Need to buy new silverware. What to look for?

[floridafam]

Are there certain kinds that are better than others?

I can't keep my silverware clean. I don't know if it is our water but they have little black or rust spots all over them.

I thought maybe I could avoid this problem if I bought "better" flatware.

Any suggestions?

 

[mtblujeans]

I would like to know too.

 

[figaromeetsmarie]

I have been looking for Silverware made in the USA NOT China. That is hard to find. If anyone knows of a brand let me know!

Thanks!

 

[sunshinegirl]

I got Oneida for my wedding 7 years ago and LOVE it. We have such hard water that it ruins just about everything. I got Oneida that is just one long piece without a lot of little places for things to get stuck. I also got a pattern that is part of their lifetime replacement program. That means that 50 years from now if I am missing a lot of pieces, I can always get more of the exact same pattern. When you think about it, it is much cheaper just to replace the missing teaspoons (why do I feel like my kids eat them or hide them from me???) then having to replace a whole set when you get too many missing parts.

It's not cheap. But it awfully sturdy, cleans up nice, and will last my whole life.

Here's what mine looks like:

I don't know if all of their stuff is made in the US, but I know that there are plants in the US. You can read about the history of their company here:

http://www.oneida.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/content.page/nodeID/3863ffd4-b588-4129-898b-d5d9e8309bf7/

 

[punkin712]

We got a set of flatware from Target and, after the first washing, they started to get rust spots. I assumed it was related to the other utensils we were washing them with in the dishwasher, but after some research (gotta love the internet!) I found that it was because the flatware was 18/0. I can't remember now what the "0" represents, but evidently it makes a big difference.

We recently replaced it with a set of Oneida 18/10 and haven't had any problems.

 

[bevtoy]

There is a difference between silverware and everyday stainless steel flatware. Real silverware tarnishes and needs cleaning. Poor grade flatware will rust, better grade should not.
I got this article from EBAY:
When buying stainless flatware, you will often see the terms 18/10 stainless and 18/8 stainless. Many people do not understand these terms so I will try to explain them to help you select flatware for your table!

18/8 and 18/10 Refer to the Percentages of chromium and nickel in the stainless stell alloy in flatware. The 18 refers to the chromium content. The 8 or 10 refers to the nickel content. Chromium content gives flatware its strength and the nickel gives flatware shine and rust resistance.

Basically there is very little (almost NO) difference between 18/8 and 18/10 stainless. They are used as marketing terms for flatware companies like Oneida, Gorham and Yamazaki. Usually manufacturers make flatware from stainless steel grade 304 which is 18-20% nickel content. Stell manufacturers make stainless grade 304 with 8.2% nickel so flatware companies can call it 18/10 stainless.

These numbers don't refer to the weight of the stainless flatware. Most of the time, flatware companies will make heavy weight flatware, but the steel itself doesn't make them heavier, it's the style and design and way it is made, not the steel.

The best way to buy stainless flatware is to find a style you like and try it in your hand to see how it feels. Good premium flatware brands won't bend when you use them as intended.

 

[floridafam]

The stuff I have is 18/10.

I should have said flatware in my OP and not silverware.

I don't know if I should keep on buying the cheap Target stuff and just plan on replacing it every so often.

I'm nervous to buy expensive stuff and have the same thing happen.

 

[sunshinegirl]

The stuff I have is 18/10.

I should have said flatware in my OP and not silverware.

I don't know if I should keep on buying the cheap Target stuff and just plan on replacing it every so often.

I'm nervous to buy expensive stuff and have the same thing happen.

How about just buying a piece of open stock and seeing what happens? Like at an outlet or direct from a manufacturer's website? Then you would only be about a few dollars if it got ruined as well.

 

[strasfamily]

I bought a set of Reed and Barton from QVC. I have had it for about 10 years now and it still looks brand new.

 

[bevtoy]

I have had Oneida for 6 years and it still looks like new (18/10)
well worth the price. I go to Ebay and buy replacement pieces if we loose any. Occaisionally a piece gets chewed up in the garbage disposal.
Before that I had Oneida for 10 years. My Mom bought me some new or I would still be using the older set...... never had rust or discoloration problems.

 

[StephMK]

I agree about the feel - I like a little bit of weight to them. I also look for sets that are too detailed either. I got mine on clearance at BB&B, can't remember the brand but it was $50 for an 8 place setting set & came w/a wood organizer. Plus I had a 20% coupon. I had my doubts on the quality but we've had it 2 yrs now & it's held up great. Only a very few spots & overall looks great.

