Cutlery Sets: Options, Brands, Selection Tips

A person uses cutlery every day. Without them, you cannot imagine a single meal. A beautiful set of cutlery turns a regular meal into a real ceremony in compliance with the rules of etiquette. Modern manufacturers offer many options for both daily use and for a special occasion. This article will help you figure out how to use different cutlery and what sets are made of.

All cutlery can be divided into two groups.

1. Auxiliary (general use). For example, a common salad spoon or tongs.
2. Personal use. This group includes forks, spoons, knives and other appliances that are intended only for one person.

A complete set of personal cutlery includes the following items.

• Dessert. Its length is only 14 cm. It is located in front of a plate.
• Dining room (fork for hot dishes). Its length is 17-20 cm. It is located to the left of the main plate. Fortunately, today we use only one fork for all hot dishes, whereas in the Victorian era a set of table forks for one person could consist of 7-10 devices.
• Cocktail. It is quite rare and is located to the right of the plate or in front of it.
• Salad (fork for cold appetizers). Its length is 14-15 cm. The location of the salad fork is not fixed. It depends on when the cold snacks are served.
• Seafood fork. Its length is 14 cm. But the structure depends on which particular dish they plan to use (for example, the fork for oysters and mussels has a more powerful left clove).A common feature of all seafood forks is that they have only three cloves.
• Fish fork. Its length is about 17 cm.

• Soup (spoon for hot dishes). It is located to the right of the knives and the plate.
• Tea room. This spoon can be used to pour sugar, try dessert (unless a special spoon is provided) or stir the cream.
• Dessert. Placed in front of a plate.
• Coffee shop. It is used for table setting for breakfast and is served only with coffee. This is the smallest spoon in the whole set.

• Table (knife for hot dishes). It is used for serving any table. Its length is 23 cm.
• Knife for snacks and cold dishes. It is slightly smaller than a table knife. Located to the right of the plate. Interestingly, until 1911, salad knives were made exclusively from silver or with its use. This is due to the fact that lemon juice and vinegar, which were used to dress salads, corroded all metals except silver.
• Dessert knife. This is the smallest of all the knives of the set, it is located in front of a plate and served with a dessert fork.

• Butter knife. This knife is placed away from the main devices on a patty plate.
• Spoon for iced tea. It is served with a cup of tea. Its length can reach 25 cm (this is due to the height of a special cup for such tea).
• Fork for crab and crayfish. Served with the dish and has only two cloves.
• Needle for lobster.
• Knife for fish.
• Steak Knife.

As a rule, no more than three types of cutlery are placed on the table. Everything else is brought as needed.

The following are common cutlery:

• a spoon for salt;
• knife saw;
• pouring spoon;
• grape scissors;
• shoulder blade caviar.

What are cutlery made of now, and what materials used before?

Of course, the first thing that comes to mind is the phrase “family silverware”. This expression appeared as a consequence of the tradition of giving the bride as a dowry a set of cutlery. It was considered the personal property of his wife and was not subject to division upon divorce. Such sets began to be called family because of the fact that each item was engraved with the maiden name of the wife. And silver was used to create them.

Two types of alloys are used to create them.

1. 800th test. Got its name from the ratio of parts of the alloy: 800 parts - silver, 200 parts - another alloy.
2. Pure sample. It has the following ratio: 925 parts - silver, 75 parts - another alloy. Items made from such an alloy have a special brand and a symbol of the crown.

A cheaper option is silver-plated instrument sets. As a basis for spraying use a workpiece made of chromium and nickel. Such appliances do not rust and can be washed in a dishwasher. Interestingly, silver appliances can only have gold plating.

An interesting and expensive option are gold-plated appliances. Stainless steel blanks are used as the basis. The sputtering is made of pure gold and is measured in microns.

The most common metal for making cutlery has become chromium-containing steel (stainless). Products from this material have a bluish tint, they are resistant to corrosion and do not retain odors.

Often you can find products made of chromium-nickel steel. Products from such an alloy have a cream tint. They are resistant to corrosion (due to the high chromium content) and to acids (due to the presence of nickel in the alloy). Such products are unpretentious in care and are often used in restaurants.

It is worth refusing to purchase aluminum devices, since they have the property of oxidizing.

A popular material for tableware for tourists is titanium.

Special attention should be paid to devices with decorative design. In order to give aesthetic appeal to products, wood, precious metals and stones, bones, porcelain, glass and plastic can be used.

Please note that cutlery made of precious metals is better to buy in specialized stores. In jewelry or souvenir shops they can sell sets exclusively as souvenir products. In this case, eating food with their use could be life threatening.

