Cutlery sets: equipment, brands, tips for choosing

A person uses cutlery every day. You cannot imagine a single meal without them. A beautiful set of dining utensils transforms an ordinary meal into an etiquette ceremony. Modern manufacturers offer many options for both daily use and for a special occasion. This article will help you understand how to use different cutlery and what the 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 devices 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 the 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 only use one fork for all hot dishes, whereas in the Victorian era, a set of table forks for one person could be 7-10 cutlery.
• Cocktail... It is quite rare and is located to the right of the plate or in front of it.
• Salad (fork for cold snacks). Its length is 14-15 cm. The location of the salad fork is not fixed. It depends on when the cold appetizers are served.
• Fork for seafood. Its length is 14 cm. But the structure depends on what particular dish you plan to use it for (for example, a fork for oysters and mussels has a more powerful left clove).A common feature of all seafood forks is that they only have 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 add sugar, taste dessert (if no spoon is provided), or stir in cream.
• Dessert. Fits in front of the plate.
• Coffee shop... It is used when setting the table for breakfast and is served only with coffee. This is the smallest spoon in the entire set.

• Table (knife for hot dishes). It is used when setting 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 because the lemon juice and vinegar used in salad dressing corroded all metals except silver.
• Dessert knife... This is the smallest of all the knives in the set, it sits in front of the plate and is served with a dessert fork.

• Butter knife. This knife is placed away from the main cutlery on a pie plate.
• Iced tea spoon. It is served along 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 crabs and crayfish... Served with the dish and has only two cloves.
• Lobster needle.
• Fish knife.
• Steak knife.

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

Common cutlery includes the following:

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

What is cutlery made of now and what materials were used before?

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

To create them, two types of alloys are used.

1. 800th test. It got its name from the ratio of the 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 stamp and a crown symbol.

A cheaper option is silver-plated instrument kits. A chromium and nickel blank is used as a basis for spraying. These appliances do not rust and can be washed in the dishwasher. Interestingly, silver devices can only have gold plating.

An interesting and expensive option is gold-plated devices. Stainless steel blanks are used as a base. The sputtering is made from pure gold and is measured in microns.

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

You can often find products made of chromium-nickel steel. Products from this alloy have a creamy hue. 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 maintenance and are often used in restaurants.

It is worth abandoning the purchase of aluminum devices, since they tend to oxidize.

Titanium is a popular material for tourist dining utensils.

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

Note that precious metal cutlery is best purchased from specialized stores. Jewelry or gift shops may sell sets exclusively as souvenirs. In such a 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 set is designed for: 1, 2, 6, 12, 18, 24, 36. Manufacturers often pack sets in cases, cases, suitcases and boxes. And to make the cutlery easier to store, you can buy special racks and stands for them.

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

Let's consider the options for everyday use.

• Table set for 24 items from the Garde brand. 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. The products have a laconic appearance, a slightly elongated shape and a milky matte steel shade.

• A set of cutlery "Troika". It is manufactured in Russia, at the Pavlovsk plant. The set includes 36 items (table spoon, fork and teaspoon) for 12 persons. Its price is about 2,500 rubles. The cutlery is made of stainless steel and decorated with engraving with plant motifs.

• Cutlery set Gottis Wave... Such kits are made in China. They include 24 cutlery (tablespoons, knives and table forks) for 6 persons. Made of stainless steel. A distinctive feature of this set is a small decoration in the form of a round recess at the end of the non-working part of the spoon.

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

• Cutlery set Nomo. It is produced in Portugal by the Belo Inox company. The set consists of 44 devices for 6 persons (24 main devices and 20 auxiliary devices). Material - stainless steel. The approximate cost is 11,500 rubles.

• Cutlery set Zwilling steak... This is a 12-piece set made in Germany. A feature of this company is that it produces specialized cutlery for different dishes.

Premium kits include more expensive gift options.

• Roma Odisio Solingen set. Produced in Germany by Odisio. The set includes 24 devices for 6 persons. Products are made of stainless steel with gold plating. This set is presented in a gift box in the form of a wooden box. The approximate price is 25,000 rubles.

• Swing Pintinox 1929 set. This kit is made in Italy. It includes 49 cutlery for 12 persons. The material is stainless steel. The approximate price is 24,000 rubles.

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

• Face cutlery set... Manufactured in Portugal. Consists of 72 main devices for 12 persons and 3 auxiliary devices. The approximate cost is 45,000 rubles.

• Schafer cutlery set. Manufactured in Turkey. Consists of 72 main cutlery for 12 persons and 5 accessories (spatula, ladle, common spoon, common fork and slotted spoon). The set is offered in a special suitcase. The approximate cost is 25,000 rubles.

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

• Apollo cutlery series. The fixtures are made of stainless steel.

The advantage of cutlery sets is that there is no need to find suitable cutlery for each other. To choose the right option, you need to consider several points.

1. It is not worth buying 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 items are often gilded and marked.
3. Do not hesitate to ask the seller for a certificate of compliance with international standards ISO 9001. This is the only way to make sure that this product is safe for life and meets all standards.
4. A quality product should not have any scratches, chipping or chips.
5. When buying, be sure to smell the item. High quality alloys are odorless. The device should not have any smell at all.
6. As a rule, well-known brands decorate appliances with their own brands.

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 they touch, the blades lose their sharpness.
2. Appliances with wooden or plastic handles must not be left in hot water for a long time.
3. To restore shine to stainless steel cutlery, rinse it with powder, baking 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 together with stainless steel appliances.
6. Stains on cutlery can be cleaned with citric acid and then wiped down with a dry cloth and toothpaste.
7. When washing appliances, do not use metal sponges, as they can scratch the surface.
8. Store personalized spoons from gift shops separately from the utensils you use to eat.

Next, watch the video review of the 72-piece cutlery set Reality.