rookie Posted January 15, 2010 Share Posted January 15, 2010 We are down to a motley collection of mismatched spoons, forks, and knives. We need to buy a new set but I have no idea what is good and what is bad. I know that I hate light-weight flatware. I like it to have some heft. And I need enough for 10-12 settings. I just want something simple. Where should I shop and what should I look for? I see that some say 18/0 or 18/8 or 18/10 stainless steel -- I have no idea what that means or what is better. If you know, please tell me! Thanks!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Suzanne in ABQ Posted January 15, 2010 Share Posted January 15, 2010 (edited) We are down to a motley collection of mismatched spoons, forks, and knives. We need to buy a new set but I have no idea what is good and what is bad. I know that I hate light-weight flatware. I like it to have some heft. And I need enough for 10-12 settings. I just want something simple. Where should I shop and what should I look for? I see that some say 18/0 or 18/8 or 18/10 stainless steel -- I have no idea what that means or what is better. If you know, please tell me! Thanks!! The numbers refer to the quality of the steel. The higher the number, the better the steel. Cheap steel tastes metalic, and sounds tinny, bends easily, puts dents in your finger, and gets old looking very quickly. Always feel the back of the fork handle before you buy. If it's concave on the back, it's cheap. You want something that's rounded or flat on the back. It will feel much more comfortable resting on your finger if it is smooth, and rounded or flat on the back. Oneida is always good. You can pay a fortune for it at departments stores, but you can sometimes find it at Marshall's, TJMaxx, etc. You can find good stuff online, at overstock.com and places like that. Just make sure that the picture shows the back of the fork or spoon. I haven't bought any in awhile, so I can't direct you or give any recent reviews. I just know that the two sets of Oneida that I have are wonderful. One is a high end set that I got for wedding gifts; the other is an everyday set that I bought from Betty Crocker catalog, before they went out of business. ETA: I found this: "18/8 and 18/10 refer to the percentages of chromium and nickel in the stainless steel alloy. The "18" refers to the chromium content, which gives flatware its strength, and the "8" or "10" refers to the nickel content, which gives it its shine and rust-resistance. Both 18/8 and 18/10 are premium quality when it comes to stainless flatware. There is almost no difference between the two in terms of long-term quality and long-lasting shine." Edited January 15, 2010 by Suzanne in ABQ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lawana Posted January 15, 2010 Share Posted January 15, 2010 18/10 means 18% chromium and 10% nickel in the stainless steel. So 18/8 would mean the same chromium, but 8% nickel. I think generally the higher nickel is considered better, but I'm not sure it makes that much difference. Other than that I can't help. Lawana Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rookie Posted January 15, 2010 Author Share Posted January 15, 2010 The numbers refer to the quality of the steel. The higher the number, the better the steel. Cheap steel tastes metalic, and sounds tinny, bends easily, puts dents in your finger, and gets old looking very quickly. Always feel the back of the fork handle before you buy. If it's concave on the back, it's cheap. You want something that's rounded or flat on the back. It will feel much more comfortable resting on your finger if it is smooth, and rounded or flat on the back. Oneida is always good. You can pay a fortune for it at departments stores, but you can sometimes find it at Marshall's, TJMaxx, etc. You can find good stuff online, at overstock.com and places like that. Just make sure that the picture shows the back of the fork or spoon. I haven't bought any in awhile, so I can't direct you or give any recent reviews. I just know that the two sets of Oneida that I have are wonderful. One is a high end set that I got for wedding gifts; the other is an everyday set that I bought from Betty Crocker catalog, before they went out of business. ETA: I found this: "18/8 and 18/10 refer to the percentages of chromium and nickel in the stainless steel alloy. The "18" refers to the chromium content, which gives flatware its strength, and the "8" or "10" refers to the nickel content, which gives it its shine and rust-resistance. Both 18/8 and 18/10 are premium quality when it comes to stainless flatware. There is almost no difference between the two in terms of long-term quality and long-lasting shine." SO Helpful! Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RoughCollie Posted January 15, 2010 Share Posted January 15, 2010 There is also a type of stainless flatware that is 18/0. Do not buy it by mistake. Oneida makes some of it. I can bend it easily. I buy flatware that I cannot bend. Some of the 18/10 stuff is bendable, and I can't figure out why. Usually, the heavier the piece, the harder it is to bend. Also, I buy lots of extra of whatever piece(s) disappear quickly in my house, when I'm buying a new pattern. With us, it's teaspoons. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melhouse Posted January 15, 2010 Share Posted January 15, 2010 I'm not sure how to test this issue ahead of time, but my ILs bought new flatware, and the forks won't spear anything. It's impossible to eat salad with these forks - even Iceburg! I'm sure my ILs bought the cheapest they could get by with because that would be their MO. :D I have a set by Oneida and one by Reed-Barton, and I love them both. They were both mid-range in price. HTH, Melissa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gardening momma Posted January 15, 2010 Share Posted January 15, 2010 (edited) My favorite set (we have 2 different sets and several odds & ends) is Pfaltzgraff. I don't know the style name or the chromium/nickel content. It's not on their website anymore, so I guess it's discontinued. :001_unsure: I want more, but don't know how to find it without its name. Anyway...one of the things I really like about it is that when I feel the edge of the back, it feels smooth. I have cheaper pieces that have a rough/sharp feel to the back edge, which makes it less comfortable to hold. That's something I would look for (feel for) if I were shopping for a new set. ETA: I looked on Replacements.com (again, I have looked previously also), and FOUND my set. Pflatzgraff Glennbrook. I would not pay those prices for additional pieces, but at least I know the name now so maybe I can find it somewhere. Edited January 15, 2010 by gardening momma Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happi duck Posted January 15, 2010 Share Posted January 15, 2010 I have Oneida (Flight pattern), used daily since 1992...no problems! (some years with a dishwasher, most of those years hand washed) http://www.amazon.com/Oneida-45-Piece-Stainless-Steel-Flatware-Service/dp/B0000CFLKX/ref=pd_sim_dbs_k_3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
