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Michael Sullivan is a writer covering kitchen equipment and tableware. He has broken more than a hundred drinking glasses to find the most durable. Stainless Steel Cutlery
Flatware should be anything but flat, and a good set can enhance your table at every meal, whether it’s a weekday dinner or a special occasion.
After handling over 300 forks, knives, and spoons over the years, we now recommend 11 sets in a variety of styles—modern, retro, classic, or formal.
Our picks meet our strict quality standards, but they also cover a variety of weights and prices, so you can find the best flatware for your lifestyle and budget.
We evaluated the design, weight, and overall quality of the brand-concealed flatware. We also ate with the utensils and tested for rust.
We’ve interviewed all kinds of experts since 2016, including metallurgists, flatware factory owners, and etchers.
The knowledge gained from testing 300 utensils since 2016 has helped us identify the most promising designs to consider each year.
To learn more about how utensils are made, we visited the last remaining flatware factory based in the US.
Our picks will appeal to a wide range of people, but we know that choosing cutlery is a very personal decision. If none of our picks are to your liking, we’ve created a buying guide to help you confidently shop for a great set of utensils.
Regardless of what you decide on, we recommend purchasing a single five-piece place setting first to test a style out before committing to an entire set. We also have guides to chopsticks and steak knives if you’re looking to supplement your table settings.
After 160 hours of research, we’ve created a buying guide to help you find a set of flatware you’ll love.
This streamlined yet versatile set is available in a variety of sizes. The teardrop-shaped handles are refined and lovely to hold.
The classic design is very versatile. This set from Robert Welch Designs Iooks great alongside many styles of dinnerware. It’s casual enough for everyday meals but pretty enough for more-formal occasions. The highly polished teardrop handles give the utensils an added flair, but the overall look is straightforward and understated.
The size and shape is appealing and functional. Testers who were partial to shorter tines liked the forks in this set. The soup spoons are also deep and hold a lot of liquid. We found that the blade’s sharpness and sloped angle made cutting easier; it required little effort to slice through a chicken breast.
You can buy only what you need. This collection is sold in a variety of ways, from just three pieces—a fork, knife, and a spoon—to up to 50 pieces. You also have the option to buy eight three-piece settings (the 26-piece set) for about $210, which is a more affordable way to outfit your table with fewer (but nicer-quality) pieces.
Every piece comes with an impressive 25-year warranty. The set has been sold exclusively by Williams Sonoma since 2018.
The solid knife handle is a bit weighty and makes a racket if it falls off the edge of a plate rim.
Some testers thought the bowls of the spoons were too elongated—though their large capacity would be ideal for scooping up soup dumplings.
We noticed some subtle scratches on the soup spoon after unpacking, but this type of imperfection would be covered by the warranty.
You may also like: Reed & Barton Dalton 5pc Flatware Place Setting, Crate and Barrel Caesna Mirror 5-Piece Flatware Place Setting, Liberty Tabletop Betsy Ross
Dinnerware pairings: most stoneware, porcelain, bone china, fine china, and glass
This set has a classic shape with a narrow neck that makes it feel more refined. The hollow-handle knife is lightweight and a pleasure to hold.
The classic design has stood the test of time. The Reed & Barton Dalton 5pc Flatware Place Setting has clean lines, rounded handles, and skinny necks that make it feel very elegant. The classic teardrop shape—which dates back hundreds of years—is a sophisticated option for dinner parties, but it’s still casual enough for everyday use. This design has been available since 2009, which usually speaks well for its popularity and continued availability.
The utensils have among the most cohesive sizing of any flatware we tested. Each piece is proportionate to the next, which is more uncommon than you might expect. The spoon bowls are tapered at the tip, which some testers preferred because it meant less metal in their mouth. The teaspoon is an ideal size for eating cereal.
The knife is sharp and well balanced. It cuts cleanly through a chicken breast, and the lightweight, hollow handles don’t have a seam where the blade meets the handle (unlike some other hollow handle knives we tested).
Little details give this set some added elegance. The slight flare at the tip of the knife blade and the defined shoulder where the fork tines meet the handle make this set feel more refined.
