Flatware vs Silverware: Which is Better?
It doesn’t matter whether you are buying cutleries as a gift to someone or for personal use, it can be quite daunting making a choice between flatware and silverware as both eating utensils come with their own advantages and disadvantage, which are most likely to confuse you. The truth is that many people have gone through such difficulties in deciding on whether to settle for the time-honored silverware or our contemporary stainless steel (flatware).
Yes, we can attest to the fact that flatware can always come in handy no matter the purpose for which you are acquiring the cutleries – for special occasions or for your day to day use, but then taking your pick between the two is no easy feat. However, this particular problem has no definite answer as the two types are known to be quite great. But then you will still be faced with the dilemma of coming up with the better utensil between the two. Luckily, with the help of this guide, you will have a clearer understanding of the differences when choosing.
Guidelines For Selecting The Best Cutlery
When the two known varieties of kitchenware come up against each other in comparison, you should first have a good look of the unique qualities that both have and base your final choice on them. What we mean here are attributes like use, price, maintenance, cleaning, durability, design, appearance as well as food stains.
Price
When the talk is about price, our current flatware comes way cheaper, thus buyers on the lookout for cutleries that are cost-effective will do well by going for the stainless steel. On the other hand, the traditional silverware is quite expensive as they are made from silver which in itself is a precious metal. Consequently, any cutlery that is made from such precious metals is highly valued and is only meant for those that can afford them.
Use
Another way to look at both kitchen wares is from the aspect of use. For what purpose are you purchasing them for daily use or special occasions? If it is for your day to day use, then flatware is recommended as you won’t mind if they sustain some wear and tear. However, conventional silverware is best reserved for that rare and special occasion. Frequent use is a no-no for this kind of cutlery.
Maintenance
If you happen to be the type that does not have ample time for maintenance, then flatware is your best option, as the cutlery doesn’t stain, scratch or even bend. In fact, up-to-date stainless steel is virtually maintenance-free. But the reverse is the case with the time-honored silverware since a lot of maintenance has to go in before you can preserve the cutleries. Failure to regularly buff and polish them means that they will go dull with time. Besides, silverware is susceptible to bending since they belong to the class of soft metal with a mere 7.5% in copper content to make it durable.
Durability
Talking about durability, the flatware takes the cake; this eating utensil is nearly indestructible as they never dent, break, nor bend. But durability is a quality that is not associated with the silverware, being a product made from soft and pliable metal, they are susceptible to bending and breakage, and as a result, are less durable.
Designs
Design and style for the flatware tend to be more of the contemporary, while silverware’s style and design lean heavily on the traditional; hence you should make your choice in line with your needs.
Cleaning
Cleaning time for the modern flatware is quite nice and easy; besides, there is no need for any special cleaning detergent. What you need is just warm water and any cleaning agent of your choice. Conversely, the highly-valued silverware calls for special detergent at cleaning time, as regular cleaning agent will only tarnish and dull the expensive metal.
Appearance
Appearance for both the flatware and silverware is dependent on maintenance, and as your silverware requires little or maintenance, it will continue to look good as new, thanks to the nickel in the alloy that gives it that highly polished look. Contrarily, silverware needs painstaking buffing and polishing; otherwise, they will start to look tarnished and old in the long run.
Food Stain
With your flatware, you don’t have to bother about food stains, but if you fail to regularly polish any silverware, it will be tarnished by stains from mustard, eggs, and the likes.
Now as for which cutlery is considered the best, you will have to take a close look at the pros and cons of flatware and silverware and make your choice in line with the needs on ground. However, we recommend getting a set of each – silverware for special occasions and flatware for daily use.