The production efficiency and cost for stainless steel steelmaking by HM DEP-KOBMS-VOD three-step process ( hot metal desiliconizing and dephosphorizing pretreatment-KOBMS converter decarburizing and alloying-vacuum oxygen decarburization) and EAF/BOF-AOD two-step process (300 series stainless steel parent melt steelmaking in arc furnace/dephosphorizing in converter for 400 series stainless steel-argon oxygen decarburizing and alloying) are analyzed. The three-step process has advantage to produce chromium steel and ultra-low carbon and nitrogen stainless steel including high productivity

low argon consumption and low P

Cu and Pb deleterious elements

while the (EAF-AOD) two-step process is favourable to produce 304

316L etc chromium and nickel stainless steels

it is available to using pig iron bearing nickel and stainless steel scrap

and has low production cost and high efficiency. The grades and production practice for stainless steels melting by three-step and two-step process at Taigang are presented in this paper.