Some testers found the hollow-handle knives too lightweight. In fact, many people often assume hollow-handle knives signal poor quality, though the opposite can be true—they’re often a sign of craftsmanship, and can make knives more balanced.
Others thought the dinner fork tines were too long and said they would most likely use the salad fork for most meals since its tines are a bit shorter.
The skinny necks were also off-putting for some people—one tester said she felt like the teardrop handles looked as though they were going to “drip right off.” If you fall into that camp, we’d recommend checking out the Liberty Tabletop Betsy Ross set, which is very similar to the Reed & Barton Dalton place setting but has slightly thicker necks.
Finally, the word “China" is printed on the back of the forks and spoons, but it will eventually wear away, since it’s not etched into the metal.
You may also like: Robert Welch Designs Kingham Bright Flatware Set, Crate and Barrel Caesna Mirror 5-Piece Flatware Place Setting, Liberty Tabletop Betsy Ross
Dinnerware pairings: Jars Cantine Collection, Bennington Potters Classic Dinnerware, Fiesta Dinnerware, and most porcelain, bone china, and decorative fine china
This affordable, well-made flatware can be bought open stock, so you can pick and choose only what you need.
It’s an affordable set. Muji Stainless Steel Cutlery is a good choice if you want a simple but durable set of flatware and don’t want to spend too much; these are roughly $7 per piece. The only set we recommend that’s cheaper is the IKEA Dragon 20-Piece Flatware Set, but the Muji set is heavier, thicker, and more durable; it’s made of 18/8 stainless steel, unlike the IKEA set, which is 18/0. It would be difficult to bend the Muji utensils with force.
Its pieces are well proportioned, with a clean, simple style. The rounded handles and slight taper towards the neck give this collection a classic look. The fork tines aren’t too long, and the bowls of the spoons hold a generous amount of liquid. The rounded knife blade was polarizing because it looks more like a butter knife than a dinner knife, but some testers noted that it would be a safer option for kids.
The pieces are sold individually, so you can pick and choose what you need. For instance, if you never use salad forks or teaspoons, you can create a set without them.
This set is only available in a matte finish. It’s still prone to developing the same patina as polished flatware, however, some people may prefer the muted finish and the lack of branding on the utensils.
Besides looking a bit too much like a butter knife, the knife blade required more effort to cut through chicken than others we tested.
The dessert fork and spoon are very small, so buying just three pieces—the dinner fork, dinner knife, and dinner spoon—may be more practical for some people.
This set felt very utilitarian to some testers, who wished it had a stronger design aesthetic.
You may also like: IKEA Dragon 20-Piece Flatware Set, Robert Welch Designs Kingham Bright Flatware Set
Dinnerware pairings: most stoneware, porcelain, bone china, and glass
This modern flatware set is made by an American manufacturer. Some testers loved the industrial-inspired design aesthetic, but it may not be for everyone.
This set has a strong design aesthetic. The Heath Ceramics Muir Flatware in Polished (5 piece setting) looks like it could be featured on the cover of a modern design magazine. Although it’s somewhat similar to the IKEA Dragon cutlery, the pieces are weightier and feel much more refined due to the subtle upward flare at the base of the fork and spoon handles. The set is polished to a brilliant shine (though it’s available in other finishes too) and has a substantial thickness the IKEA set lacks—you can’t bend this set, even if you tried.
You can’t deny the quality. It was designed in 2018 in partnership with Sherrill Manufacturing, America’s last remaining flatware producer (whose factory we’ve toured), and each piece is carefully hand-tooled. The weight and smooth surfaces on each piece make them a pleasure to hold.
The utensils are quite wide, which gives this set a cohesive look. Those who prefer large, wide cutlery will appreciate this collection. Many of our testers liked the flat handles because they rested nicely in their hands.
This set was more polarizing than most—some felt it reminded them of airplane cutlery or disposable to-go utensils. Others loved this set and said they’d be excited to eat with it.
