Why a fork with two prongs? Cutlery materials

How many times in movies have we all seen (mostly) comic scenes in which characters are baffled by seemingly ordinary things like cutlery? Or rather, ignorance of their purpose and inability to use them. Many times, isn't it? At the same time, most of us, having laughed at the actors portraying incompetent actors, rarely think about how much they themselves know about table etiquette and cutlery. But in vain - everything happens in life. What if you find yourself at a reception, for example, with the Spanish king! Or at a business dinner with potential partners. Or Robert De Niro will invite you and your friends to lunch... In general, this text will be useful for everyone to read. It contains details about cutlery.

Where else to start a story about table etiquette and cutlery, if not a knife? At first, of course, the knife was a universal object: it was taken to war, hunting, and was also used at the table. But time passed, needs and habits became more refined, people (at first) were no longer satisfied with this state of affairs - knives began to differ from each other in their purpose. A separate type of them appeared - table knives. All of them had (and have) oval and blunt end blades. This, as you might guess, is connected with the rather harsh morals of the past: a sharp knife on the table could always become a weapon. Actually, it can be assumed that a table knife can also become a bladed weapon - it all depends on the situation. But still, one must think that harming them is somewhat more difficult. It's not worth checking.

Spoon

Although the spoon appeared later than the knife, it became a cutlery earlier. For example, in Rus' it has been known since at least the 12th century. While table knives came into European use no earlier than the 16th century (before that, as already mentioned, they were separate category were not allocated). Spoons along with knives were usually worn behind the tops of boots. Those who were richer had special cases. In general, it used to be customary to carry cutlery with you - you never know where you would have to eat. There are even sayings to this effect: “At other people’s dinners with your spoon,” or “A thrifty guest does not go without a spoon.”

Fork

The fork came into use in Europe around the 15th century. Although “came into use” is a strong word: this device appeared in very limited quantities and was the privilege of the nobility. The spread of the top-down fork occurred gradually. As for Russia, Peter I brought it to our state. There were, however, separate attempts to introduce the fork into Russian life before, but they were unsuccessful. Thanks to the first to the Russian Emperor nevertheless, its slow, but ultimately victorious march across the Russian expanses began. Here is what is written in the publication of the century before last “Russian Antiquity”: “A wooden spoon, seasoned with ivory, a knife and fork with green bone handles were always placed at the utensil of Peter I, and the orderly on duty was required to carry them with him and place them in front of the Tsar, even if he happened to dine at a party.” At first, forks were flat, with two prongs. But gradually their shape became more convenient, the number of teeth increased to three, and then four. Ordinary people in Russia recognized the fork and began to use it only in the 19th century.

Starring

Every cutlery separately, you see, we rarely use them. For example, it is generally impossible to eat with a knife - you need a fork. Except that a spoon is, in general, a self-sufficient thing, but it has long been perceived as one of the rather numerous representatives of the family of cutlery.

The meal usually begins with appetizers. Snack cutlery is available for this occasion. Usually it's a knife and fork. The length of the snack knife is usually equal to the diameter of the snack plate (it is also special). However, it is possible that it (the knife) will be a little longer (a centimeter or two). The fork may be a little smaller. Snackware is served with cold appetizers of all types, as well as some hot ones: pancakes, scrambled eggs, fried ham and others.

Next, most likely, the main courses will appear on the table: first, second. Cutlery must be changed. Actually, a spoon, fork and knife for main hot dishes are called “tableware”. Here, as in the first case, the table knife should be equal in length to the diameter of the table plate. The spoon and fork may be a little shorter. If there are no special utensils on the table (which will be discussed below), a tablespoon, fork and knife are also used to transfer portions of food from a common plate to the plate of the diner.

