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Eating Utensils
Utensils for place settings (knives, forks,
spoons, etc.) are the ornaments of your table
that your guests touch, so make sure yours
sends the right message. Place settings (often
generically called "flatware" or
"silverware" even though these
terms actually refer specifically to flat
utensils and those made of silver, respectively)
are made by a number of major manufacturers
with Oneida perhaps the leader, and many
fine china and designers offering their own
brands.
Material
Forgetting about plastic and
aluminum utensils,
your choices are mainly among
stainless steel,
silverplated, goldplated, and
Sterling silver.
Silverplated, and goldplated,
and Sterling
silver are difficult to maintain
(require
polishing), while the stainless
ware provides
an elegant, durable shine that
is dishwasher
safe. Your choice of plain stainless
or with
gold accents is a matter of taste
with some
preferring the elegance of gold
while others
perceiving it to be a touch too
garish.
Shape
The utensils should be easy to
hold. Rounded
(typically hollow) handles are
a more luxurious
design, flat patterns that appear
stamped
out of a sheet of metal are the
least (use
those for picnics). Some manufactures
offer
flat utensils with a curve that
gives the
illusion of a rounded handle;
these are nice
for everyday use, but bring out
the real
rounded ones for formal dinners.
Weight
Silver is heavy; flat aluminum
is light.
Hence, weight is often a sign
of quality
and durability, and so you should
choose
the heavier, sturdier utensils
for formal
dinners.
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