The size and shape of the utensils aren’t the most practical, and if you like smaller utensils, these aren’t for you. Most testers said they’d use the smaller teaspoon as their go-to spoon. The spoon bowls are a bit shallow and don’t hold as much liquid as others we tested. The wide-set fork tines may make it more difficult to eat certain foods, like quinoa, which could slip right through the gaps. But we had no issue eating rice with either fork in this set.
The knife and soup spoon are a bit heavy, so these utensils aren’t as evenly balanced from piece to piece as others we tried.
The knife also required more effort to cut through a chicken breast.
Though this collection comes in amber and onyx finishes, we’ve seen how that type of coated flatware fades with use—and they’re over $30 more per set. If you’re spending this much for flatware, we’d stick to the polished or tumbled finishes—they develop a patina over time, but the finish will be more resilient than coated flatware.
You may also like: IKEA Dragon 20-Piece Flatware Set
Dinnerware pairings: Heath Ceramics Rim Line, East Fork Pottery, Jono Pandolfi The Coupe Collection, Kinto Porcelain CLK-151 Collection, Jars Cantine Collection, Iittala Teema Collection, and most all-white porcelain or bone china
This surprisingly inexpensive flatware set has been in production for decades. Its modern styling is far more interesting than most other sets in this price range.
It’s the least expensive set we’ve tested. The IKEA Dragon 20-Piece Flatware Set, designed by Swedish silversmith, Carl-Gustaf Jahnsson, costs just over $6 for a 5-piece place setting (that’s just over a dollar per utensil). It’s a terrific option for college students or anyone setting up their kitchen for the first time (though if you’re looking for even cheaper utensils and don’t mind a mismatched set, we recommend scouring thrift stores).
The modern, industrial styling adds interest without being impractical. The design reminds us of the much pricier Heath Ceramics Muir Flatware. The fork tines are wide set and extend only about halfway to the neck of the handle, akin to a spork—one tester said, “they remind me of MC Hammer pants.” While some testers found the tines comically short, others were charmed by their quirkiness. Their shape may also prove more adaptable for people with certain hand limitations or mobility issues because you can spear and scoop with the same utensil.
We liked the angle and design of the dinner knife too, and the serrated edge made cutting easy—the blade was a bit sharper than the knife in our pick from Heath Ceramics.
This set has proven longevity. According to the IKEA website, this set has been sold for 30 years and has even been used in IKEA restaurants, which is a testament to its practicality and functionality.
This is the only set we recommend that’s made of 18/0 stainless steel. The utensils didn’t rust in our tests, but that type of steel is less resistant to corrosion and easier to bend than 18/8 or 18/10.
With a collective weight of 7.85 ounces, this set was the lightest we tested.
The teaspoon is quite small—it looks more like a demitasse spoon. It’s great for tea, coffee, or eating sorbet, but it’s too diminutive for eating cereal (though it may be just the right size for young kids).
Compared with the more design-forward (and much more expensive) Heath Muir set, the weight and feel of the Dragon set isn’t as refined, and the stainless steel isn’t as highly polished. You could bend the IKEA set if you apply enough force. One tester said this set felt “stamped out and inexpensive” when compared with the other utensils we evaluated.
You may also like: Heath Ceramics Muir Flatware
Dinnerware pairings: Heath Ceramics Rim Line, East Fork Pottery, Jono Pandolfi The Coupe Collection, Kinto Porcelain CLK-151 Collection, Jars Cantine Collection, Iittala Teema Collection, and most all-white porcelain or bone china
This sleek and sophisticated set of mid-century-inspired flatware makes a striking statement on a dining table.
If you like retro flatware, this set is for you. The Crate and Barrel Aero Mirror 20-Piece Flatware Set, designed by José Joaquim Ribeiro in 2004, has a mid-century modern aesthetic with a strikingly thin silhouette. It’s dramatic yet elegant, and it elicited all kinds of reactions from our testers—some good and some bad. But everyone agreed the Aero set would make a strong statement on any dining table.
Many testers liked the thinness of the handles. The short, closely arranged fork tines and the round spoons were also appealing, as was the delicate knife blade. Most testers who preferred daintier, smaller flatware were drawn to this set.
