Most cutlery looks fine in the photo and feels light and tinny in the hand. Here's what to look at before you buy a set you'll actually keep.
1. Steel grade — 18/10 is what you want
Stainless steel grades are written as two numbers: chromium / nickel content. The most common grades on the market:
- 18/10 — 18% chromium, 10% nickel. Premium. Resists corrosion and rust through a lifetime of dishwasher cycles. Heavier feel.
- 18/8 — slightly less nickel. Still good. Rare in good cutlery.
- 18/0 — no nickel. Cheap. Dulls and rusts faster. Fine for kids' cutlery, not for the table you're serving on.
Both our London Gold and Paris Gold sets are 18/10 — that's the floor for cutlery worth keeping.
2. The finish — PVD vs. plating
If you want gold or rose-gold cutlery, the colour comes from one of two methods:
- PVD (Physical Vapour Deposition) — the coating is bonded to the steel at the molecular level. Holds through dishwasher cycles. Doesn't scratch off in normal use. Premium.
- Electroplating — a thin layer of gold deposited electrochemically. Cheaper. Wears off at handle-to-tine joints first.
Always ask for PVD if you're buying coloured cutlery. If the listing doesn't say, it probably isn't.
3. Weight and balance
Pick up a single fork before you commit to a set. Hold it at the handle's pivot point — somewhere near the join. It should balance there, not nose-dive forward or backward. Light cutlery feels cheap because it is cheap. A 50-60g dinner fork is in the right range.
4. Set size: 16 or 24 pieces
- 16-piece set — settings for 4. Dinner knife, dinner fork, dinner spoon, teaspoon × 4 each. Fine for couples and small dinners.
- 24-piece set — settings for 6, with starter forks and dessert spoons added. The right answer if you ever host more than the two of you.
Don't buy a set bigger than 24 unless you're catering — extras live in the back of the drawer for years.
5. Things that don't matter as much as you'd think
- Dishwasher safety. Almost all 18/10 cutlery is dishwasher safe. Don't pay extra for it being advertised.
- Hand-forged. Marketing language. The forging on most "hand-forged" cutlery is done by a press. The handle finish is what to judge.
- Bridal registry sets. Same cutlery, +30% price for ribbon.
6. The single test
Hold a fork. Imagine using it every dinner for the next ten years. Does it still feel right? If yes — that's the set.
Browse the cutlery range: tableware