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When it comes to items in the kitchen drawers, the utensils are often the last thing on our mind despite being used daily. Most drawers will contain a mix of random, old spoons, knives, and forks given to them by their parents, friends, or neighbors, probably when they got their first place.
Regardless of why you’ve old sets in your kitchen, upgrading them to a more sophisticated option will be a decent decision. You deserve to eat with a high-quality, nice-looking set of flatware.
Don’t worry; owning one of these best sets of flatware won’t require you to break the bank. Of course, you should expect a plethora of flatware set options on the market, which makes choosing the right one tricky and time-consuming.
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WHAT’S INCLUDED IN A FLATWARE SET? MATERIALS?
A flatware set should include fork, spoon, knives, and serveware. Now, let’s take a closer look at each item in this set.
Forks – A dinner fork comes in a standard fork size, while the salad fork is a bit smaller than the dinner fork. The dessert fork and salad fork are about the same length, but the latter may be wider.
The fish fork is narrower than a dinner fork but about the same length. A shellfish or oyster fork is small in size and easily identified with the two-tine design.
Knives – the standard-sized knife is the dinner knife. The butter knife has a round-shaped tip and is usually smaller in size. Fish knife and dinner knife are similar in size, but the formal has a special tip that allows users to undress the fish served with bones, skin, head. Another type of knife often included is a steak knife with a razor-blade serrated blade. Check out Best Steak Knives of 2020
Spoons – the most required spoons are the dessert spoon and soup spoon. However, there are other spoons like the demitasse spoon, which is often included when you purchase a cup and saucer.
Nevertheless, the dessert spoon is also suitable for stirring except in the most formal setting. While there are different soup spoons out there for broths or cream soups, the standard soup spoon should do just fine.
A place or tablespoon is often included on a formal table when there’s a meal or an informal setting if soup won’t be served. A teaspoon is only meant for tea, as the name implies.
Serveware – this usually includes a cake or pie wedge, a large serving fork, a soup ladle, a cheese knife, and a large serving spoon. Therefore, it’s important to ensure you have the right serving utensil based on what you serve regularly.
Reviews of best flatware consumer reports of 2020
Here’s a list of the best flatware set for everyday use to add elegance and sophistication to your simple dinner table.
#1 – LIANYU Best Silverware Set 20-Piece, Stainless Steel Flatware Utensils Set
Having a beautiful looking dinner table doesn’t have to be expensive. This set is a simple and attractive flatware option from Lianyu. It’s our pick for the best white silverware sets on the market.
This flatware will have no issue matching with both modern and traditional dinnerware. It’s a go-to for people who love to entertain and love to own flatware set to complement formal dinnerware.
Lianyu Silverware set features a stainless steel construction to offer an attractive mirror finish. Also, it eliminates the need to polish this set of flatware, which ensures it remains elegant. Aside from its amazing looks, this unit is strong and durable that won’t bend or tarnish.
Further, this product is built to stand up to hot liquids and foods without causing damage to the mirror finish. The 20-piece set has a place setting for four people with room to expand up to 40 pieces. This unique feature makes it easier to entertain large groups. On top of that, it’s perfect for home use, restaurant, hotel, office, and outdoor activities.
Pros:
- Great value for the money
- Durable, sturdy, and rust-resistant
- Modern flatware set
- Simple mirror polish
- Expanded up to 40 pieces
Cons:
- Some forks and spoons are smaller than the standard.
#2 – HOBO Best Colorful/Rainbow Silverware, 24-Piece Japan Stainless Steel Flatware Set
When it comes to premium picks, HOBO Rainbow Silverware Set is a winner with its long-lasting, durable, and premium Japan stainless steel. This product is dishwasher safe, rust-resistant, eco-friendly, and easy to care. With proper care, this cutlery silverware electroplating would not peel off.
HOBO Rainbow Silverware Set is finely polished to ensure it offers a mirror finish. Not only that, but this set also features an eye-catching rainbow-like coating, including colors like purple, blue, pink, yellow, and gold for an outstanding appearance.
Furthermore, the sawtooth on the silverware edge is razor-sharp and a curved ergonomic design to allow users to slice meats with ease. Its unique design offers easy and effortless penetration. This 24-piece cutlery contains 6 tablespoons, 6 dining forks, and 6 steak knives. Also, it’s suitable for formal gatherings and any outdoor activities.
Pros:
- Eye-catching rainbow design
- Beautiful curve design
- Mirror polish finish
- Inflexible and impeccable quality
Cons:
- Advised to hand wash to prevent the electroplating from peeling off
#3 – Best 18/10 Flatware by Mikasa Stainless Steel Flatware Set
When it comes to beautiful flatware sets, Mikasa 5081086 Regent Bead 65-Piece 18/10 Stainless Steel Flatware Set is a top pick. This product will help to make one-of-a-kind tablescape for your special events and dining in your home extraordinary.