It’s still practical to use. The rounded curve and the pointy tip of the knife blade were surprisingly sharp, and we had no problem cutting through a chicken breast.
This set is pricey, but you can find similarly styled sets for less; you may be interested in the Fortessa Constantin set, which is about $30 for a five-piece place setting (versus roughly $75 for an Aero place setting). It’s an obvious imitation, but the Constantin handles are wider, flatter, and longer, which some testers actually preferred. The fork tines are also longer, and the spoon bowls are more elongated.
Though nearly every tester was drawn to this set for one reason or another, some felt it was too formal for everyday use. Others said the thin handles were difficult to hold and reminded them of surgical tools. Most liked the small forks (though these could be more challenging if you eat European style, since they have a smaller surface area), but some weren’t fans of the round spoons, since they make it harder to scoop food from tighter spaces.
Some testers said the pointy knife blade would gouge toast and be too small for spreading butter. One person also noted that the tip of the knife was dangerously pointy, especially for young kids.
You may also like: Fortessa Constantin, CB2 Val 5-Piece Silver Flatware Set
Dinnerware pairings: Heath Ceramics Rim Line, East Fork Pottery, Jono Pandolfi The Coupe Collection, Kinto Porcelain CLK-151 Collection
The matte rectangular handles and the skinny necks of this cutlery give it a contemporary look.
These utensils are stylish. The Alessi Dry Cutlery Set 5 Pieces, designed by Achille Castiglioni and first introduced in 1982, reminded some of our testers of brutalist architecture due to the flat, rectangular handles. They have an industrial aesthetic, but are not at all utilitarian, with pinched necks adding some elegance to the forks and spoons.
They’re also practical. The flat handles rest comfortably in the hand. Those who were partial to shorter tines liked the forks in this collection, which pierced cherry tomatoes without any problems. The spoon bowls hold the most liquid of any soup spoons we recommend, and their tapered tips allow you to reach the last bit of peanut butter in a jar. The knife blade was also very sharp, cutting through chicken with minimal effort.
This is the only set we recommend with two finishes in one. The top of each utensil is polished, while the handles are matte.
This set is expensive. When we revealed the price to our testers, some said they’d be happy with the Fortessa Jaxson set instead, which has a similar aesthetic to the Alessi Dry Cutlery Set, but costs about $55 for five pieces.
Some testers were opposed to the indent on the spine of the knife blade. The teaspoon is small and looks out of proportion next to the soup spoon. So we’d only recommend this set if you don’t mind having a larger tablespoon as your main all-purpose spoon.
Some testers didn’t like that the fork tines are short, though the design may be more adaptable for some people, since its shape can be used to both scoop and spear food.
Like all flatware, the matte handles aren’t immune to small scratches over time, so you can expect them to acquire some patina with use.
You may also like: Fortessa Jaxson
Dinnerware pairings: Heath Ceramics Rim Line, East Fork Pottery, Jono Pandolfi The Coupe Collection, Kinto Porcelain CLK-151 Collection, Iittalia, and most all-white porcelain or bone china
This sleek set of flatware is casual enough for everyday use but still elegant for special occasions. The curved handles were among the most comfortable we tested.
The delicate look made it a crowd favorite. The thin, lightweight, and elegant handles on the Sambonet Linea Q Cutlery Place Setting are gently curved, so they rest comfortably in your hands. One tester said, “This set is sweet and very dainty, it reminds me of tea time!”
The look is simple but refined and melds well with many styles of dinnerware.
It’s surprisingly durable. Even though the handles are very thin, the steel is hard and would be difficult to bend.
Each piece is well designed and beautifully polished. Even inner-facing sides of the fork tines are nicely polished, which is a sign of superior quality. The tines were a good length too, with sharp points, and testers liked how their curve made scooping up food easier.
The spoons taper towards the tip and look appropriately sized next to the other utensils in this set. The teaspoon is small, but the soup spoon is an ideal all-purpose size.
The knife’s dramatic angle provides good leverage for cutting. It’s also stylistically interesting. And the sharp blade cut cleanly without much effort. Thankfully, the knife handle isn’t curved, as in some sets we’ve tested, so it was easy to hold and didn’t slide off a plate rim.
