Food grade stainless steel is durable, does not require additional coatings, and does not impart a metallic taste to liquids.
All Pura bottles and sleeves are made from #304 (also known as 18/8) stainless steel, a compound long used in the food and medical industry and recognized as a sanitary, non-leaching, inert material (free of BPA, EA, etc.) . In addition, our stainless steel is not only 100% recyclable, but in general is usually 60% recycled, so Pura is also an environmentally progressive product.
One of the main advantages of # 304 stainless steel is the fact that it does not require coatings containing chemicals. Aluminum bottles are internally coated with a protective coating (usually based on epoxy) due to potential toxicity and reactivity issues with pure aluminium. But the use of such a coating defeats the whole point of a non-plastic bottle, since now you are actually drinking from a bottle of epoxy, which is actually no better than plastic bottles!
One of the most common myths about #304 stainless steel is that the bottle adds a metallic flavor to your drinks. Does pasteurized milk, draft beer, cooked pasta, or whatever you eat cooked in traditional steel utensils taste like metal? Of course not, and all Pura bottles are made from the same stainless steel used in milk pasteurization, brewing, glassware and cutlery. The fear of “metallic taste” comes from aluminum, not stainless steel, and this is a common objection that can be heard from glass bottle sellers. Fortunately, this is completely not the case, as high quality stainless steel has been used for decades in all types of food preparation/serving, as well as in medical settings. Nothing ever penetrates inert stainless steel # 304 (18/8) into food and drinks.