If lunch or dinner includes a fish dish or even dishes, then in order to taste them, it would be good to use special fish utensils. This is a knife and fork. The first one is stupid and appearance resembles a spatula. Fish fork - with four teeth, but shorter than the “classic” fork. By the way, fish utensils are used for eating mainly hot fish dishes. There is also (though rarely found) a separate auxiliary fishing device - a sprat fork. It has a wide blade base and five teeth. The teeth at the end are connected to each other by a bridge: to make it easier to pick up fragile fish with a fork, so that it does not become deformed. Please note - the sprat fork is intended only for transferring fish (not only sprat, but also, for example, sardines) into your plate.

Now dessert. They also rely on him special devices. Desserts include a knife, fork and spoon. The length of the knife, as many have probably guessed, should approximately correspond to the diameter of the dessert plate. A dessert knife is narrower than a snack knife, with a pointed tip (which means not all table knives have a dull tip!). The spoon and fork may be slightly shorter than the knife. The latter should have three teeth.

A dessert knife and fork are used when serving cheese, some types of cakes, sweet pies (including the famous “Charlotte”), watermelon, melon. A dessert spoon is useful for sweet dishes that do not need to be cut. It can be berry mousses, berries with cream or milk, fruit and berry compotes, ice cream, sweet cereals and other types of desserts. It happens that a dessert spoon is also served with broths in cups. This is a common mistake. If the broth or light soup served in a cup - you need to drink it. Eating from a cup with a spoon, even a dessert spoon, is simply inconvenient.

Fruits are also a dessert, but there is a separate type of cutlery for them. Fruit knife and fork are smaller than dessert ones. The fork has only two prongs.

For tea and coffee, separate types of spoons are used: tea and coffee. However, not only for tea and coffee. So, for example, a teaspoon is also useful for coffee with milk, cocoa, fruit cocktails, grapefruits, eggs, soft-boiled or “in a bag”. But a small coffee spoon is served mainly only with coffee: espresso or oriental brewed. There are also special spoons with a long handle - they are, for example, served with tea or iced coffee, or other drinks in tall glasses.

Wooden chopsticks are also cutlery. They came to us from East Asia along with dishes of Chinese, Korean, Japanese and other cuisines, which are now very popular in Russia and in the world in general. Actually, chopsticks come not only in wood, but also in metal, bone, and plastic. If this happens outside of countries where chopsticks are traditional cutlery, then European cutlery is usually served along with them, in case someone does not know how to use chopsticks. However, in China, if you are having a meal in a not-so-cheap eatery (anything can happen), they will also serve you a fork and knife if you ask, not to mention in good restaurants.

Corps de ballet

In addition to basic cutlery, there are also auxiliary cutlery. One of them (sprat fork) has already been mentioned above. Now a few words about other table assistants.

Knives. In addition to those already described, there are at least three more types of knives. First of all, a butter knife. It is needed to cut and rearrange pieces butter onto your plate (if it is served in a piece). A characteristic feature of such a knife is a semi-arched blade.

In addition to the butter knife, there is also special knife to serve with a piece of cheese. It is called a knife-fork and has a sickle shape with teeth at the end. With its help the cheese is cut off from big piece and placed on an individual plate. There is a saw blade for cutting lemons. After the lemon is cut, you can take a slice with a special two-pronged lemon fork.

Other “auxiliary” forks: for serving herring (two-pronged), in the set of cutlery for crabs, crayfish, shrimp - long, with two prongs, for oysters, mussels, cold fish cocktails - three prongs, one of them (the left one) is more powerful than the others, to make it more convenient to separate the mollusk pulp from the shells. The chill fork has three teeth, they are short and wide - needed for hot fish appetizers.

Spoons. They are also different. In addition to those described above, there is also, for example, a salad spoon. It is usually larger than the dining room. There are salad spoons with three small teeth at the end. The purpose of such a spoon is to transfer salad from common dish into a serving plate. The ladle, familiar to everyone, is also a spoon (pouring). It is needed, of course, for pouring soups, as well as milk, jelly, and compotes. The sizes of ladles vary depending on their specific purpose. A very small spoon (about a centimeter in diameter) is for salt. It is placed in the salt shaker.