It’s been sold for over two decades. The Linea Q set has been available since 1999, which is a testament to its appealing design and durability.
Some testers felt this set was a bit too nice for use everyday. Others weren’t a fan of the branding on the knife blade, which is visible on the side that faces upward on a table. However, it’s subtle and not as noticeable as the branding on some other sets.
Those with bigger hands who prefer heftier, more substantial flatware thought the handles were too thin to grab onto. The Linea Q flatware was also prohibitively expensive for some testers, but we also like the West Elm Briggs Flatware Set, which is similar (except the handles aren’t curved) and costs about $40 for a five-piece place setting.
You may also like: West Elm Briggs Flatware Set
Dinnerware pairings: most stoneware, porcelain, bone china, fine china, and glass
A fancy set of heavier flatware for when you want to pull out all the stops. This set may be too ritzy for some people to use daily, but it’s a wonderful choice for special occasions.
Its Art Deco design is timeless. The Degrenne Normandy 5-Piece Place Setting is reminiscent of antique silver flatware from the ’20s or ’30s. In actuality, it’s made of stainless steel and requires no polishing. According to Williams Sonoma, this collection is a tribute to the classic French flatware originally designed by Guy Degrenne in 1948.
It’s a fantastic choice if you like to break out a fancier set of flatware for special occasions (or if you just want to feel extra on the daily). This set was appealing to many of our testers, who said it would never go out of style.
This is the heaviest flatware collection we recommend. That’s a plus for some, but if you’re partial to lightweight utensils, this may not be the set for you.
They have some dramatic flare, but are pleasant to use, too. We like the shorter fork tines and the subtle curve of the knife blade. The spoon bowls taper towards the tip—a nice feature if you’re averse to larger spoons that can feel like you’re putting too much metal in your mouth.
The biggest complaint about this set is that the teaspoon is so small it’s more akin to a demitasse spoon. That may not be an issue if you plan to use this flatware for entertaining, but if you want to use it as your everyday set, we found the teaspoon too small for eating cereal.
The maker’s branding is also visible on the side of the knife that faces upward on the table (though it’s not visible in the photo above), which was off-putting to some. At almost 5 ounces, the knife was far and above the heaviest we tested, and too heavy for certain testers.
You may also like: Williams Sonoma Hampstead Flatware Set
Dinnerware pairings: most all-white porcelain or bone china and some decorative fine china
This formal set of flatware looks like sterling silver but it’s actually made from stainless steel. Don’t let its elegant looks deceive you—it’s still durable enough for everyday use.
It’s elegant without being fussy or stodgy. The Williams Sonoma Hampstead Flatware Set, made by Wallace Silversmiths, is a stainless steel set that gives you the look of silver flatware without the burden of constantly polishing it. In other words, it’s the best of both worlds: a formal looking set that’s still as durable and easy to care for as everyday utensils. Though this collection was first introduced in 2009, it’s likely inspired by the Fairfax sterling silver pattern, which dates back to the early 1900s.
One tester said, “This cutlery makes me feel like I’m eating at a fine-dining restaurant and I love it.” If you’re a traditionalist, Williams Sonoma gives you the option to monogram this set, just like a set of silver flatware your grandparents may have owned.
The sizing of each utensil is uniform and cohesive. The dinner fork tines are long and elegant without feeling over the top. The far left and right tines of the salad fork are thicker and have little notches at the tip—this design is intended to give you more leverage when eating foods that traditionally don’t require a knife, such as pie.
We’re smitten with the hollow handled knives. They’re a pleasure to hold—they’re lightweight, but still feel substantial in your hand. The blades are sharp and cut through a chicken breast with ease.
Many of our testers felt the Hampstead set was too formal to use daily, or that it would look too fancy next to their basic, everyday dinnerware. But if you have Champagne taste, you may prefer a fancier set of flatware even for your morning bowl of Froot Loops. You could also treat this flatware as a secondary set to your everyday cutlery and save it just for special occasions and holidays.
Some testers thought the soup spoon was too large, but most said the teaspoon was a good all-purpose size.
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