It’s available in lots of finish and pattern designs to coordinate with your dinnerware perfectly. It includes storage caddis or serving utensils to increase your entertaining possibilities. Mikasa 5081086 Regent Bead 65-Piece 18/10 Stainless Steel Flatware Set is crafted using only high-quality 18/10 stainless steel to ensure that the flatware set’s lustrous shine for many years to come.
With proper care and use, you won’t have any need to polish the flatware. Besides, it comes with a lifetime manufacturer’s warranty, which assures buyers of high quality and satisfactory results.
Pros:
- Completely dishwasher safe
- High quality 18/10 stainless steel construction
- Lifetime limited manufacturer’s warranty
- Stands up to years of use
Cons:
- Might have marks and scratches
#4 – Lenox 815486 Portola Stainless Steel 65-Piece – Best Expensive Flatware
This unique and elegant stainless steel set of flatware is designed to balance usability and quality to suit your taste, which is one of many reasons listed on our top 10 best flatware sets. The Lenox 815486 Portola Stainless Steel 65-Piece Flatware Set comes with 5-piece place settings, which allows you to host formal parties and family dinners.
For the sake of a lifetime enjoyment, every piece in this set is made of tarnish-resistant 18/10 stainless steel. It includes 12 dinner forks, 12 dinner knives, 12 soup spoons, 12 teaspoons, and 12 salad spoons.
Pros:
- Dishwasher safe
- Includes a set of hostess flatware
- Rust-resistant and long-lasting luster shine
- Breakage replacement guaranteed
- Durable. Versatile and easy to clean
- Perfect for formal and casual occasion
Cons:
- Products made in china tend to rust, so it’s advisable to buy a set with a “made in Vietnam” stamp.
#5 – Best Black Silverware Set by LIANYU 20-Piece Stainless Steel Flatware Cutlery Set
Another flatware set from LIANYU. This black silverware set includes 20 pieces – dinner spoon, dinner knife, dinner fork, teaspoon, and dessert/salad fork – all packaged neatly in a nice box. This product is a perfect gift for Christmas, Thanksgiving, Housewarming, etc.
It features stainless steel construction, which makes it sturdy enough to withstand daily use, rust-resistant, and durable to serve you for many years to come. This modern flatware set is a unique silverware with an appealing black shining metallic look for an elegant table setting.
With the LIANYU Black Silverware Set, you don’t need to be bothered about the chipping or fading, thanks to the innovative Vacuum Electroplating technology.
Pros:
- Black shining metallic look
- Ideal for everyday home use and outdoor activity
- Impressive durability
- Color doesn’t fade or chip.
Cons:
- Tend to rust
#6 – AmazonBasics 65-Piece Stainless Steel Modern Finish Flatware Set: Best inexpensive flatware
The AmazonBasics 65-Piece Stainless Steel Modern Finish Flatware Set includes 12 teaspoons, 12 place knives, 12 salad forks, 12 dinner forks, and 12 soup spoons, 5-piece serving set. This product is ideal for enjoying a bowl of cereal with your charming little ones and a coursed meal with your friends and family.
More so, this piece is food-safe, corrosion-resistant stainless steel; the set is built to stand up to daily use and serve you for many years. The AmazonBasics 65-Piece Stainless Steel Modern Finish Flatware Set is dishwasher safe and delivers both reliability and functionality.
On top of that, it comes with a 1-year limited warranty to assure customers of high quality.
Pros:
- Dishwasher-safe for easy cleaning
- 1-year limited warranty
- Dishwasher safe
- Polished silver finish
Cons:
- Rusting issues
#7 – Best Gold Flatware by Magicpro 24-Pieces Stainless Steel
If you are in the market for cutlery sets to enhance your table setting appearance, then Magicpro Flatware Set comes in a special gold color to complement your dining table. Its smooth edge or massive face of the spoon to protect your tongue and lips from injury.
This unit is nicely crafted from high-grade stainless steel for highly resistant rusting and corrosion. The round-shaped edges offer a better feel, and its mirror polish offers a luxury feel. More so, it’s easy to clean since it’s dishwasher safe. Magicpro Flatware Set is a perfect gift choice for friends and family.
Pros:
- Round edges and smooth surface
- Nice weight
- Sturdy, health material
- Service for 6
Cons:
- The teaspoons are a bit small.
#8 – Best Bamboo Flatware Set by Totally Bamboo
Next on our list is Totally Bamboo 3-Piece Bamboo Flatware Set, including a knife, spoon, and fork using a natural, earth-friendly material. It’s ideal for parties, school lunches, BBQ, picnics, or everyday meals.