 

[GraysMom]

I got Oneida for my wedding 7 years ago and LOVE it. We have such hard water that it ruins just about everything. I got Oneida that is just one long piece without a lot of little places for things to get stuck. I also got a pattern that is part of their lifetime replacement program. That means that 50 years from now if I am missing a lot of pieces, I can always get more of the exact same pattern. When you think about it, it is much cheaper just to replace the missing teaspoons (why do I feel like my kids eat them or hide them from me???) then having to replace a whole set when you get too many missing parts.

It's not cheap. But it awfully sturdy, cleans up nice, and will last my whole life.

I agree with Oneida. We registered for (and recieved) the same pattern of silverware for our wedding 9 years ago. The everyday silverware was just plain silver colored and the "good" silverware had gold accents. Well, the gold silverware (which we keep in a silverware chest in the basement-probably not the best place for it ) ended up getting some rust/corrosion on the knives (between the handle and blade). When I emailed Oneida about it, they asked me to send in the damaged pieces for them to look at, which I did. A short time later I got a reply from them saying the pieces could not be fixed and the pattern was discontinued (read: GET ONE OF THE "PATTERNS FOR A LIFETIME"). They gave me the choice of keeping the set I had and they would return the knives as is, keeping the set I had and getting new knives in a different pattern, or returning my whole set (serving pieces and all) and choosing one of their current gold accent patterns. I chose to send the whole shebang back (at their expense) and I picked one of the gold accent Patterns for a Lifetime, which I recieved in a couple of weeks (the pattern is called Aquarius).

As I said, we also have Oneida for our everyday silverware and it goes through the dishwasher regularly and is still looking good 9 years later.

 

[CTdiznymom]

I bought a set of Reed and Barton from QVC. I have had it for about 10 years now and it still looks brand new.

I also got a Reed and Barton from QVC. I've had it for years, and if I remember correctly the price was very reasonable at the time.

 

[Skatermom23]

Are there certain kinds that are better than others?

I can't keep my silverware clean. I don't know if it is our water but they have little black or rust spots all over them.

I thought maybe I could avoid this problem if I bought "better" flatware.

Any suggestions?

I just bought two sets of Oneida and just love them! Each set serves 8 and came with an extra set of 8 teaspoons and a serving set. By buying two complete sets I have enough forks and knives to never run out!
I got them at Bed Bath and Beyond and used a 20% coupon. I thought the price was reasonable.

Also, in the directions (yes I read them) it stated not to use the lemon scented dishwashing liquids because they can cause stains. Now I had been using this with my old stainless for years and didn't really have a problem but decided not to take any chances with the new stuff.

I agree with everyone else who said to go to the store and see what feels right in your hand. I even brought DH alone and told him this was a long commitment and we needed to make sure we agreed~

 

[Cindy B]

I may get some soon as well. I got some as a wedding present as well (15 years ago!) and some pieces are missing.

 

[elgerber]

Another vote for Oneida. Ours was a wedding gift 16 years ago, still looks great!

 

[tar heel]

My Oneida open stock wedding flatware is almost 25 years old! It's not a pattern I would choose now (didn't realize my MIL was going to give me grandma's silver, so I chose a patter I could use with my china), but it's in such darn good shape that I can't replace it. I have service for 12, lots of serving pieces, serrated fruit spoons, etc. -- I got several of the specialty pieces through Betty Crocker. The pattern they had was almost like mine -- I have to pick up the pieces and look at them to tell which is which. Unfortunatley, Betty has discontinued the catalog.

If you want to get good quality stainless (mine was not cheap and it was a mid-level Oneida), you might look on Ebay. I'm going to buy some extra teaspoons there soon. They are way less than the department store. Teaspoons are the only piece we consistently run out of beofre the dishwasher is run b/c we use them for so many things and they're also the piece most likely to be in the disposal.

 

[DianaPrincessofWales]

I have 2 sets we use that we got as wedding gifts 22 yrs ago. They are basic stainless steal sets with no rust spots, but quite a few peices seem to have gone missing. We still use these for every day.

Then I have a complete Oneida set that I've had for at least 5 years that is doing very well after dishwasher use. I use these for semi-nice occasions.

Then I have another set that we got through DH's work promotion. It's Reed and Barton, it's heavy and GORGEOUS! We only get that out for special occasions. I always hand wash that, never in the dishwasher. It's real silver and probably could stand a polish. Anyone recommend a good polish?

I had dinner at a friends house and they had Mikasa silverware. I remember because I was very impressed with it (weighty and beautiful). I shopped for it once and though it was awfully pricey. Free through work was better!!

Good luch whatever you decided!