Flatware

Plateware and flatware never looked this good!

Stock up on the best rolls of all time, pumpkin pie, and legit everything you'll need to make this dinner happen.

These things aren't just for registries — they're for anyone looking to stock a kitchen.

Like Trader Joe’s, Costco, and Target, IKEA has its own cult following. And even infrequent IKEA shoppers have probably heard of the RÅSKOG Utility Cart and the BILLY Bookcase. But for every one of those super-popular products, there are a dozen lesser-known ones. So we polled our readers, loyal IKEA shoppers, to dig up some of the best, most underrated products. This way, there’s less pressure on you when you’re wandering through that snake-like maze.

Flatware isn’t just silver anymore. It comes in various hues of gold, not to mention bronze, matte black, and pink enamel. Basically, the new rule of flatware is that there are no rules — and we’re totally on board. Still, we can’t decide what to make of this shimmery set we spotted in CB2’s pre-fall catalog. The stainless steel set is like a mullet: It has a fairly classic silhouette, but the iridescent finish says, “let’s get this party started.

I travel a lot for work and fun, and shopping while abroad is one of my favorite things to do. With all the idiosyncratic treasures out there to be had, and the thrill of the hunt, bargain, and score, I actually prefer shopping in foreign locales! Plus, the items I bring home evoke fond memories every time I use them. Here are the five souvenirs I always bring home in my suitcase. I love tea and the magic of tea salons all over the world, so whenever I go somewhere, I seek out these hideaways.

This week we’re doing a bit of a deep dive into some of the current trends in wedding registries. After all, we’re just a few weeks away from the official start of wedding season. Registry site Zola has given us a look at the most popular items that couples on their site are registering for, and when we saw the number-one pick last month, we were kind of blown away. Any guesses as to what it might be? Did you guess gold flatware? Neither did we.

We’ve noticed a new trend in kitchen goods popping up lately: metallic rainbow. It’s slightly reminiscent of a hologram or the rainbow you see on an oil spot in the parking lot. As strange as it may seem, we’re kind of into it. Let’s start with the one that would be the biggest commitment to this multi-colored trend: rainbow flatware.

When it comes to style, there’s nothing quite as chic as black. From the classic little black dress to the black leather jacket, you can’t go wrong. And now you can carry that aesthetic through to your dinner table, thanks to this flatware set from Menu and Norm Architects. We’re actually a bit surprised that we haven’t seen more matte black flatware on the market.

There hasn’t been a lot of innovation in multi-purpose eating utensils since the invention of the spork. Up until now, no one has been able to safely add a knife to that mix — but it looks like one company might have solved the design challenge. Map, a design group based in London, teamed up with Fortnum & Mason to develop and produce the tritensil — and it might be the only utensil you’ll need.

When my husband and I registered for our wedding, we had a hard time picking out flatware. It was one of the few things we sincerely needed as a new household; between us we had a hodgepodge of cheap IKEA flatware and mismatched, often bent pieces scavenged from past roommates. But somehow everything we looked at seemed either too florid or too modern, with heavy shapes and edges.

In an ideal kitchen, you have plenty of space to store all your utensils, containers, pots, pans, and flatware. But if you’re a renter or in need of a kitchen remodel, you might not be that lucky — which means you’ll have to get creative. Finding creative solutions for storing your flatware can be a challenge, but we’ve rounded up 10 options that should fit almost every kitchen scenario imaginable.

When our kids (now 16, 13, and 8 — how did that happen?) were little, I loved the sheer cuteness of Ikea’s set of kids’ stainless steel flatware. In all honesty, they didn’t get much use, since by the time the kids were eating food that required them, they were big enough to use adult-sized cutlery. But this little set of flatware still gets a lot of play in our house — at cocktail parties.

Throwing an outdoor soirée this summer? If you’re not terribly enthused by standard disposable tableware (read: blue plastic cups and wimpy white paper plates), we don’t blame you. Thankfully, there are some lovely, colorful, and just plain cheerful disposable table pieces out there. Here are 10 picks that would prettify any picnic table: Bright Stripes Spoon Set, $6/set of 12 from Sucre Shop Yellow Triangles Paper Plates, $6.

