Purchasing flatware for your kitchen, pantry, home, restaurant, or even for travel purposes can be an expensive affair. Essentially if you are looking for quality flatware. Whether you’re investing in flatware maintenance for the first time or simply aiming to improve the conditions of your eatery. It’s wise to know a few flatware’s do’s and don’ts to avoid the quick and unwanted wear and tear.
From picking the right pieces to washing them wash, finding and keeping quality green flatware in excellent condition. It’s pretty simple and straightforward if done properly.
What Makes Any Flatware a Quality Flatware?
When we talk about their quality, the composition and weight are the two factors. They separate most forks, spoons, knives, and other items, when we talk about their quality.
The flatware’s stainless steel composition, along with its weight class, determines how durable each piece is and essentially how long you can expect it to last in your kitchen
Composition
They use stainless steel to make all flatwares, but not all stainless steel creates them equally. Most manufacturers add metals like chromium and nickel to the stainless steel to avoid and prolong rusting. You can evidently find this difference in percentages of both metals as 18/0 stainless steel and 18/10 stainless steel.
There is 18% chromium and 0% nickel in 18/0 stainless steel, making it a more economical, inexpensive choice of flatware. It is ideal for use in those homes and restaurants where flatware goes missing. Also, 18/0 stainless steel utensils lack the luster of their nickel-rich counterparts. Lastly, they are more susceptible to rust and staining.
On the other hand, 18/10 stainless steel also has an 18% chromium coating that helps strengthen the steel. In addition, it also has 10% nickel content that adds to the unmatchable brilliance and makes the flatware rust-resistance. As a result, 18/10 flatware is more expensive. The fine presentability of each piece makes it suitable for use on professional and formal occasions.
Weight
Like the composition, weight classes also ascend from the least expensive, most economical flatware to the costlier and flashier pieces. Therefore, you must determine which flatware will perform appropriately in your kitchen.
Medium flatware is, also called “economy weight,” has a relatively short lifespan and can be easily manipulated. Also, they are affordable enough to replace easily, easiest to get over if lost, medium-duty flatware that is perfect for use at home or for casual eateries.
Next on the list is Heavy flatware, which is one step up and is the most common flatware in use. It is way more sturdy than medium weight but can still bend by hand. These heavy-duty utensils last longer and are also more expensive.
Extra Heavy flatware is next on the list and yet another step up in weight class. It is, therefore, more durable and more expensive. Since the utensils are Extra Heavy, they don’t break or bend as often or as easily.
European Style flatware is most commonly used in high-end establishments for its significant size and added weight. Being about three times heavier and bigger than traditional weight class flatware, it makes a perfect pick for formal serving or celebration.
Caring for your flatware
Irrespective of your flatware’s quality and weight, even if it’s 18/0 medium weight, you’ll try to ensure that your flatware remains attractive in usable shape for as long as you can.
If you fail to take proper care of your flatware, it would soon lead to rust-speckled spoons and flaking forks. Luckily, just practicing some simple care tactics when cleaning up after a meal can effectively help extend the life of your flatware to a great extent.
- Before running them through the dishwasher, it should pre-soak your utensils for approximately 10 minutes. If you pre-soak flatware, it will effectively break down the food remnants that cling to tines and nestle into crevices. On the other hand, if you don’t let flatware soak before washing. There’s a possibility that your dishwasher could miss some spots. It shouldn’t pre-soak for longer than 10 minutes as it encourages rust to start forming. Also, it is advisable not to soak your aluminum or metal pans as they react with chlorine in the water. It speed up stainless steel’s oxidation (rusting).
- Remove bits of food manually using a soapy sponge once you are done with a good pre-soak to ensure you get everything, but avoid using abrasive pads or steel wool.
- Avoid making use of rough pads that tend to scratch and tarnish the surface of your flatware while creating tiny grooves where rust likes to form.
- To properly wash all your flatware, run your pre-soaked utensils through a high-temperature dishwasher. Always remember to avoid using chemicals that can damage your flatware, like bleach or chlorine.
- After washing, ensure that you dry your flatware and dry them as soon as possible.
- You can use a dishwasher’s drying cycle, but to ensure that every single piece is dry thoroughly, wipe them down with a cloth or towel. Always remember that if your matte black flatware is wet for long. It’ll get rust at a faster pace and will spread across to take over.
- Always store our flatware in someplace where it will stay dry.
We agree that a lot is simultaneously going on in the kitchen, especially in an ever-busy eatery. If you follow these tips, you can ensure that your flatware remains as new as always.
