The Couzon company was founded in 1934 by Mr Jean Couzon. After having started producing stainless steel flatware and holloware in 1946, the company quickly delvelopped into one of France's undisputed market leaders. The trading brand ' Jean Couzon Orfevre' , adopted in 1971, was soon recognised on the market thanks to clever advertising - and, obviously, fine product quality. In the late seventies and early eighties the company worked hard to be at the leading edge of progress, not only technologically but in areas such as sales, advertising and creation as well. The efforts paid off; in 1986 Couzon had over 700 employees and its products were sold with great success.

Care & Usage

Feel free to use your flatware every day. The more silverware is used, the less cleaning it requires, as regular washing keeps oxidation from turning it yellow (a reaction generated by the sulfur in the air). Its many qualities make silver particularly well suited to modern life. We recommend that you put your flatware in the dishwasher, as its beauty will only increase with use and washing. However, silver does require some care and we recommend:

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Silver-plate:

IN THE DISHWASHER:

+ USE SEPARATE COMPARTMENTS FOR SILVER IN ORDER TO AVOID CONTACT WITH OTHER METALS (steels stainless steel…)
+ ONLY USE DISHWASHER POWDER (and avoid liquids). We recommend SUN REGULAR POWDER, SUN MICRO POWDER, or SUN DOSES, 3 products specially designed to clean your flatware perfectly while protecting it.
+ LEAVE THE DISHWASHER OPEN AT THE END OF THE CYCLE TO LET THE STEAM EVAPORATE.

WASHING BY HAND:
+ ALWAYS USE A SOFT SPONGE (and never a scouring pad)
+ NEVER USE CLOROX (it would ruin your flatware)

PROTECTION AND STORAGE:
+ ANTI-OXIDIZING CASES
+ ANTI-OXIDIZING COVERS OR BAGS
+ THE GREEN ANTI-OXIDIZING MATERIAL USED BY ERCUIS FOR CASES AND BAGS IS ALSO SOLD BY THE YARD, and has been specially processed to protect your flatware from natural oxidation.
+ USE THE SPECIAL SILVER CLEANING PRODUCTS
+ DO NOT USE RUBBER BANDS ON FLATWARE


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Stainless Steel:
+ Dishwasher safe
+ Place the silver and steel flatware in different baskets
+ Use detergent in gel form
+ Gentle cycle at low heat
+ Hand dry immediately after washing for long lasting quality
+ Couzon Hollowware not to be used in the oven
+ Never soak flatware for long periods of time

When it comes to the stainless steel composition used in flatware, 18/10 is the very best that you can get. The 18/10 composition contains 18% chromium and 10% nickel. The more nickel material, the more resistant stainless is to corrosion.

However, though the higher concentration of nickel (10%) makes it highly resistant to pitting, staining and rusting, it does not necessarily guarantee it. It really depends on how you care for the 18/10 quality stainless steel flatware. But, by buying 18/10 rather than 18/8 or 18/0, you have taken the first steps to ensure the highest quality and resistance possible.

Of the stainless flatware set, knives in particular are more susceptible to rust. That's because flatware knives contain a certain amount of carbon steel in the blade construction, which is essential to make the knife blades harder and more durable, than they would otherwise be if carbon was left out of the composition. There are several things that can cause stainless steel flatware to rust. Harsh dishwasher detergents can over time, cause staining. When flatware is left wet in the sink, in the dishwasher or on the counter, acid from food residue can erode the finish and cause rust stains or pitting. This often happens when cutlery is not dried immediately after washing, but is left to air dry in the sink tray or dishwasher. Or when washing dishes and cutlery is deferred to the next day or meal time.

How can you prevent this from happening and keep flatware looking nice? You should hand wash quality flatware after using and dry it immediately. Though it sounds labor intensive, it will keep your expensive flatware looking nice. You could also keep quality stainless in a cutlery chest or store it separately from other flatware. This would prevent the odd scratching from everyday wear and tear or from other utensils.