Do you need one set of cutlery or do you need a second, more festive one, too? Does it make sense to buy special cutlery? And what style should you prefer?
You do not think above certain utensils until it is time to buy new ones. A spoon is simply a spoon and a fork simply a fork.
A motley collection of silverware gathered during several generations certainly has its charm, however a nice new set looks better. How to choose it?
What Size Of A Set?
Cutlery sets can be usually found in version for the minimum of 6 people, so that a whole family could comfortably eat their dinner. If you are 2 or 3 and you have a cutlery set for 8 people, it is certainly no fault, at any time you do not have to wash the dishes over and over again.
Double the number of people in a household is considered to be the practical minimum. It means that if you are 2, you need a set of cutlery for at least 4 people, so that one lost teaspoon did not cause a problem.
Pay Attention To Good Quality
Can you remember the aluminium cutlery, which was once commonly used at homes and later taken on travels, because it was so lightweight? You can still buy similar or even worse goods today. These are metal stampings that can be bent with the slightest pressure and they can even be cheap imitations of more expensive brands.
So how can the price guide you, when you buy a cutlery? The price range is very wide and it roughly corresponds to the quality of the goods.
Both For Weekdays And For Holidays
You can avoid the need to purchase a special set of cutlery for special occasions, if you buy a set that is stylish enough, for everyday use. In any case, the cutlery should match festive dishes otherwise you lose the desired effect.
And in which case you should really get a set of cutlery for festive occasions? The frequency of use does not matter so much, as the formality of your festive events. There is no sense in buying silver cutlery for Christmas, if you sit at the Christmas table wearing jeans. Contrariwise, a suit and an evening dress look for more expensive cutlery.
When purchasing a festive cutlery, make sure that the number is sufficient enough for all the guests who are going to participate in such an event. It does not look good at festive table, if 4 people use silver forks and the other 2 have to do with stainless steel ones.
Glossy Or Matte?
The pros and cons are clear: a cutlery with a glossy surface looks particularly impressive on a table, but every touch is seen on its surface. On the other hand, you never need to polish a matte cutlery, but it will not shine on your Christmas photos.
We recommend you to buy a matte cutlery set, and to pay more for a good design. The difference is clearly recognized. You should prefer the glossy ones only in the case, you want to use them along with the festive set of dishes. You can simply polish the cutlery few times a year and rest of the time, a dishcloth will be enough.
Cutlery with wooden handles is especially suitable for children or for elderly family members, because they are better hold. They naturally have their aesthetic function, too. Keep in mind, that the combination with wood often looks rustic, which should correspond to the dishes and to other features.
Special Cutlery
You need a soup spoon, a fork, a knife and a teaspoon as the basic utensils. Further decisions depend on the meals you like or the food you would like to try. For instance, do not refuse the snail tongs just because you have never eaten this delicacy. Get a pair of cutlery and then try to incorporate something new into your diet.
Do not forget the details that can otherwise be easily overseen: your cutlery should match e.g. the soup ladle or the serving utensils for meat.
How To Take Care Of Them?
If you use a dishwasher, always put the cutlery in it with its tips facing up, and not in contact with other utensils and dishes. You can wash all the cutlery with a mild dishwashing soap, a thorough cleaning can be done with a product intended for the specific material.
Silver and silver plated cutleries should not be cleaned in a dishwasher and rather be washed by hand, instead. They do not tolerate many other materials, e.g. they should not be washed with aluminium utensils at the same time, and additionally, they can be scratched relatively easily.
