A thicker layer of nickel is applied beneath the chromium to improve its adherence, surface finish and, when steel is the substrate, its resistance to rusting. It is frequently used as an attractive finish for bathroom fittings etc. Once damaged, the coating cannot easily be repaired. Silver plating has the rich, warm colour characteristic of solid silver but tarnishes quickly in the air, requiring regular cleaning. It doesn't rust but can, over years of cleaning, lose its silver surface, exposing the base metal beneath.
Popular silver plated products include cutlery and tea services.
Zinc is another metal mainly found as a coating, rather than as a solid metal, although zinc alloy die-castings are still sometimes used for door and window fittings. They are extensively used for utility products outdoors but never used for cookware and have little, if any, utility in the kitchen or on the dining room table. However, if grandmother's galvanised washtub or bucket has survived, it will serve as a reminder of a material once commonplace in early kitchens. Aluminium is normally found as an alloy rather than as a pure metal. Its light weight and excellent heat conductivity once made it a popular choice for all kinds of cookware.