How to choose the right cutlery set

 

JOURNAL

HOW TO CHOOSE THE RIGHT CUTLERY SET

What do we pick up and use each day more than cutlery, other than our smartphones? Choosing the right cutlery set should take time and care. The implements we eat with must be some of the most held items in everyday life, so it is important that the pieces are designed thoughtfully.

Cutlery should be visually pleasing but also work - almost so well that the user doesn’t notice it. Forks, knives and spoons are tactile tools, extensions of our hands, so it’s not just the look of the pieces that we pay attention to but the feeling of the material and the finish too.

Bergen Satin & Malvern Bright Cutlery

Our design legacy dates back seven decades. In that time our cutlery has become a part of the day-to-day, the special occasions and the memories created around dining tables across the world. Our extensive cutlery collections translate this legacy into more than 30 timeless cutlery designs.

Cutlery Collection 3.5 - sets are made from 3.5mm stainless steel, a slightly thinner gauge that gives each piece a lighter feel in the hand. Designs in Cutlery Collection 3.5 are all one price.

Cutlery Collection 5.0 - sets feature exceptional balance and comfort and are a heavier gauge, providing a quality experience for the diner. Designs in Cutlery Collection 5.0 are all one price.

Master Cutlery Collection - sets are design-led statement pieces requiring the highest levels of manufacturing expertise. Designs in the Master Cutlery Collection are individually priced by pattern.

Cutlery Collection 3.5 - sets are made from 3.5mm stainless steel, a slightly thinner gauge that gives each piece a lighter feel in the hand. Designs in Cutlery Collection 3.5 are all one price.

Cutlery Collection 5.0 - sets feature exceptional balance and comfort and are a heavier gauge, providing a quality experience for the diner. Designs in Cutlery Collection 5.0 are all one price.

Master Cutlery Collection - sets are design-led statement pieces requiring the highest levels of manufacturing expertise. Designs in the Master Cutlery Collection are individually priced by pattern.

Finding the Perfect Knife, Fork & Spoon

Try searching “how to choose a cutlery set?” and the amount of advice you will receive is extensive. As experts in cutlery, we think we can make it easier. We’d like to share our top tips to help you to decide which cutlery set to invest in. So, what should you look for when choosing cutlery?

• First, consider what it is made from.

• After that, the key criteria when looking for a cutlery set should be how it feels in the hand (and mouth!), and how it looks on the table.

• Next, decide on the number of place settings you will need, whether you want to add any extra items or serving pieces, and what storage you require.

• Finally, invest in a cutlery set you can use every day, not just for special occasions!

Bud Bright & Radford Bright Cutlery

MATERIAL: Stainless Steel

Stainless steel is easy to care for and keep clean, which makes this durable material the obvious choice for creating long-lasting and quality cutlery.

Now the norm, this wasn’t always the case. In the early 1950s whilst still a student of silversmithing at the Royal College of Art, Robert Welch, inspired by Scandinavian imports, influenced the popular use of stainless steel for the manufacture of cutlery.

Stainless steel is a corrosion-resistant alloy, made up of iron, chromium and other component metals. Its resilience as a metal comes from the addition of the alloying element chromium which protects the surface of the metal.

All our cutlery is made from the finest quality 18/10 stainless steel. 18/10 grade stainless steel has the highest resistance to rust and stains because included in the stainless-steel alloy is the highest percentage of chromium content (18%) combined with a high percentage of nickel (10%). The chromium enhances rust resistance, whilst the nickel adds lustre and shine.

DESIGN: Weight, Finish and Texture

Built on passion and tradition, our philosophy has always been to create timeless, functional, affordable products for the home. We are proud of the trust our customers place in us to buy well and focus our efforts on quality design that customers can enjoy for a lifetime.

“I think it is abundantly clear that any major departure from traditional forms (…) usually produces unhappy results that will not stand the test of time, but within the limitations of established forms the designer must strive to express his individuality in subtleties of proportion and fine detail.”

Notes from Designing Cutlery, a lecture presented by
Robert Welch, September 1963

The cutlery you set your table with reflects your personal style, but with so much variety, choosing cutlery can seem overwhelming. The legacy of our nearly 70 years of specialising in cutlery design is a collection of more than 30 designs. We have grouped our cutlery to make choosing a cutlery set for your home even easier.

Our aim in creating these cutlery collections was to provide a solution for the customer who doesn’t want to search endlessly for the right pattern, preferring expert guidance on how to choose an affordable, quality cutlery set that will last.

Our cutlery is available in a range of finishes, from highly polished to semi-matte. There are four distinct cutlery finishes within our collections: Bright or mirror polished, Satin or brushed, Vintage or tumbled, and silver plate. Not all designs are offered in each finish. In addition to the above finishes there are also designs made up of composite materials.

Honeybourne Bright Cutlery

Consider adding texture to your table. Our growing portfolio of textured cutlery designs has roots in our long heritage but adds a contemporary edge to a table by creating a statement alongside both formal and casual tableware.

LAYING THE TABLE:
Number of settings, extra items, serving pieces and cutlery storage

We take pride in our reputation for making luxury cutlery sets, suitable for a wide range of tastes and styles. Made from the finest 18/10 stainless steel, our cutlery sets are available in 7, 24, 42, 56 and 84, in a variety of finishes and designs to complement modern, traditional and contemporary table settings.

A selection of serving pieces are available to complement our most popular cutlery ranges. Cooks of good food will want to serve it well, and our serving pieces are the perfect utensils for serving up everyday food in style.

Keep your cutlery organised by selecting kitchen storage that works for you, options include our oak cutlery canteen, an in-drawer cutlery tray or cutlery roll.

You can learn more about the art and etiquette of How to Set a Table in our blog - a formal guide to laying the table with cutlery, crockery and glassware as well as how to accessorize it for any occasion.

TRY BEFORE YOU BUY:
Cutlery Sample Service

With research suggesting that people buy a maximum of three sets of cutlery over a lifetime, our final piece of advice for how to choose the right cutlery set is simply to try it!

Our cutlery sample service (available to mainland UK customers only) is designed to simplify your decision-making process and offer you the option to sample different designs. Choose up to three different three-piece sample sets, made up of a knife, fork and spoon, from our wide range of award-winning British-designed cutlery to try in the comfort of your own home.

Kingham Bright Cutlery