Forceps. Don’t worry and don’t remember dentistry: we stay within the scope of cooking. Tongs are also auxiliary cutlery. So, large pastry tongs are used for transferring (again from a common dish to an individual plate) flour confectionery. Small pastry tongs are used for transferring sugar, marmalade, chocolates(assorted, without wrapper), marshmallows. Nutcrackers consist of two handles connected in a V-shape with serrated recesses for nuts. Ice also requires tongs - they are made in the form of a long U-shaped bracket, at the ends of which there are jagged blades on both sides. If you love asparagus, then you probably know that there are special tongs for it too. They are needed to remove asparagus from the grill on which it is often cooked. In fact, asparagus tongs are always sold complete with a wire rack.

Next, let's move on to the shoulder blades. To the table blades. There are quite a few of them: caviar looks like a flat scoop; it is used to transfer grainy or chum salmon caviar into a plate of caviar. The so-called “rectangular” spatula is used for transferring meat and vegetable dishes. In general, for hot and cold dishes there is also a shaped spatula with slots. And without a small shaped spatula, you and I, of course, will not be able to cope with the pate. Cakes with cakes (those that cannot be picked up with tongs) must be transferred with a large figured spatula, these come in a quadrangular shape.

Of course, it’s unlikely that anyone will have a complete collection of cutlery in their home. Even restaurants don't always have everything. Nowadays, the culture of food consumption has been somewhat simplified, fast foods and other eateries reign: time is saved on everything, even on food - we are in a hurry to live and feel in a hurry.

Terms of use

In conclusion, just a few words about how to use cutlery correctly. Actually, no one doubts that the readers of “Culinary Eden” are well aware of this matter. But it still doesn’t hurt to consolidate the knowledge.

So, never hold a knife in your left hand. This is an unshakable rule. Even for lefties. Bring the fork (or spoon) to your mouth, not the other way around. During the meal, when you bring a fork or spoon to your mouth, hold it parallel to the table. Don’t be greedy, don’t fill your spoon to the brim with soup - “on the way” you may accidentally spill some of it, stain the tablecloth or even one of your neighbors. Don't blow on hot soup- again, there is a danger that the splashes will reach other participants in the meal. And it doesn’t look too great from the outside. If you tilt your plate to eat leftovers delicious soup- tilt it away from you. Some etiquette experts, however, generally do not allow the possibility of such “liberties” in decent society: a meal is almost a sacred act.

If you have taken a device from the table, you should not put it back on the tablecloth. Not in the sense that you should put it in your pocket, but in the sense that, firstly, you can stain the tablecloth, and secondly, dust particles with lint may stick to the device, which have no way into your mouth. During a pause in the meal, place the cutlery on a plate next to the food. If it is a knife and fork, then their ends should intersect slightly (“draw” a full-fledged cross in the plate). When the meal is over, place the cutlery on the plate parallel (knife pointing towards the fork): the waiter or host of the feast will understand that the plate can be removed.

We will talk about the types of cutlery, their use, and purpose. Of course, most of them are used mainly at grand celebrations, restaurants and banquets. In everyday life, we use basic appliances that allow us to comfortably consume food. But I think it is useful and even necessary to know about their full set, because our life is not predictable and who knows where it will take us, but we need to be ready for anything.

Basic tableware is designed for food consumption, they in turn are divided into - refectory (dining), for snacks, fish dishes, dessert dishes and a fruit set, as well as for drinking hot drinks. It is possible that additional sets may be added to the listed sets.

Table set– intended for eating main dishes – these are the first and second hot courses. The set includes a fork, spoon, knife. The cutlery is also used for putting food into a portioned plate from a common one.

Snack bar– its purpose is cold and hot snacks, the set includes a fork and knife.

Fish- intended for hot fish dishes - the set includes a knife and fork, the difference from a diner is that for fish dishes a special knife is used - dull, in the form of a spatula, a fork - with teeth smaller than a dining room one.

