Stainless Steel vs Silicone vs Plastic: Choosing Plates for Kids

We were already health-focused before we had kids. After Leo was born, we went through everything in our house, including what the kids would eat from.

We tried silicone first. It held onto smells, and the taste of one meal carried into the next. We looked into the different grades of silicone, and in the end we switched to stainless steel and took plastic out of the house.

We couldn't find stainless steel tableware for kids that we loved, so we created our own and named it after our boys.

If you're trying to work out what your kids should eat from, this is what we learned about each option.

Plastic

Plastic is light, cheap and easy to find in every colour. The downside is that it wears. Over time plastic plates and bowls get scratched and stained, they can start to hold smells, and some warp in a hot dishwasher. Once that happens, they get replaced.

Silicone

Silicone is soft and flexible, and it grips the table well, which is useful in the highchair years.

The problem for us was smell. Ours held onto smells even after washing, and food started to taste like whatever had been on it before. That's what made us switch.

Stainless steel

This is what we use at home now. Stainless steel doesn't hold smells or carry flavours from one meal to the next. If it's dropped hard it might dent, but it won't crack or smash, so it's still good to use. It goes in the dishwasher, and it doesn't wear out the way plastic does, so it keeps going as your kids grow.

Ours is 304 stainless steel, also called 18/8 after the chromium and nickel in it. It's a food-grade stainless steel used widely in cookware and commercial kitchens.

The upfront cost

Stainless steel costs more upfront than plastic or silicone, so it can seem like the expensive option at first.

The difference is you buy it once. There's no replacing scratched or smelly plates every few months, no time spent hunting for new ones, and no cupboard full of mismatched plastic. Just a few pieces you use every day for years.

What we'd suggest by age

Babies in the highchair: suction helps. Our suction bowls and divided plates are stainless steel on top with a removable silicone suction base underneath, so only stainless steel touches their food.

Toddlers and older kids: our pure stainless steel range is double-walled 304 stainless steel with no plastic, silicone or coatings. The Starter Set is a plate, bowl and cup. If you've got more than one at the table, the Family Set has four of each.

Older kids and adults: the Sol Plate is a full-size 23cm dinner plate, so it suits the whole family and doesn't get outgrown.

If you're making the switch, we've also written about how to look after stainless steel. You can read more about us on our story page, or email us at hello@leoandsun.com with any questions.

Keri and Ryan