How to lay out cutlery?

At least once in our lives, each of us has faced such a thing as table design, whether it’s preparation for a home feast or going to a restaurant, where dishes are supplemented with several appliances on the tables. In fact, there are not many rules that you need to know for proper serving. Before you understand how to properly lay out cutlery, you must consider the dishes that will be served on the table. As a rule, plates, cups, glasses, glasses, spoons, forks and knives are placed on the table. You should start with plates, which you will then drap around with other objects. But let's deal with everything in order.

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Some simple rules

Everything that is needed in the first place should be located closest to make it convenient to take. And even if a menu of ten dishes is planned, this does not mean that the guest should have a whole mountain of dishes and all kinds of appliances:

• Devices and utensils are always arranged in the order of serving the dishes, according to what you are going to use in the first place.
• Cutlery items are arranged so as not to get confused in their application: put the fork and knife with the main dish, and the dessert spoon - to the right of the plate.
• Always look at the knife edge towards the dishes.
• A glass of water is above the knife.
• The forks are located on the left side.
• Spoons are always to the right of knives.
• When serving wine, the corresponding glass should be on the right side of the knife. In the case of serving several different drinks, the rest of the glasses are put there.
• Together with Italian dishes, dishes for bread are always served.
• Spaghetti is eaten with a fork and spoon, and the butter knife is located in a bread plate.
• If the menu has a serving of soup, then a spoon for it is placed between the diner and the fish knife.
• If the fish dish is not on the menu, then a spoon can be put in place of the fish knife.
• In order to make it convenient to use any item, the ends of the handles together with the dishes should be placed two centimeters from the end of the table.

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Basic table setting

Many use the basic design in order to correctly place the cutlery on the table during a home dinner or lunch, when there is no need for a large number of different serving items.

The main serving includes:

• A plate.
• Knife.
• Plug.
• A spoon.
• A napkin.
• Glass for water.

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Informal table setting

If you plan to organize a friendly brunch or just an informal meeting of friends and family, you can arrange the table in an informal manner.

In this case, the serving may look like this:

• The napkin is located in the place where then the plate with the main course will be put.
• The dining and snack fork is located to the left of the plate in the order in which it is planned to serve the dishes.
• A dessert, a tablespoon and a knife are placed to the right of the plate, and in the following order: knife, dessert spoon and, finally, a tablespoon.
• Dinnerware is placed to the left of the forks.
• A patty plate and butter knife are located above the forks.
• A glass of wine, a glass of water and a cup for coffee or tea are placed above the appliances on the right.

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Formal table setting

This table design is more suitable for a holiday or some serious events. Let's imagine that you plan to serve a main course, fish, soup and oysters.

Important! Do not forget that all dishes and appliances are arranged in the order in which the dishes will be served.

Your serving will look like this:

• The appetizer fork, fish fork and dining fork lie in that order to the left of the plate.
• The soup plate is placed on a plate in which you will be served a second dish.
• The oyster fork is located to the right of the plate from the very edge (only this fork is placed on the right).
• Further, as you approach the dishes: a tablespoon, a fish knife, a table knife.
• Dish for pies and a knife for butter placed on the left above the forks.
• Glasses of red and white wine, a glass for water are placed above the appliances on the right.

Important! After dinner or lunch, a table for dessert, tea or coffee is served at the appropriate level.

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Materials

In addition to the basic rules on how to properly lay out cutlery, you should also know about the materials from which they are made. Let's look at them in detail:

• Wooden - used for trips to nature, but not for daily use. Wooden products absorb moisture, are short-lived, and it’s not very convenient to use them.
• Aluminum - were common before. Today there is debate about the dangers of aluminum, but be that as it may, such items too quickly lose their color, shape, and are also fragile.
• Stainless steel - are some of the most popular. They are made of medical stainless steel, which does not enter into a chemical reaction with acids, salts and alkalis.

Important! As a rule, “18/10” stainless steel is used, containing 18% chromium and 10% nickel.

• Cupronickel - this material is an alloy of nickel, copper and manganese. Such items ceased to produce back in the 50s. Today, similar products are made from nickel silver (it is softer and contains zinc in the composition) - they are coated with gold, silver or blackened.

Important! As a rule, on the reverse side of such products there is an ISC marking.

• Silver - very expensive, are a matter of pride. The devices themselves are quite heavy, so it cannot be said that using them every day is very convenient.

Important! At the end of the serving is the arrangement of flower vases, sets with different spices and other decoration elements. Pepper and salt should be placed in the middle of the table - they should be placed on special stands. It is also allowed to place bottles with sauces, vinegar and vegetable oil.

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Stock footage

Now you are ready not only to conveniently and beautifully decorate the festive table, but also to surprise your loved ones with pleasant serving in ordinary everyday dinners.