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Have you ever stood there not knowing how to properly position your cutlery for a formal dinner? From family dinner to that all-important business dinner, proper stainless steel cutlery placement not only serves as a marker of good etiquette, but dinner is also more enjoyable.
This article will walk you through step-by-step instructions on how to properly position stainless steel cutlery and provide tips on how to use stainless steel cutlery.
Basic Placement Principle: From the Outside In, Left to Right
The most basic place setting principle is “from outside to inside,” i.e., that most distant from the body should be placed farthest to the outside, in the order in which the courses are served.
- Forks: Always place on the left side of the plate. If there is more than one fork, such as a salad fork and an entree fork, place the salad fork on the left side of the larger entree fork, because salad is typically served before the main course.
- Knives: Always place them to the right of the plate, blade toward the plate. If there are two or more knives, e.g., a fish knife and a main course knife, the fish knife (which is typically smaller or has a unique shape) goes to the right of the main course knife.
- Spoons: Also set to the right side of the plate, typically to the right of the knives. Soup spoons (larger ones) tend to be set outside, with dessert spoons (smaller ones) above the plate.
Tableware Placement for Different Occasions
- Basic Western Meal (Three-Course): Main Course, Salad, Soup
- Dinner Plate: Placed in the center.
- Left Side: Salad Fork (outside), Main Course Fork (inside).
- Right Side: Soup Spoon (outside), Main Course Knife (inside), with the blade facing the plate.
- Napkin: Can be placed on the plate or under the fork on the left side of the plate.
- Water/Wine Glass: Placed in the upper right corner of the plate.
- More Formal Dinners
More formal meals will have extra table items, such as:
- Dessert spoon and dessert fork: These are generally placed above the dinner plate with the handles of the fork and spoon facing right for easy removal.
- Butter knife and bread plate: These are placed above the dinner plate to the left, with the butter knife resting on the bread plate with the blade facing down.
- Seafood cutlery: If oysters or other seafood are being offered, there can be a separate seafood fork, typically located on the far right alongside the spoon.
Questions Most Frequently Asked About Stainless Steel Cutlery
Most users who Google “stainless steel cutlery” are concerned about what the cutlery is made of and how to care for it.
- 18/10 stainless steel (304 stainless steel): It is the most widely recognized top-grade stainless steel cutlery, comprising 18% chromium and 10% nickel. Its nickel content gives it an excellent resistance to tarnish and a good luster. It is widely used in high-grade cutlery, thereby being resistant to wear and tear and easy to clean.
- 18/0 stainless steel (430 stainless steel): It has 18% chromium and no nickel. It’s less resistant to tarnishing than 18/10 stainless steel, but more affordable and magnetic. It’s still a great option for everyday knives.
- Black Stainless Steel Cutlery (PVD Coated): Black cutlery is highly sought after because of its sleek and stylish appearance. Black is normally achieved through PVD (Physical Vapor Deposition), which is an environmental process that coats metal vapor on the surface of the cutlery. The resulting coating is durable and is resistant to color fading or scratching.
Regardless of in traditional natural stainless steel or elegant titanium plating, high-quality stainless steel cutlery is not just a piece of utensil; it is a reflection of fashion.
Looking for high-end cutlery? Fangyuan is your best option.
Being a professional cutlery factory based in Jieyang, China, Fangyuan is dedicated to the design and manufacture of stainless steel cutlery for over 30 years. We understand every market’s unique requirements and offer a vast variety of wholesale cutlery to suit any taste and occasion.
From simple all-steel designs to sophisticated titanium coating types and new models of handles, our wholesale cutlery selection has it all. We desire to provide better quality, value-for-money cutlery solutions to clients worldwide and welcome you to view our product selection.