Dessert- designed for various types of desserts. The set includes a fork, knife, spoon. The fork has three prongs, the knife is pointed at the end and narrower than a snack bar, and the spoon is shorter than the knife.

A knife and fork are usually used for pies, watermelon, and cheese. Spoon - for mousses, ice cream, jelly and similar sweets.

Fruit– intended for eating fruits, fruit salads🙂 The set includes a fork and a knife, smaller in size than dessert ones, and have the same handle. The fork has two prongs.

For hot drinks- for tea - a teaspoon, knife, fork - for lemon and sugar - tongs. For coffee, use a spoon smaller than a teaspoon.

Experts count up to two hundred types of knives; the main table knives are presented below.

For eating oriental dishes they use sticks which are made from wood, bone, metal and, more recently, plastic. This is the main device for eating food of the inhabitants of China, Japan, Korea and Vietnam. If oriental dishes are served in European countries, the main instruments are additionally supplied to the chopsticks.

Cutlery – additional

Auxiliary cutlery are those that are used for “transporting” dishes into portioned plates, or for cutting and eating exotic dishes. We will consider them in the form of a table, for a clear example.

A good example	Name	Application
	Butter knife	Used to cut off a portioned piece of butter and transfer it to a pie plate.
	Knife Fork	Used for cutting and laying hard cheese in portions.
	Double-horn fork	For transferring herring
	Sprat fork	For transferring canned fish
	Device for – crustaceans	For consumption
	Fork for shellfish - mussels, oysters, as well as cold, sea cocktails	For consumption and cutting.
	Single tine lobster fork called needle	For consumption
		For consumption of fish hot snacks
	salt spoon	For consumption
	Salad spoon	For shifting
	A pouring spoon, popularly known as a ladle	For serving hot first courses, dairy and sweet dishes
	Large pastry tongs	For “transporting” flour confectionery products
	Small pastry tongs	Designed for transferring chocolate, marmalade and marshmallows, sugar and other small goodies.
	Nutcrackers (pegs)	Description - obvious
	Ice tongs	For shifting
	Tongs for green beans(asparagus)
	Salad tongs	Designed for “transporting” salads with a lot of greens
	Grape scissors	For convenient cutting of berries from a bunch
	Caviar spatula	For convenient “transportation”
	Rectangular blade	For “transporting” meat and vegetable dishes into a portioned plate
	Curly slotted spatula	For “transporting” cold and hot fish dishes, it is especially convenient to use it for jellied fish.
	Small shaped spatula	For transferring the pate
	Shaped large spatula	For the confectioner
	Olive fork	For convenient transferring in portions
	Spaghetti fork	For convenient consumption
	Spaghetti tongs	Designed for convenient “transportation” into a serving plate
	Snail tongs	To hold the shell during consumption

Here it is huge variety cutlery, which is used for consuming or transferring food. They significantly simplify the process and provide additional convenience and pleasure. That's all. I wish you well for and great events in your life.

IN last time we became acquainted with how the fork firmly took its place at our table. Now we need to get acquainted with the versatility and diversity of this device. Listing all types of forks is a long and thankless task, since there are at least several dozen of them. We will talk about the most unusual of them.

Green bean fork(English: Asparagus fork) - used to transfer several pods of beans from a common dish to your plate. It is made from a single piece of metal that is bent in the shape of a U. Early versions were made from two separate handles connected like scissors. The ends are made in the form of blades or disks.

(eng. Carving fork) - the main difference from a regular fork is the size: this fork is much larger and longer, has two long and narrow teeth. Used for stringing and holding a piece of meat that needs to be cut. Due to its size, the meat is easily held on the board and thus the cutting process is easy and without clutter on the table. Usually sold in one set with a meat cutting knife.

(eng. Cheese fork) – used if hard cheese served on the table in one piece. It is not difficult to guess that before serving it has to be cut into slices.

– has five teeth and a wide base, serves to not disturb the integrity and aesthetic appearance of the fish while it moves towards your mouth.

