Table Setting Buying Guide

A table setting includes dinnerware, glassware and flatware, along with any serveware and decorations you may include. Each place setting needs certain items, depending on the formality of the meal. We recommend having enough dinnerware, glassware and flatware to create eight to 12 place settings.

Dinnerware buying tips

When choosing dinnerware, consider how you plan to use it. Think about whether your meals will be more casual or more formal. Many people choose to have two sets of dinnerware: a set of casual dinnerware for everyday use and a set of formal dinnerware for special occasions.

The design of your dinnerware should reflect your personal style. If your dinnerware is a style that you like, it will always be appropriate. If you are unsure about the image you'd like your dinnerware to project, choose a white or ivory color and let other elements of the table setting add color.

Materials

• Stoneware: made of clay, fired at a high temperature, very dense and scratch-resistant
• Pottery: made from clay, fired at a low temperature, closely related to earthenware, tends to be thick
• Porcelain: a whiter form of stoneware, made from a high-quality clay, sometimes brittle, can be translucent
• Bone China: a type of porcelain with bone ash added to the refined clay, can be very white and translucent, very strong material
• Melamine: a thermo-set plastic resin, used for some casual dishes

Dinnerware pieces

Charger, service plate or accent plate: This decorative plate is used under other plates in formal table settings. No food is served directly on the charger.

Dinner plate: The main course (also known as the meat course) of the meal is served on this plate.

Salad plate: This plate is smaller than a dinner plate but larger than a dessert plate. The salad course refers to service of any green vegetable, although it is commonly thought of as involving lettuce. This course is formally after the main course, but regional tradition may be to serve it just before the main course. This size of plate is also used for the fish course, if there is one after the soup and before the main course.

Bread and butter plate: This is a small plate, usually just larger than a saucer.

Soup bowl: Formal meals traditionally begin with a soup course, though many other appetizers are now thought of as suitable substitutes.

Dessert plate: This plate can either be set above the dinner plate or carried out when dessert is served.

Cup and saucer: These are used for tea or coffee with dessert.

Dinnerware care

Store your dinnerware in a way that protects it, especially if you are storing fine formal dinnerware. If you want to see your dinnerware when it isn't in use, you may find that a china cabinet can be a lovely piece of dining room furniture. If you want your storage to be more out-of-the-way, you may want to use dish storage cases. These padded cases protect your dinnerware in your cupboard. If you'd like to stack your dinnerware in a cabinet, you can cut felt rounds to place between each dish, protecting the surfaces.

Glassware buying tips

Choose the glassware for your table based on which drinks you plan on serving. For a formal table setting, you'll need at least water goblets, white wine glasses, red wine glasses and champagne flutes. You may also choose to set your table with aperitif glasses and dessert wine glasses.

Glassware pieces

Stemware: Stemware includes all glassware with a stem connecting the bowl to the base. Most of the glassware you need for a formal meal will fall under this category including wine glasses, champagne flutes and water goblets.

Beer glassware: You most likely will only be serving beer for a more casual occasion.

Tumblers: Highballs, old-fashions and Collins glasses may be used for cocktails served before the meal.

Glassware care

Clean all glassware as soon as possible after use. Inspect your glassware before use for any chips or cracks; discard cracked glasses as the cracks and chips can harbor bacteria or even cut a lip. Read the manufacturers' information to see if your glassware should be hand washed or if it can go in the dishwasher; fine glassware usually needs to be washed by hand. Store glasses right side up and never stack your glassware.

Flatware buying tips

When selecting flatware, the most important qualities to be aware of are design and metal. These features affect the flatware's cost, durability and maintenance. You'll want to have enough flatware to serve eight to 12 people, plus a few more in case a piece is dropped during the meal and your guest needs a clean replacement. You may want to buy a large set of flatware if you plan on having several guests.

Design

Choose flatware or silverware to match your personal style and complement your dinnerware. If you are unsure of what style to choose, look at the style in which you have decorated your home. Some flatware sets emphasize a traditional look, while others accentuate contemporary designs. As with dinnerware, you may want to have a set of casual flatware as well as a set of formal flatware.

You will also want to consider weight or "heft" of your flatware. This comes down to personal preference: Some people like heavier silverware and others like lighter flatware. Be aware of flatware that is too thin. Cheap flatware is so thin that it can bend and break.

Metal

The type of metal a flatware set is made from will greatly affect its longevity and maintenance requirements. Stainless steel flatware is better suited for everyday use, while silver flatware takes more care and is often saved for special occasions. Silver flatware is also usually more expensive than stainless steel flatware.

You may see a few numbers listed in the description of stainless steel flatware. 18/10 stainless steel is the highest quality. The number means that the alloy contains 18 percent chromium and 10 percent nickel. The chromium makes the metal rust- and stain-resistant, while the nickel gives it luster and shine. The rest of the metal is composite steel, which makes the flatware strong.

Silverware or gold plated flatware is appropriate for any formal table setting, though you may like it enough to use it more often. Gold plated flatware or silver flatware has a lovely shine and a heft that many people find very comfortable to hold. Just be sure you are able to maintain it as often as you use it.

