Significant reduction in the outgassing rate of 300-series stainless steel is routinely attained through combination of electropolishing and vacuum baking. Preferential removal of Ni, Fe, and Mn from the surface of stainless steel by electropolishing creates virtual chromium coating without trapping impurities under the surface. It also reduces the atomic surface area by more than an order of magnitude. When the material is vacuum-fired to remove interstitial hydrogen, the resultant stainless steel exhibits an outgas rate of ca. 2E-15 torr liter/cm@super 2@ s, as well as drastically reduced adsorption, absorption and catalytic behaviors.