Buzzard767. You seem to have a penchant for arguing. So let me add my two cents to Andy's. Though you are technically correct, and no steel is impervious to rust, there are varieties of stainless steel that are highly rust resistant. For instance, there a numerous brands of diving knives designed to resist rust in highly corrosive salt water. There are stainless steels that are used in critical applications, such as potable water tanks, and tubing on sea-going ships, etc. Stainless steel also resists staining due to contact with foreign agents.
Of course there are a host of factors that determine just how tough, and resistant stainless steel pots, appliences, tools, knives, etc. are. There are also variations in Rockwell Hardness, maleability, elasticity, tensile and shear strength, shock resistance, and a whole battery of other properties.
All that being said, most stainless steel products can take a fair amount of abuse and still resist corrosion, chipping, breaking, etc. If a particular brand tends to rust after one machine washing, I'd say use a different brand that has higher quality steel.
And if you really want to be free from corrosion (and yes, if exposed to the right acid, even gold corrodes), use ceramics, or titanium tools. But then you will have to settle for tools more brittle than the steel counterparts, in the case of ceramics, or knives that are impossibly difficult to sharpen, and that won't hold an edge in the case of titanium. But they are both corrosion proof, period.
And that's my story, and I'm sticking to it.
Seeeeeeya; Goodweed of the North