These cutlery sets will instantly elevate your dining table with minimal effort

The first value in the grading refers to the percentage of chromium — and 18 is the amount you’d expect to see for most cutlery sets. “When bonded with stainless steel, chromium helps protect cutlery from many of the corrosive substances found in food,” says Adam Freeman, Brand Manager at distinguished cutlery brand, Viners.

The second number refers to the nickel content. According to Adam, nickel either makes up 10% of the stainless steel’s composition — or it isn’t used at all. “Nickel provides extra resistance from rust and corrosion while boasting a high finishing lustrous shine,” he adds. So, although it’s not essential, it’s definitely seen as desirable.

Which type of stainless steel cutlery is the most durable?

Thanks to its high percentage of both chromium and nickel, it’s widely acknowledged that 18/10 is the best grading. “Simply put, the higher the grade, the higher the rust resistance, durability and lasting shine,” explains Adam.

Definitely what you’d expect to find in fine dining restaurants, this kind of cutlery can also be purchased independently from a range of high-end retailers. “We only use the highest grade 18/10 stainless steel to ensure quality and longevity,” explains James Price, Sales Director at luxury cutlery brand, Arthur Price. “The use of this higher grade ensures rust resistance, durability and a lasting shine.”

However, it’s worth noting that this kind of high-quality flatware can get pretty expensive. For a hard-wearing cutlery set that’s ideal for everyday household use, 18/0 stainless steel will be more than capable of getting the job done.

Is there anything else I should consider when picking a new cutlery set?

Choosing a style that you love is definitely important — but you should probably also take a few other practical features into consideration, before you get your heart set on any flatware that isn’t fit for purpose.

• Dishwasher safe cutlery isn’t too hard to come by, and is definitely worth choosing if (like me) you loathe hand-washing. Most stainless steel cutlery can generally go in the dishwasher — but anything with wooden or plastic handles will likely not be suitable.
• The number of place settings in a cutlery set is especially important if you live in a bigger household, like having friends round for dinner, or even just if you often let the dirty dishes pile up on the side.
• The number of pieces per place setting will be four in most cases — a dinner knife, a dinner fork, a dessert spoon, and a tablespoon. But if you enjoy hosting dinner parties, you may want to consider opting for a more formal set that includes extra pieces of cutlery per place setting — such as soup spoons, side knives, and side forks.

After more kitchen content? Head this way for the best kettles, over here for the best juicers and smoothie makers for immune-boosting drinks and in this direction for coffee machines to level-up your morning latte. We’ve also got non-stick frying pans for pancakes galore, drinking glasses and bread makers.

For more from GLAMOUR UK contributor Georgia Lockstone, follow her on Instagram @georgialockstone.

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