(English: Pastry fork or fork) - designed for eating baked goods with one hand, while the other holds the plate. Contains 3 or 4 teeth. The outermost (inner) tooth is wider and combines a knife and a tooth. This cutlery was introduced in England during the Victorian era.

(eng. Calamete fork) - developed in Japan specifically for eating pasta. It is distinguished by the presence of an additional, short tooth for gripping noodles and a wavy rib at the opposite end of the fork to easily hold the pasta on the fork.

Sporf– a general term meaning a cutlery that combines a spoon, fork and knife. It was invented in the 40s by William MacArthur from Australia. At first the device was called Splayd. The only company that sells these cutlery in the world is Cambur Industries Pty Ltd from Australia.

Spork- a cutlery that combines a spoon and a fork. A patent for this device was received in 1874 in the USA in the name of Samuel L. Francis. The very name of such a device was invented only 25 years later.

(English: Pizza fork) is a pizza fork and knife rolled into one. It was invented quite recently, only in 2007, but it has already become “Gadget of the Week” on the website Stupidiotic.com.

(English finger fork) – for pricking all kinds of sweets and baked goods.

Fork opener Fork Bottle Opener - one cutlery that combines the properties of several.

Today it is a completely common item, without which it is impossible to imagine modern kitchen. But previously, attempts to make a fork a household item were perceived as “excessive luxury,” and the church even called it atheism and connection with the devil.

History of origin

It is known that the first mention of a fork was in the Middle East in the 9th century. Before that, people more often ate with their hands or used a spoon. And aristocrats resorted to using two knives: with one they cut food, and with the second they helped bring food to the mouth.

There is another version of the origin of the fork. According to it, the fork appeared in 1072 in Constantinople (Byzantium). The first place where she appeared was imperial palace. And it was made of gold, the handle was made of ivory inlaid with mother-of-pearl. And they made it especially for Maria Iverskaya, the Byzantine princess, according to her own order. So she can be considered the inventor of the fork. But it was not at all the same cutlery that is well known to us today. The fork had only two prongs and was intended primarily for skewering food.

In Italy, the fork appeared in the 17th century. It was the first country in Europe in which the aristocracy began to use a fork during meals. Later, this cutlery “reached” Northern Europe. The fork became widely used in England in the 18th century.

In 1606, thanks to Marina Mnishek, the fork appeared in Russia. Initially, this item in Russia was called “Viltsy” or “Rogatina”. Only in the 18th century the name fork was assigned to this device, and the cutlery itself began to gain popularity in use. Of course, initially the fork was available only to the rich and was served at noble dinners. It is at this time that the fork takes on the shape we know - four prongs.

Today, at modern feasts, almost a dozen different forks are used when setting the table. How to use all these devices can be read in modern specialized literature.

Types of forks

Today there are several types of forks that differ in their use. So, there are dining forks, snack forks, dessert forks and fish forks.

• Table forks largest in size. They have four teeth. As a rule, knives are placed next to them, the length of which is equal to the diameter of a medium-sized dinner plate. Accordingly, the size of the forks should be the same, or at least no more. These forks are suitable for meat (can be with a side dish), pancakes, etc.
• Snack forks slightly smaller dining rooms. They are used for hot and cold snacks.
• Dessert forks usually with two or three teeth. They are small in size and intended for cakes, pastries, pies, fruits (canned or fresh).

There is a special lemon fork, which is designed for convenient transfer of lemon slices. The fork has two sharp tines.

• Fish forks have distinctive feature– teeth of different lengths. From the name it is clear that they are intended for fish and dishes made from it. Thanks to teeth of different lengths, it is very convenient to separate fish meat from bones, as well as the pulp of oysters and mussels from shells.

In addition to forks, there are also various spatulas, needles and other utensils that make eating easier. For example, it is convenient to apply sprats with a special with a fork-spatula, which has five teeth connected by a jumper. Also, such a fork is very convenient if you need to transfer it to a plate. canned fish– she warns against deforming the fish.

