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The Insider Pick:
High-quality flatware is appealing to the eye, durable, requires minimal maintenance, and makes eating enjoyable. The Villeroy & Boch New Wave Flatware is our top pick because it’s made of heavy duty 18/10 stainless steel, has a distinct look, and is quite easy to eat with.
My wife believes that about 80% of all household repairs can be completed with a dinner knife. It’s amazing what she can do with nothing more than a piece of flatware. However, at one point, our silverware drawer was full of bent-out-of-shape knives because she kept abusing our cheap silverware set. Worse yet, artic-cold ice cream had left several of our spoons looking like objects in a Dalí painting. It was time for an adult silverware set.
If your silverware has seen better days or you are just moving out on your own and need to know where to start in your flatware search, this guide will steer you in the right direction.
There are a couple features to look for in a good flatware set. First, stainless steel is the best silverware material due to its durability. Specifically, you should look for 18/10 stainless steel. The “18/10” refers to the 18% chromium and 10% nickel used in the steel composition. Nickel is valued for its resistance to corrosion and rust.
Heft and balance are also important when shopping for flatware. You want your utensils to feel comfortable in your hands. 18/10 silverware tends to have more heft and durability. This will make it less likely that your knives will bend as you try to cut an overcooked pork chop or while performing amateur mechanic work.
Beyond ensuring that the flatware is made of quality materials and feels comfortable in your hands, it comes down to appearances. Which set works best for your dining room décor? This is all a matter of personal preference. For instance, you may prefer the Oneida Louisiana Flatware Set over our top pick if you like a more old-fashioned look.
If you regularly host dinner parties, pay close attention to how many place settings you are purchasing. Though we like to think our guests are forgiving, it can still be embarrassing when you put out mismatched silverware. And, even if you rarely have people over for meals, it’s nice to have several place settings available so you don’t have to do the dishes after every meal.
Lastly, silverware is one of those purchases that is worth spending a little extra on since a good set can serve you for the rest of your life.
While researching the best silverware, we examined hundreds of buyer and expert reviews and ratings of dozens of sets. The flatware sets included in our guide are easy to clean, made of long-lasting materials, have a fashionable look, and feel comfortable in your hands.
Here are our picks for the best flatware sets you can buy:
Read on in the slides below to check out all our top picks for the best flatware sets.
SEE ALSO: The best dining tables you can buy
The best flatware overall
Why you'll love it: If you are looking for an affordable flatware set that exudes sophistication and is made to last, the Villeroy & Boch New Wave is your best bet.
The modern, minimal design of the Villeroy & Boch New Wave flatware sets it apart from the other sets in our guide. Designed to mimic the fluid shapes of the Villeroy & Boch New Wave Dinner Collection, the set comes with 64 pieces.
The New Wave flatware set comes with 12 place settings of a dinner knife, teaspoon, soup spoon, salad fork, and dinner fork. In addition, you receive four serving accessories: a gravy ladle, vegetable serving spoon, slotted serving spoon, and a meat fork.
Each piece is made of 18/10 stainless steel, which promotes long-lasting luster and shine, strength, and rust and corrosion resistance. This flatware is dishwasher safe and does not require polishing. Also, Macy’s offers returns up to 180 days after your purchase so you can get your money back if you are not satisfied.
The Wirecutter chose the Villeroy & Boch New Wave as the best slender-profile set. The reviewer notes that the spoon and fork heads have a gentle twist where they meet the handles (the “shoulder”), which lends an artistic flair while still feeling comfortable in the hands. Though the knife can be placed on its side or blade down, the reviewer found the knife was slightly unstable when placed blade down and might fall over if the table is jostled.
About 89% of the people who reviewed the Villeroy & Boch New Wave on Macy's website recommended it. One buyer was impressed with the design of the knives that puts your leveraging finger on a flat side rather than on an awkward edge. However, the reviewer mentioned that the teaspoons tend to fall through dishwasher utensil baskets. Other buyers were impressed with how the silverware looks like new when it goes through the dishwasher.
Pros: Unique design that is fashionable and functional, made of 18/10 stainless steel
Cons: Knife is somewhat unstable when set blade down
The best flatware on a budget
Why you'll love it: The Lenox Portola 65-Piece Flatware Set is an inexpensive silverware set that you can use for both casual and formal dining.
The Lenox Portola 65-Piece Flatware Set is the most affordable flatware set in our guide by a significant margin. At its current price, you are paying about $1.50 per piece. This is impressive considering that the flatware is made of durable and tarnish-resistant 18/10 stainless steel.
The set includes twelve 5-piece place settings: a teaspoon, salad fork, soup spoon, dinner knife, and dinner fork. There’s also a hostess set featuring a pierced tablespoon, tablespoon, cold meat fork, butter serving knife, and sugar spoon. These pieces are all helpful when serving a variety of dishes and treats.
Lenox has a Lifetime Breakage Replacement Program. If a product breaks because it is defective, the company will replace it at no cost. If it breaks due to misuse, they will replace your flatware at half of the MSRP (plus fees.)
The Smart Consumer believes the Lenox Portola 65-Piece Flatware Set is your best option because the utensils feel comfortable in one’s hand. The reviewer appreciated the tapered edges featuring a slightly heavier and wider handle end. The Spruce Eats also liked the balance each piece has. The reviewer noted that the embellishment is understated enough for just about any taste, which makes it good for both everyday use and special occasions. Also, Best Reviews considers this the best flatware set because of its rust-resistance and durability.
About 85% of the people who reviewed the Lenox Portola 65-Piece Flatware Set on Amazon gave it five stars. The most common comment is that the silverware has heft to it, but the utensils are well-balanced. There are a couple complaints about the flatware showing signs of rust. Specifically, this appears to be a more common issue with the knives, though the vast majority of buyers do not mention this problem.
Pros: Versatile design, good balance, made of 18/10 stainless steel, cost-effective
Cons: Complaints of rust
The best high-end flatware
Why you'll love it: If you want to make a bold statement with your silverware, the Aero Flatware Place Setting is lightweight and shows that you pay attention to detail.
The Aero Flatware Place Setting features a sleek hard plastic handle that is easy to grip. The exaggerated heads are made of 18/10 stainless steel for rust-resistance and durability. Made in Portugal, this is the most expensive set in our guide at nearly $10 a piece when purchasing the 20-piece set.
Buyers have been surprised by the size of these utensils so it’s important to note that the knife is 8.9 inches, the dinner fork is 8.5 inches, the tablespoon is 8.3 inches, the salad fork is 7.3 inches, and the soup spoon is 7 inches. Also, to maintain the look of this flatware, Crate and Barrel recommends rubbing a small amount of olive oil or hand lotion on the handles.
The Wirecutter recommends the Aero Flatware to people who are looking for an ultra-sleek table setting or if you just like mid-century modern design. The reviewer noted that this silverware was lighter than any of the other models they tested. But, when it came to feel and visual appeal, the Aero pieces were ranked the highest by more testers. However, they noted that the exaggerated spoon bowls and fork heads may not be for people of all tastes.
Based on more than 110 buyer reviews, the Aero Flatware has a 4.6-star average. The most helpful review describes how great the silverware feels and looks, but the buyer found that after just washing the pieces a few times, the black handles became a dingy gray. This is not a common complaint, though.
There were a couple other flaws pointed out by buyers. One person noted that the forks were fairly small and the dinner forks are more the size of salad forks. Also, one buyer accidentally melted a handle by leaving it too close to a stove burner.
Pros: Bold design, lightweight, made of 18/10 stainless steel and hard plastic
Cons: Expensive
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