Flatware pieces

Although very formal meals include even more flatware pieces, your formal meals will most likely leave out specific-use tools such as the lemon fork or the chocolate spoon. The flatware pieces you will need to create a formal table setting are:

• Forks: A dinner fork is the standard sized fork. The salad fork is slightly smaller than the dinner fork. The dessert fork is about the same length as the salad fork but may be narrower. The fish fork is about the length of a dinner fork but is often narrower. An oyster or shellfish fork is very small and usually has only two tines.
• Knives: The dinner knife is the standard sized knife. The butter knife is much smaller and usually has a rounded tip. A fish knife is about the same size as a dinner knife, but has a special tip for undressing a fish that is served with head, skin or bones. A steak knife has an extra sharp, usually serrated, blade.
• Spoons: Generally, a soup spoon and a dessert spoon are the only spoons required. A demitasse spoon may be brought out with a cup and saucer for coffee, though using the dessert spoon is considered acceptable to stir within all but the most formal settings. Different soup spoons are available for cream soups or broths, but a standard soup spoon is usually enough. A table spoon or place spoon may be set on a formal table if the meal requires it, and they are often used for an informal meal where no soup is served. A teaspoon is only required when there will be tea served.
• Serving Pieces: Service flatware usually includes a soup ladle, a large serving spoon, a large serving fork, a pie or cake wedge and a cheese knife. Be sure that you have the correct serving utensils for the foods you want to serve.

Flatware care

Stainless steel flatware or silverware with handles of a different material (bone, for example) may require different care. When in doubt about the care for flatware handle material, wash your flatware by hand. Experts recommend washing your stainless steel flatware and silverware separately.

Sterling silver

Always rinse food residue off silverware after use, but do not leave it soaking. Although you can wash most sterling silverware in the dishwasher, hand washing is recommended. If you do choose to machine wash your silverware, remove the silverware before the heat drying cycle and hand dry it. When your silverware is completely dry, store it in a silverware case lined with an anti-tarnish material; many silverware sets are sold in this type of case. Silverware will need to be polished occasionally with a silver polish.

Stainless steel

As with silverware, rinse off food residue as soon after the meal as possible. Hand-wash your stainless steel flatware the first few times you use it to condition it. Afterwards, you can machine wash it. Be careful not to use too much detergent; this can cause rust to form. If rust does appear, clean your stainless steel flatware with an all-purpose metal cleaner. You generally do not need to polish stainless flatware.

How to set the table

Two rules dictate every place setting. First, solids go to the left and liquids to the right. This means that any plates set out go to the left of the setting while glassware is set to the right. Second, use flatware from the outside in. This means that you use the outermost fork or spoon for each course, and you use each utensil for only one course. If you remember these two rules, formal dinners will never be intimidating. When in doubt as a guest, follow the host for clues.

If you are the host, it is your duty to give the proper signals about which courses will be served. When setting your table, be sure to lay out only the pieces which will be used. For example, if you will not be serving oysters, do not lay out an oyster fork. If there will not be a separate cheese service, do not lay out a cheese knife. If there will not be champagne, do not set a champagne flute.

Formal dinner

All pieces should be about an inch from the edge of the table, and each piece should be spaced apart equally.

Dinnerware: Start by setting the table for the first course, with the charger centered in front of the chair. Place the bread and butter plate at the upper left of the charger. If soup will be served first, you can set the soup bowls on the charger. A napkin may be set on the charger or in a wine glass.

Flatware: Remember that all flatware should be laid out so that guests will go from the outside in. Forks are placed on the left, with the exception of the oyster fork. If used, it is placed to the right of the spoons, often at an angle. The dinner knife is placed on the right side of the charger with the blade facing in, followed by the fish knife (if used) with the soup spoon to the right of the knives. If used, a table spoon or place spoon is set between the soup spoon and the knives. The butter knife is laid across the bread plate with the handle to the right. The dessert fork is placed horizontally above the charger with the handle to the left, and the dessert spoon is placed above it with the handle to the right. If needed, the cheese knife is placed parallel to the dessert fork. In North America, the forks are placed with the tines pointing up, while in Europe, the tines point downward.

Glassware: For a formal meal, you may use up to five glasses. Glassware should be to the right side of the place setting. The water goblet should be directly above the knives. To the right of it is the red wine glass, which will be used with the main course or meat course. The white wine glass is set to the right of the red wine glass; it will be used with the fish course. The champagne flute is placed behind the two wine glasses (forming a triangle) if the sparkling wine will be served with dessert. If champagne will be served with oysters, the flute is placed to the right of the white wine glass, near the oyster fork. If a dessert wine will be served, the glass should be to the right of the champagne glass.

At the conclusion of each course of a formal meal, the dishes, glasses and flatware used should be taken away. The next dishes should be brought out with the food on them and with any special utensils, such as steak knives. The chargers are usually removed before the dinner plates are brought out. The bread and butter plates remain on the table until just before the dessert course. The water glasses should remain on the table throughout the entire meal. When dessert is served, the cups and saucers can also be brought out.

Casual dinner

With a casual dinner, you may only be serving two or three courses, but you'll want to remember the same basic rules. You will still only set the dinnerware that will be used, and you will set the flatware to be used from the outside in.

With a casual dinner, you can choose to place all the dishes out that will be used throughout the meal, although it can be a little crowded. You don't need to use a charger if you don't wish to. Place the dinner plate in the center, with the salad plate above it and to the left, next to the bread and butter plate. You only need two glasses: one for water and one for whatever other drink you choose to serve (wine, juice, iced tea, etc.). Place the glasses to the right of the plate.

The dinner knife is to the right of the plate with the blade facing in; if you'll be serving steak, the steak knife can replace the dinner knife. The soup spoon is to the right of the knife. On the left side of the plate is the dinner fork, with the salad fork on the side of it (left or right depending on when you will serve the salad). You may place the dessert fork and spoon above the plate as in the formal setting or line it up next to the plate. If you place them next to the other flatware, make sure the dessert fork is closet to the left side of the plate and the dessert spoon is between the knife and the soup spoon. You'll still want to have a butter knife on the bread plate with the handle to the right.

Bon appétit!

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