Suitable for crabs, shrimps and crayfish long fork with two prongs.

To eat squid and lobster, use a special igloo, which also belongs to the category of forks.

Chill fork serves for the consumption of hot fish dishes. It has three cloves. It is very similar to dessert, only the cloves are wider and shorter.

To serve herring use two-horn fork.

dessert fork

Rules for using a fork

The table is set in such a way that all the cutlery is laid out near the plate, both on the right and on the left. Those on the right are taken with the right hand, those on the left, respectively, with the left. The device that lies farthest from the plate is taken first. So, gradually all the cutlery is used.

A fork can be held in two ways: either like a knife, with the tines down, or like a spoon, with the tines up.

The main thing is to learn how to hold a fork beautifully and correctly. It is important to remember that only three fingers work: thumb, index and middle. Moreover, the index finger should lie on top, but not on the bend, but slightly higher. And the thumb and forefinger are on the edges of the handle. The ring and little fingers are curved towards the center of the palm.

Waving a fork while eating is unethical.

When chewing food, the fork should be parallel to the plate.

Links

• Lace on a fork. Original panels, women's magazine myJane.ru

In this article you will learn about what types of cutlery exist, their advantages and disadvantages, the pros and cons of the material from which they are composed. We will also talk about caring for cutlery, how to properly lay out cutlery and much more.

There is a wide variety of cutlery, which consist of different materials, they can be: wooden, aluminum, of stainless steel, plastic, cupronickel or silver.

Cutlery is used for handling dishes and food at the table. Often the usual, standard cutlery that you see in the picture: a spoon, fork and knife - they are used for first and second courses, as well as for the process of laying out dishes if there are no serving utensils.

In addition, there are specialized cutlery for different dishes- snacks, fish, dessert, fruits, etc.

The snack utensil consists of a fork and knife- shown in the figure on the right. Compared to a regular, standard dining room, it is smaller in size and is included in serving hot appetizers such as pancakes, meat snacks etc.

Fish device shown in the figure on the left. Suitable for cutting fish dishes. The fish fork has four short tines and a recess for separating fish bones, and a fish knife is a short, wide blade. For fish dishes, ordinary table forks are also often used.

Dessert types of cutlery

The dessert cutlery includes a small spoon, fork and knife. Often dessert cutlery has original, unusual design, which emphasizes their grace. Dessert fork needed for sweet dishes, pies, charlottes, etc. dessert spoon They eat dishes with a loose consistency - mousses, puddings, fruits in syrup, etc.

For fresh fruits - pineapples, apples, pears, watermelons, melons - a fruit utensil is used, including a fork and knife. Canned fruits Can be eaten with one fork.

Special utensils are also used to serve coffee and tea - coffee and tea spoons, and for ice cream - flat spatulas with curved edges.

Cutlery is sometimes referred to as serving utensils (accessories), although this is not entirely correct - since cutlery is used to eat, and serving utensils are used to place dishes on plates, cut and divide them into portions, and perform other service operations. Cutlery is also often called individual cutlery, and serving cutlery is called auxiliary cutlery.

Spoons:

1 – Coffee shop
2 – Tea room
3 – Dessert
4 – Dining room
6 — Spoon for preparing mixed drinks

Forceps:

5 – Large pastry tongs
7 – Asparagus tongs
8 - Ice tongs
9 – Small pastry tongs
10 – Cigar pruner
11 and 12 - Lemon fork
13 — Cocotte fork
14 and 15 - Shovel-shaped blunt knife for fish main courses and a fish fork with a recess for separating bones

Cutlery (knife + fork):

16 and 17 - For dessert
18 and 19 – For dessert
20 and 21 – For snacks
22 and 23 – For snacks
25 and 26 - For main courses (except fish)
24 — Pouring spoon

Shoulder blades:

27 – Confectionery
28 – Pate
29 – Fish
30 – For caviar
31 – For ice cream

When serving a seat, it is customary to follow a certain order. First, tableware (porcelain) is placed, then cutlery is laid out, and only then restaurant glass can be placed. Cutlery is also laid out in a certain order, see the picture above.