Cutlery sets consist of an auxiliary set and several personal ones. The number of personal devices depends on how many people the kit is designed for: 1, 2, 6, 12, 18, 24, 36. Often manufacturers pack the sets in cases, cases, briefcases and boxes. And to make tableware easier to store, you can buy special racks and stands for them.

To make it easier to analyze offers on the market, we will divide all the kits into premium options and kits for everyday use.

Consider the options for everyday use.

• Table set for 24 items from the brand Garde. This is a Russian-made stainless steel kit. It includes 24 items (knives, forks, tablespoons and teaspoons) for 6 people. Its price is about 7,500 rubles. Products have a laconic look, slightly elongated shape and a milky matte shade of steel.

• A set of cutlery "Three". It is made in Russia, at the Pavlovsky plant. The set includes 36 items (a tablespoon, a fork and a teaspoon) for 12 people. Its price is about 2,500 rubles. Cutlery made of stainless steel and decorated with engraving with floral motifs.

• Gottis Wave Cutlery Set. They make such sets in China. They include 24 devices (tablespoons, knives and table forks) for 6 people. Made of stainless steel. A distinctive feature of this set was a small decoration in the form of a round recess at the end of the non-working part of the spoon.

• Set of 48 items "Uralochka" Nytva. It is produced in Russia and consists of 48 devices for 6 people. Products are made of stainless steel with engraving on the handle. This is a gift set, which is sold in a special case. The total cost is about 4,000 rubles.

• Nomo cutlery set. It is manufactured in Portugal by Belo Inox. The set consists of 44 devices for 6 people (24 main devices and 20 auxiliary). Material - stainless steel. Approximate cost - 11 500 rubles.

• Zwilling steak cutlery set. This is a German-made set of 12 items. A feature of this company is that it produces specialized tableware for different dishes.

Premium sets include more expensive gift options.

• Roma Odisio Solingen Set. It is made in Germany by Odisio. In a set of 24 devices for 6 people. Products are made of gold-plated stainless steel. This set is offered in a gift box in the form of a wooden box. The approximate price is 25,000 rubles.

• Swing Pintinox 1929 Set. This is an Italian-made kit. It includes 49 cutlery for 12 people. The material used is stainless steel. The approximate price is 24 000 rubles.

• Sushi King Set (Mogano). It is made in Italy by Pintinox. Consists of 24 devices for 6 people. Stainless steel is used as the main material, but the handle is made of wood.A feature of this set is an unusual, highly elongated form of cutlery. The kit is sold in a case. Its approximate cost is 15,000 rubles.

• Face Cutlery Set. It is made in Portugal. It consists of 72 main devices for 12 people and 3 auxiliary devices. The approximate cost is 45,000 rubles.

• Schafer cutlery set. It is made in Turkey. It consists of 72 basic tableware for 12 people and 5 auxiliary devices (spatula, soup ladle, common spoon, common fork and slotted spoon). The set is offered in a special suitcase. The approximate cost is 25,000 rubles.

• Guy Degrenne XY Series Cutlery Set. This is an elite set of French production, consisting of 24 cutlery. Its distinctive feature was the unusual color of bronze. The set is packaged in a simple, classic gift box.

• Apollo Cutlery Series. Devices are made of stainless steel.

The advantage of table sets is that there is no need to look for matching appliances. To choose the appropriate option, you need to consider several points.

1. Do not buy aluminum products. They are toxic, retain odors, quickly lose their attractive appearance and do not have sufficient strength.
2. Cutlery of the highest quality is made of stainless steel alloys: cupronickel (an alloy of copper, nickel and manganese) or nickel silver (an alloy of copper, nickel and zinc). Such products are often plated and labeled.
3. Do not hesitate to ask the seller for a certificate of compliance with international standards ISO 9001. Only in this way you can make sure that this product is safe for life and meets all standards.
4. A quality product should not be scratched, chipped or chipped.
5. When buying, be sure to smell the item. Quality alloys do not retain odors. The device should not have any smell at all.
6. As a rule, well-known brands decorate devices with their own brand.

In order for the devices to last longer, it is necessary to adhere to several rules.

1. Knives are not recommended to be placed with other devices, since when touched, the blades lose their sharpness.
2. Devices with wooden and plastic handles must not be left in hot water for a long time.
3. To restore shine to stainless steel cutlery, they must be washed with powder, soda or fine sand.
4. After using silver appliances, they must be washed in a solution of baking soda, and then rinsed in hot water.
5. It is not recommended to store silver appliances with stainless steel appliances.
6. Stains on cutlery can be cleaned with citric acid, and then wipe the device with a dry cloth with tooth powder.
7. When washing appliances, do not use metal sponges, as they can scratch the surface.
8. Nominal spoons from souvenir shops must be stored separately from the tableware that you use for eating.

Next, see a video review of the Reality cutlery set 72.