When we got married, my aunt gave us two sterling silver iced tea spoons, promising I could use them for so much more than tea. Which is good, because — get ready to take away my Southern card — I don’t like iced tea. I know. But my aunt was right. These spoons are good for so much more. This Mother’s Day, maybe your mom would love to put her feet up on the ottoman and sip a lovely glass of lavender iced tea with lemon.

Silverware is intended to help you eat. It helps you raise food from a bowl or plate in a civilized way and place that substance in your mouth. When it goes beyond the call of duty to, say, help you spin spaghetti or tell you you’re eating too fast, well that’s just not OK. Here are ten pieces of silverware that need to be told, gently, that at the table it’s better to be seen, not heard.

I didn’t give much thought to my flatware set until I realized, quite suddenly, that I really disliked it. The dull forks do a terrible job of spearing food, the knives are bottom-heavy and always fall off the plate, and the spoons… well, the spoons are okay. After talking to my fellow editors about this problem, I realized this is a common complaint. It’s really hard to find a good set of silverware. I got my Gourmet Settings silverware set from Target 10 years ago.

Whether you decided to upgrade your silverware or you received a new set as a gift, you are faced with a couple options for your old spoons: you could sell them, donate them, hoard them, give them to your college-bound friends and family OR you could get crafty. Spoons are a little easier to manipulate than forks (spiky prongs!) and a little more interesting and safer to play with than butter knives.

While living in Japan, I learned to eat almost every type of food with chopsticks. It didn’t take long to realize I had been eating salad like a chump my whole life.Think about it. Spearing a flat, floppy piece of lettuce with a fork is at best a mild challenge and at worst an awkward way to smear dressing over half your cheek. Poking a fork through a rock-hard crouton usually cleaves it into two pieces of rock-hard crouton, which you have to try to scoop onto your fork.

I’ve wanted to write about my Japanese ice cream spoons for years, but because I haven’t been able to find them anywhere outside of Japan, it just didn’t seem fair to rave about how they are the perfect spoons for eating ice cream, how my guests always love them, and how beautiful they are if you, the readers, couldn’t buy a set of your own.

You may not think you know Normann Copenhagen, but chances are you’d recognize a few of their classic pieces. (Remember this peeler? Or this tea egg? Or these fun beater whisks?) Fans of modern design also know that you can find Normann Copenhagen pieces at stores like Horne, Huset, and The Modern Shop, but the brand has its own online webshop as well where you can peruse and purchase the full beautiful line.

The price of silver keeps rising. What’s a southern girl to do if her pattern will never be completed? Go to eBay, of course. Sterling looks better with age, like you’ve had it for a while and you know how to use it. But the prices on eBay aren’t really any better than anywhere else… unless you aren’t afraid of monograms.

You see the picture, so I don’t need need to explain what this is, but I’m going to anyway. A standing knife. I repeat: a standing knife. In other words, a knife that doesn’t leave a mess of peanut butter or jam or cream cheese all over your countertop. The future is here, people. I should be clear and say that this is really a spreader knife, not a regular dining knife.

A beautifully set table is a lesson in balance, the shaping and bringing together of both the practical and the decorative. Our tabletop and dining posts this year focused on that delicate balance, with recommendations on everything from our favorite no-fuss serving dishes to pretty polka-dot table linens, from classic carafes to gorgeous gold flatware.

Q: I am looking to buy a good quality pair of chopsticks for my boyfriend for Christmas. We don’t use them for cooking, just for eating (mostly noodle dishes). He has talked about wanting some ceramic ones, but I have been reading that wooden ones might be the way to go.They don’t need to be fancy or pretty, just very well-made and made to last. I am looking for specific product recommendations and any pros and cons of using them for dining. Any suggestions?

Since writing about my inability to use chopsticks and reading all your supportive stories of struggle and triumph, I have re-dedicated myself to mastering this utensil. Practice practice practice, you said. And practice I’ve done! Two things have made a truly major difference.First, I set myself the task of eating my daily lunch salad with chopsticks. For one solid week.