Buy cutlery – The New York Times

More than just a set of eating tools, cutlery helps set the stage for a meal.

“Cutlery is part of the overall look of the table,” said Yifat Oren, an Los Angeles-based event designer. And as such, it helps strike the right note at dinner parties, from informal gatherings to formal celebrations.

But, yes, your knives and forks and spoons are also tools. So, when choosing them, you need to consider more than appearance.

Ms. Oren, for example, likes utensils that carry weight. “I don’t like to eat with cutlery that is too light,” she said.

She is also looking for handles that are easy to hold. “Some of the modern ones are very narrow and thin, which actually makes them difficult to eat,” she said.

This is why it’s so hard to beat a high quality cutlery set with simple, classic shapes and a silver finish, she noted: “I love the cutlery, I can dress however I like. , and it will work with any type of table. “

• What is the best material for cutlery? In most cases, “I like silver or stainless steel,” Ms. Oren said. But for special events, she sometimes envisions utensils with resin handles or a colorful metal finish.

• Does all your cutlery have to match? “No, I like to mix and match,” said Ms. Oren, who collects mismatched silver utensils at flea markets.

• Does each place setting have to have a full set of cutlery? Not necessarily. “If it’s a casual dinner, sometimes I put a caddy right on the table with the silverware in it,” she said, so guests can choose which utensils they want to use.

Hendrick cutlery

Twenty Piece Stainless Steel Cutlery Set (Four Place Settings)

$ 70 at Dansk: dansk.com

Mepra Linea cutlery

Stainless steel cutlery from Italy, in a range of finishes

Starting at $ 84 each at Food52: food52.com

Vintage Bistro Cutlery

Cutlery with resin handles from France

$ 75 each in March: 415-931-7433 or marchsf.com

Woodstock cutlery

Patinated stainless steel cutlery, made in the USA

$ 85 set at Farmhouse Pottery: 802-457-7486 or farmpottery.com

Pyramid cutlery

Art Deco cutlery in mirror polished stainless steel, designed in 1926

$ 99 each at Georg Jensen: 800-546-5253 or georgjensen.com

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