The order of laying out cutlery

1. Butter knife
2. Pie plate - for bread and butter
3. First course spoon
4. Fork for seafood, cold appetizers
5. Knife for seafood, appetizers
6. Fork for meat and salads (main course)
7. Table-knife
8. Decorative plate
9. Soup plate
10. Dessert spoon
11. Dessert fork
12. Water glass
13. Champagne glass
14. Red wine glass
15. White wine glass

Rice. Full dinner service

Placement of dishes and cutlery for breakfast

Cutlery for traditional breakfast with coffee or tea, different varieties bread, butter, jam and honey (but without eggs)

Cutlery for a “coffee mug” or tea party with pastries. If necessary, you can add a pastry knife

Cutlery materials

Wooden cutlery

Wooden spoons can be used for outdoor trips, but not for daily use. Wood absorbs moisture, it is short-lived, and eating with such spoons is inconvenient.

Aluminum cutlery

Aluminum cutlery was common earlier. Now there is debate about the dangers of aluminum, but in any case, aluminum cutlery quickly loses its shape, color, and is also fragile.

Stainless steel cutlery

Stainless steel cutlery is one of the most popular. They are made from medical stainless steel, which practically does not react chemically with alkalis, salts, and acids. The most commonly used stainless steel is “18/10”, which contains 18% chromium (provides strength and corrosion-resistant properties) and 10% nickel (provides shine and protects against aggressive food acids).

Cupronickel cutlery

Cupronickel is an alloy of copper, nickel and manganese. Cutlery made from cupronickel ceased to be produced in the 50s of the last century. Now cutlery is produced from nickel silver (it is softer and also contains zinc). Nickel silver cutlery is plated with silver, gold or blackened. On back side Such devices are marked with MNC.

Silver cutlery

Silver cutlery is very expensive and is a source of pride for owners. The devices themselves are quite heavy, so it cannot be said that they are convenient for daily use.

How to choose cutlery?

Most often, dinnerware sets consist of 24 items: 6 soup spoons and small spoons, forks and knives. But there are also sets for 12 people. Such sets may also include a sauce spoon, dessert and salad forks, a ladle, a cake spatula, a sugar spoon, sugar tongs, a fork for fish and meat.

When buying cutlery, you should definitely pay attention to the shine - it can be white or greyish. Make sure there are no burrs on the edges of the devices. The teeth of the forks should not be excessively sharp, dull or chopped off.

A high-quality spoon or fork should not be deformed when you press harder on the bend - it should be thicker. The devices should not have any odor.

The standard thickness of cutlery is 1.5-4 mm, and the depth of spoons is 7-10 mm.

Knife blades can be unhardened (they are cheaper, but over time, stains appear on the blade, they wear out and age) and hardened (this blade is elastic).

Ask the seller for a hygienic certificate and a certificate of conformity. The certificate must indicate: manufacturer, address of the manufacturer, name of the brand of cutlery. The same data should be on the box with the devices.

Cutlery care

Stainless steel cutlery should be washed immediately after use to prevent food residues from drying on them. You can wash them with dishwashing detergents, a sponge or a cloth. Stainless steel cutlery can also be washed in the dishwasher. If dark or iridescent spots appear on the devices, they can be easily removed with a solution citric acid or vinegar.

If you have cutlery with plastic handles, you will need to constantly clean dirt from the places where metal and plastic come into contact. Such devices can also be washed in the dishwasher, just do not use high-temperature modes.

Caring for cutlery made from silver, cupronickel or nickel silver is a little more difficult. After each use and washing, such devices should be rinsed in a solution baking soda(50 g of soda per 1 liter of water). They can only be cleaned with special pastes and wipes. You can also clean it with ammonia: for this you need to take 10% ammonia, pour into a container and place cutlery there for 15 minutes. After this, rinse them in running water and wipe dry.