orangearrow Posted January 15, 2010 Share Posted January 15, 2010 Yes, we accidentally bought 18/0 replacement pieces for the flatware my grandmother bought us when we were married. It went right back to the store - the difference was noticeable. (Our original flatware was 18/8) The 18/10 sets I've "met" at friends' homes are heavier than our 18/8 set and I generally like those better - but for sentimental reasons, am keeping our wedding set. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
helena Posted January 15, 2010 Share Posted January 15, 2010 (edited) This is our set:http://www.crateandbarrel.com/family.aspx?c=100&f=12019 I shopped around for a while before I chose these. I found that the photos online were not nearly revealing enough. Some sets were noticeably cheap, heavy, huge, tiny etc. and the price didn't seem to always indicate quality. My mom has a set from William Sonoma that is so big and heavy, my husband and I always laugh when we use them, because we feel dwarfed by them. Mine are very petite and light. I think it's good to go in and play with them, even if you end up ordering on line. The last time I went to Macy's it seemed like they had tons of patterns. After I paid the money for a good set I found 3 sets at garage sales that I love, for only a couple of dollars each. The old antique/vintage sets are so pretty if you can get them polished up. (4 sets of flatware have been justified by having 2 daughters who can take them one day, I wouldn't think twice to buy more sets if they were cheap enough..:)) Edited January 15, 2010 by helena explaining my flatware addiction Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sebastian (a lady) Posted January 15, 2010 Share Posted January 15, 2010 I have a set of Oneida that was mostly dh's before we married (mostly in that we did add some place settings and extra pieces). I like the Oneida quite a bit. The only observation I have is that the more smooth the handle is, the more that scratches show up. Ours is looking quite worn at this point. I'm thinking of replacing it when we move again and will probably look for something that has a little more texture for the scuffs to blend in with. (On the other hand, I might be complaining 20 years on that the design has worn down from so much use. I figure any given fork or spoon gets used at least 10 times during a week. I probably shouldn't expect it not to wear.) You might see if there is an outlet store near you that sells Oneida or other flatware. I got a lot of filler pieces at an outlet shop at far less than I would have paid at a department store. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tex-mex Posted January 15, 2010 Share Posted January 15, 2010 I have Oneida (Flight pattern), used daily since 1992...no problems!(some years with a dishwasher, most of those years hand washed) http://www.amazon.com/Oneida-45-Piece-Stainless-Steel-Flatware-Service/dp/B0000CFLKX/ref=pd_sim_dbs_k_3 I still have my Oneida set from my wedding back in '87. Everything is still in great shape, no dings, and I run them bi-weekly in the dishwasher!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KatieJ Posted January 15, 2010 Share Posted January 15, 2010 (edited) I bought a set of Oneida from Kohls about 15 years ago....little less maybe. Phenomemal sale prices at the time. I was so happy with it that as our daughters got married I got each of them ONeida sets. On the Oneida website you can purchase open stock to replace those teaspoons that dissapear from the drawer. I recently did that and am happy to say the new stuff blends right in with the old, meaning my old stuff still looks great! You can also buy extra serving pieces there. Here is a link to my set which BTW happens to be on sale at a phenominal price right now. Service for 12 plus a serving set for 80.00..I would be buying more if I needed it! http://www.oneida.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/product.detail/_/Satin-Sand-Dune/productID/efb4e533-d3ad-4141-b238-70e43649efa8/categoryID/47fe0776-a616-4d03-99ad-c493ca2cba3e/ ONe of our daughters had the Flight pattern which is also on sale now. Both of these patterns are 18/0 category but niether of us have ever had a piece bend. I will probably get sick of the pattern long before I have to replace it. Edited January 15, 2010 by KatieinMich Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parrothead Posted January 15, 2010 Share Posted January 15, 2010 Here is a link to my set which BTW happens to be on sale at a phenominal price right now. Oh, wow. Thanks for that. Hopefully the sale will still be going on next weekend. I need to replace some teaspoons. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterPan Posted January 15, 2010 Share Posted January 15, 2010 We have Oneida too. Once you find the pattern you like, check on ebay. I got completer stuff and some nifty shapes there. (tall teaspoons, serving spoons, butter knives, etc.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KidsHappen Posted January 15, 2010 Share Posted January 15, 2010 This is what I have: http://www.fingerhut.com/ProductGroup.aspx?offergroupxid=3521&cmCategoryID=search&cmQID=TuVBEERJwxGALH/qRhcxH0CGIJ/yKNGHXN4yYRrX44NbcnogWImHJAl0z7Khs+ignePC I bought my first set of these almost 30 years ago and I still have a few of those pieces but I have had to buy two new sets since then because we magically lose pieces here at my house. We lose the small forks and teaspoons and many of the knives are bent because my children find that they are the perfect pry bar for any small job. Of course, the newer pieces are shinier but otherwise they are pretty much the same. The hold up really well and I have never found another set of flatware that feel as comfortable to me. I would say they are a medium weight, not light and tinny and not huge and clunky, just right. They are stainless steel not sliver but they go through the dishwasher great. The only problem is Fingerhut is the only place you can find these. I thought that they had went out of business so I tried for years to find replacements on ebay and never succeeded. Finally I searched them down and ordered another set. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellie Posted January 15, 2010 Share Posted January 15, 2010 Generally, Oneida has good flatware. Choose the most expensive you can afford. :-) I have some that's over 30 years old. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.