Formability of austenitic stainless steels is strongly influenced by the chemical composition, the internal texture and the deformation conditions. The purpose of this study is to determine how small variations in chemical composition and minor variations in the production process are influencing the formability of type 304 and 316 austenitic stainless steels. In this study, the formability of ten sub-grades of type 316 austenitic stainless steel and four sub-grades of type 304 austenitic stainless steel were investigated. These investigations are expected to have significant impact for both stainless steel producers and users. If the influence of the chemistry on the formability and the influence of different paths in the cold-rolling plant on the anisotropy are better understood, then manufacturers will be able to design processes which optimise the limiting strains.