive. My understanding is that nickel plated oven racks are a commonplace, so I think it's worth testing if stainless steel proves too expensive to be practical.

Regards,

Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
December 28, 2011