This bamboo flatware set is easy to wash and reuse. Totally Bamboo 3-Piece Bamboo Flatware Set is dishwasher safe or quickly hand washed. It’s finely fabricated from organically-grown Moo bamboo, which is a renewable resource with rapid regrowth. More importantly, these eating utensils are lightweight and easy to carry along to your next pic, eating at the office, packing them in school lunches, or BBQ.
Pros:
- Reusable resource
- Dishwasher safe
- Lightweight design
Cons:
- Pack of three
#9 – Cuisinart 2-Pack of 20-Piece Flatware Set, French Rooster (CFE-01-FR20)
Last on our list, Cuisinart 2-Pack of 20-Piece Flatware Set is carefully handcrafted to add style and grace to every meal. This cutlery set comes from Cuisinart known for delivering a high-quality product, and this product is no exception. It’s handcrafted from the finest heavy-gauge stainless steel and features a distinctive “C” hallmark finish.
It’s an ideal choice for people looking to own flatware sets for large continental-sized pieces. The most impressive feature of Cuisinart 2-Pack of 20-Piece Flatware Set is its manufacturing process paying a lot of attention to detail, ensuring this set provides a unique dining experience.
Pros:
- Dishwasher-safe
- Handcrafted with extra care
- Available in 20 or 40-piece option
- Finest heavy-gauge stainless-steel
- Limited lifetime warranty
Cons:
- Require extra care to prevent rusting and pitting
#10 – Best Wooden Flatware By Antrader
For people looking to pin down the right wooden flatware on the market, the Antrader 9-inch Kitchen Tableware Dinnerware Flatware could be your best bet. This unit includes 4 pieces of wooden forks and 4 pieces of wooden spoons.
It’s suitable for ideal portable tableware for lunch boxes, picnics, camping, and also for restaurant, home kitchen use. This flatware is crafted from natural wood, which means the product is free of BPA, lead, or any harmful chemical materials.
Also, it smells like natural wood and oil. Plus, Antrader 9-inch Kitchen Tableware Dinnerware Flatware comes with a quality guarantee should you experience any issues with the set.
Pros:
- Perfect for outdoor activities
- Made from natural wood
- Offers a traditional feel
Cons:
- Requires extra care
What should I look for when buying the best stainless steel flatware?
Before purchasing a flatware set, there are a couple of things to put into consideration to ensure you make the right choice.
Without further ado, let’s consider the key factors:
- Number of settings: the first thing to keep in mind is the number of people you’re looking to feed. For people who host dinner parties or have in-laws/relatives around frequently, then you want to go for a large place setting a set of flatware. However, if you’ve got a small family or living alone, then you go for a smaller place setting, which is also a smart decision.
- Design: the set of flatware with a plain design will easily match your existing dinner dishes and cutleries. Nevertheless, models with ornament designs badly suit all holiday/celebration dinner dishes.
- Care and use: when trying to pin down the right set of flatware for your home, the handles are important as it determines how comfortable or easy the grip will be. Also, the fork tines should be smoothed and rounded to prevent injuries. Furthermore, you want a set that’s dishwasher safe to make caring for each piece easy.
- Material component: All sets of flatware are usually made of either 18/0 stainless steel or 18/10 stainless steel. Other models might feature mirror polish to offer a modern look. The best flatware sets with mirror polish do not require repolishing after use, as they retain their lustrous shine for long.
- Weight: another prime consideration is the weight of the cutlery set. There are three options – lightweight, medium, and heavy-duty. When it comes to durability, you want to consider a heavy-duty flatware set. Nevertheless, medium weight and lightweight flatware sets are easy to carry along on your next picnic or outdoor activity.
- Price: Like most products on the market, flatware sets are available at different prices. Therefore, it’s important for you to determine how much you’re willing to invest in a set of flatware. Keep in mind that there’s a budget-friendly option offering impressive sturdiness and elegant looks.
Best Flatware Brands in the world
There are lots of brands out there, but we recommend purchasing from renowned brands to assure you of quality—Berglander, AmazonBasics, Lenox, LIANYU, Mikasa, Cuisinart, and many more.
FAQs About Flatware
What is the difference between 18/10 and 18/0 stainless
When it comes to 18/0 stainless steel and 18/10 stainless steel is the nickel present in the latter, which makes it offer a luster shine without the mirror polish. However, the 18/0 stainless steel does not contain nickel, which means you shouldn’t expect a luster shine except they are mirror polished.
Is 18/10 stainless steel a good quality?
The 18/10 offers a sturdy feel and is more durable due to the presence of nickel. Also, it comes with a salt price tag.
Conclusion
We’ve carefully handpicked the best flatware set for everyday use and also a buying guide to help make a decent decision.