Make the right cutlery choice!

Cutlery refers to the tools used for cutting and eating food, such as knives, forks, and spoons. However, there are various types of knives, forks, and spoons for different purposes.

Knives

Different knives are designed to perform specific tasks, making it easier to complete those tasks when using the right knife. Knives can be designed for chopping, dicing, spreading, carving, slicing, striking, tearing, or paring, among other things. The blade's shape, whether pointed, blunt, serrated, etc., is what distinguishes one knife from another. Dull blades are ideal for cutting soft or cooked foods, while serrated blades are ideal for cutting meat. Non-serrated steak knives provide a cleaner cut, while pointed knives are ideal for cutting or paring fruits. A knife with a broad, flat blade is ideal for eating fish, while a knife with blunt ends is used to spread butter, cheese spreads, marmalades, etc.

• Dinner knife: This knife is sized between 9 ½ and 10 inches and is used to cut and push food.
• Steak knife: This knife can be used in place of a table knife or in addition to it. It can be serrated or non-serrated depending on the specific steak cut. It is usually four to six inches long.
• Fish knife: This knife is used when fish is served for dinner. It measures 8 ¾ inches with a wide blade and dull edge. The tip of the fish knife aids in separating layers of fish and lifting bones.
• Dessert knife: This knife can be used for dessert, fresh or candied fruit, and to cut cakes and pastries. It goes together with the dessert spoon.
• Butter knife: This knife has a rounded point so that it does not scrape the bread while spreading butter. It is small in size at 5 to 6 inches. A table knife is equally acceptable if a butter knife is not available.

Forks

• Dinner fork: This fork is meant for the main course and measures around seven inches.
• Dessert fork: It is used for eating cake, pies, and pastries and is more or less similar to a salad fork.
• Fish fork: This fork is used for holding and serving fish. The tines are uniform in width and length.

Spoons

• Teaspoon: This spoon is meant for stirring coffee, tea, soups, and eating.
• Tablespoon: A tablespoon is bigger than a teaspoon and is used for serving food from serving bowls.
• Soup spoon: This large rounded spoon is used for eating soup. An oval spoon is used in case soup contains meat, vegetables, etc.
• Dessert spoon: This spoon is used for eating sweet dishes.
• Fruit spoon: This spoon has an elongated bowl and a pointed tip that aids in cutting fruit and eating fruits like grapes, oranges, and melons.

Tips for Purchasing Cutlery

• Consider what you serve and decide what else is necessary, apart from the standard fork, knife, and spoon set. For example, if you serve seafood, buy seafood forks.
• Buy a durable cutlery set that will last longer. Stainless steel is the safest bet.
• Ensure that the cutlery is in sync with the theme of your restaurant.
• Try out the cutlery before purchasing it to ensure that it is comfortable to handle.
• Buy lightweight cutlery for kids.
• Keep sufficient stock as a backup in case of any mishap.