The right cutlery for every meal, let's discover them all!

In a respectable table can not miss the cutlery suitable for each meal. If we are waiting for important guests, if we are dealing with a formal lunch or simply want to make a "good impression" is essential to achieve a flawless mise en place.

To do this, we must not only choose the right tablecloth and the perfect centerpiece but also the right fork, or knife, for the dish we want to serve.

Let's see together what the rules of bon ton say to have a table in proof of "Galateo".

To every cutlery its place

First of all it is important to know where and how to place the cutlery. During the setting it is good to set some golden rules:

forks should be placed to the left of the plate, with the prongs facing up, the knife is the first cutlery on the right and must have the blade facing inward, the second cutlery on the right is the spoon (or fish cutlery if necessary, with the convex part laid on the table).

In front of the plate it will be necessary to place the dessert cutlery, placed between plates and glasses with the handles turned towards the hand that will hold them.

The rule of the "direction" is always the same: knife and spoon face to the right, fork to the left.

To every cutlery its meal

Each knife, fork or spoon has its own specific use. Its peculiar shape has the purpose of allowing diners to properly consume their meal.

Let's start from fork, we can generically identify three types of this cutlery:

Fish fork unlike the normal fork and more flattened and is always made of metal with four prongs but with a central groove more hollowed;
Meat fork: this cutlery has only three prongs very thick and narrow, ideal for sinking into the meat;
Dessert fork: the dessert cutlery has reduced dimensions compared to the classic fork and has three prongs.

One of them is wider and flattened, useful to "portion" the dessert and bring it to the mouth.

Of course there are other types of forks for more specific uses such as opening oysters or snails as well as forks for appetizers. These are cutlery designed to easily pick up small pieces of food from a bowl, even when the appetizer is eatenstanding up. The length of the handle ensures a firm grip that prevents any fall.

The right cutlery for every meal: types of spoons

As with the fork, we identify three macro-categories that can contain the differences in the shape and use of the spoon:

Soup spoon is the classic cutlery about 20 centimeters long, with an elongated cup, perfect for consuming different semi-liquid dishes.
Dessert spoon: slightly smaller than the dessert fork and knife (measuring about 18 cm) has a more rounded cup shape.
Broth spoon: even smaller at 16 cm, it differs from the other spoons by having a more rounded shape, suitable for stirring broth.

For drinks such as tea or coffee, there are specially designed spoons. The most suitable cutlery for stirring the English drink is slightly smaller than the dessert spoon, measuring 13 cm, and should be placed on the saucer to the right of the cup. The coffee spoon, on the other hand, is much smaller and can also be found on the market in an espresso paddle version.

Finally, we mention the beloved ice cream scoop: easily recognizable, this cutlery has a flat and slightly squared concavity. Perfect for creamy and semi-solid compounds.

Types of knives

To make an exhaustive list of the knives on the market would not be enough a post and not even many, they are really many. We indicate those most in use.

Meat knives. Larger than all the others measure about 25 centimeters in length with serrated blade in the front.
Steak knives. These are meat knives with the blade much more pointed and sharp.
Dessert knives. They measure 20 cm and has a shape very similar to the meat knife. Similar is the butter knife that, however, has a more rounded shape.
Fish knives. These knives are very similar to a spatula since they allow you to remove the bones and is located to the right of the meat knife, since fish is always served first.

Cutlery for children

Finally, let's close the review with cutlery for the most important people in the family: children! The colorful baby food sets inspired by the world of animals, Disney princesses and cartoons help children during weaning and also to develop in an easier way the autonomy in feeding themselves.

The cutlery is small and has a comfortable grip. Blades and prongs are rounded and the handle is shaped and decorated. They are usually sold in combination with plates and glasses. For children, there is no rule about using cutlery, the important thing is to finish the plate!

Find out how to set the rest of your table as well and choose the most suitable dishware for you!