Trademark Class 21: Kitchenware, Tableware, Glassware and Cleaning Tools
Trademark class 21 covers household and kitchen utensils and containers, cookware and tableware, combs and brushes, cleaning articles, and glassware, porcelain and earthenware. Steel utensils, water bottles, lunch boxes and mops usually belong here. We search, confirm the class and file Form TM-A online.
What class 21 covers
The class 21 heading in the 13th edition of the Nice Classification reads: “Household or kitchen utensils and containers; cookware and tableware, except forks, knives and spoons; combs and sponges; brushes, except paintbrushes; brush-making materials; articles for cleaning purposes; unworked or semi-worked glass, except building glass; glassware, porcelain and earthenware.”
WIPO’s explanatory note includes utensils such as fly swatters, clothes-pegs, mixing spoons, basting spoons and corkscrews, along with serving utensils. Hand-operated kitchen apparatus for mincing or grinding, cosmetic and toilet utensils, gardening gloves and watering cans, and indoor aquaria are also here.
India follows this system. Under Section 7(1) of the Trade Marks Act, 1999, the Registrar classifies goods by the international classification, and under Section 7(2) that decision on class is final.
Common goods in class 21
Kitchen and cookware
- Non-electric cookware and pressure cookers
- Steel and aluminium utensils
- Hand-operated grinders and mincers
- Mixing and serving spoons
Tableware and containers
- Plates, bowls, glasses and cups
- Water bottles and flasks
- Lunch boxes and food storage jars
- Glassware, porcelain and earthenware
Cleaning and personal care
- Brooms, mops and cleaning cloths
- Combs, sponges and brushes
- Toothbrushes, including electric ones
- Gardening gloves and watering cans
What is not in class 21
Several classes sell into the same kitchen. Power and cutting edges are the usual tell:
| Item | Correct class | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Table cutlery: forks, knives, spoons | Class 8 | Cutlery |
| Vegetable shredders, pizza cutters | Class 8 | Hand cutting tools |
| Electric mixers, grinders, mincers | Class 7 | Powered machines |
| Electric cooking utensils | Class 11 | Cooking apparatus |
| Cleaning preparations, detergents | Class 3 | Cleaning chemicals |
| Tiles and building glass | Class 19 | Building materials |
Who usually files in class 21
Utensil manufacturers
A Jagadhri utensil maker selling stovetop cookware files in class 21; once it adds an electric kettle, class 11 joins.
Bottle and lunch box brands
Water bottles, flasks, tiffins and storage containers sold online or through retail.
Cleaning-tool and crockery makers
Brooms, mops and brushes, plus glass and ceramic tableware from centres such as Firozabad and Khurja.
Tips before filing
Search class 21 and its neighbours
Run a trademark search in every class you touch, here 21 plus 8, 7 and 11. IP India’s public search takes one class at a time.
List the products you actually sell
Write “non-electric cookware, water bottles, lunch boxes” rather than the heading. Precise words mean fewer objections.
Split electric from non-electric
An electric kettle or mixer needs class 11 or 7. Under Section 18(2), one application can cover several classes, with a fee for each class.
Pick your user date with care
State “proposed to be used” or your first-use date, and keep dated invoices to prove it. That date can decide a later dispute.
Frequently asked questions
Is a pressure cooker in class 21 or class 11?
A non-electric pressure cooker for the stove is class 21. Electric cooking utensils, including electric pressure cookers, go to class 11. In practice, a brand selling both stovetop and electric models should file in both classes. One application can carry both, with a fee for each class, and we draft each list to match your range.
Are spoons and knives class 21?
Table cutlery, meaning the forks, knives and spoons you eat with, is class 8, which is why the class 21 heading excludes them. Mixing and basting spoons and serving utensils stay in class 21. So a cookware brand selling cutlery sets needs class 8 as well. We sort each item at the drafting stage, so nothing falls through.
Which class covers a mixer grinder brand?
An electric mixer grinder is class 7, because WIPO’s class 21 note sends electrically driven apparatus for mincing, grinding, pressing or crushing to class 7. Hand-operated grinders stay in class 21. If you sell both under one brand, file in both classes. One application can carry both, with a fee per class.
What is the government fee for a class 21 trademark?
The Form TM-A fee is ₹4,500 per class for individuals, startups and small enterprises filing online, and ₹9,000 per class for others. Paper filing costs ₹5,000 and ₹10,000. Adding class 8 for cutlery means one more class fee. We confirm your applicant category first, so you pay the right amount.
Do water bottles and lunch boxes fall in class 21?
Yes. Household and kitchen containers, including water bottles, flasks, lunch boxes and food storage jars, are class 21. Storage containers for transport or industry, such as crates and drums, go to class 20 if not of metal. If the examiner raises a classification point, our trademark objection reply service handles it, and these points are usually routine.
What it costs
Our fee plus the government fee that applies to your case, quoted before you commit. Tell us the situation and we will price it exactly.
Government fee on Form TM-A: ₹4,500 per class for individuals, startups and small enterprises filing online (₹5,000 on paper), and ₹9,000 per class for others (₹10,000 on paper). Adding class 8 to the same application means one more class fee.
Ready to begin?
Send us your kitchenware or cleaning range and we will confirm class 21 and handle the trademark registration from search to filing.