Types of cutlery: 31 pieces, what each is for, and where it goes

Cutlery comes in four groups: knives, forks, spoons and serving pieces. The everyday core is small: a US 5-piece place setting is a dinner knife, a dinner fork, a salad fork, an oval soup (place) spoon and a teaspoon, and a UK 24-piece set is six settings of four: table knife, table fork, a large spoon and a teaspoon. Most other pieces are for one course or one food. The table below lists all 31 we found in makers' ranges and etiquette sources, seven knives, eight forks, nine spoons and seven serving pieces.^{1, 4, 5, 8, 10}

On this page: The table · Knives · Forks · Spoons · Serving pieces · Look-alikes · Names by region · What you need · Where it goes · FAQ

Dinner knife

Names: US dinner knife or place knife; UK table knife; "joint knife" in a UK catering textbook; an old US name is case knife.

What it is for. Cuts the main course. At an informal meal the Emily Post Institute lets it serve every course, and in a 5-piece set it spreads the butter too ("Used to cut food and for spreading butter.", an Oneida retailer).^{15, 25}

How to tell it from the steak knife. The set's own knife. A steak knife is serrated with a sharp tip, and Etiquette Scholar says it is "not made as part of a set of flatware" (though Christofle and Robert Welch both sell one in-pattern).^{3, 6, 28}

Where it sits. Right of the plate, blade toward the plate.^{27, 37} (see it in a setting)

Length. 21.6 to 26.4 cm (8.5 to 10.4 in), 9 makers. As printed: Oneida Diameter: 8 15/16 in (22.7 cm)¹; Oneida Chef's Table: 9 1/2 in (24.1 cm)¹; Gorham Chantilly place knife: 9 1/8 in (23.2 cm)²; Gorham Chantilly dinner knife: 9 5/8 in (24.4 cm)²; Gorham Chantilly Continental knife: 10 3/8 in (26.4 cm)²; Robert Welch Malvern Bright table knife: 241 mm (9.5 in)⁶; Robert Welch Stanton Bright table knife: 233 mm (9.2 in)⁷; Christofle Malmaison: 9 3/4 in (24.8 cm)³; Reed & Barton 1800: 9.12 in (23.2 cm)⁴; Lenox Eternal Frosted: 9.25 in (23.5 cm)⁵; Libbey 213-5502: 9 3/4 in (24.8 cm), via Chef's Deal¹³; International Tableware MA-331: 8 7/8 in (22.5 cm), via Chef's Deal¹³; Amefa 193300B000305: 8 1/2 in (21.6 cm), via Chef's Deal¹³.

Steak knife

What it is for. Takes the dinner knife's job when the main course is meat: "If the main course is meat, a steak knife can take the place of the dinner knife." (Emily Post Institute). Debrett's: "It is permissible in a restaurant to ask for a steak knife if the meat is tough".^{25, 32}

How to tell it from the dinner knife. Serrated, with a sharp tip (Etiquette Scholar); at a formal meal it "is not provided if meat is served roasted".²⁸

Where it sits. In the dinner knife's place, blade toward the plate.²⁵ (see it in a setting)

Length. Two makers: Christofle 24.8 cm (9.8 in); Robert Welch 24.3 cm (9.6 in). As printed: Christofle Malmaison: 9.75 in (24.8 cm)³; Robert Welch Malvern Bright: 243 mm (9.6 in)⁶.

Fish knife

Names: "Fish Blade" in an English maker's catalogue (Arthur Price); with its fork, a pair of "fish eaters" in Victorian trade (V&A).

What it is for. The fish course, with the fish fork. Sources split on the job: Christofle says it "is reserved for cutting up fish, producing fine, clean slices"; Etiquette Scholar says its notched point is "used to separate the skeleton from the body and lift the bones onto a plate", and Wikipedia says "The fish knife is not designed for cutting."^{21, 28, 47}

How to tell it from the butter spreader. A wide, flat, dull blade, often with a notch near a pointed tip (Etiquette Scholar); Cambridge: "a knife for eating fish, with a wide blade and a round edge". The butter spreader is much shorter, the smallest knife on the table, with a rounded blade.^{28, 51}

Where it sits. Right of the dinner knife: "The specially shaped fish knife goes to the right of the dinner knife."²⁶ (see it in a setting)

Length. 19.4 to 22.4 cm (7.6 to 8.8 in), 5 makers. As printed: Libbey 774452 Geneva (maker line: 7-5/8 in overall; the title prints 7 in): 7 5/8 in (19.4 cm), via Chef's Deal¹³; Christofle Malmaison: 7.75 in (19.7 cm)³; Amefa 906500B000410: 8 in (20.3 cm), via Chef's Deal¹³; Gorham Chantilly, hollow handle: 8.50 in (21.6 cm)²; Robert Welch Malvern Bright: 224 mm (8.8 in)⁶.

Butter spreader

Names: US butter spreader or butter knife (the Emily Post Institute says butter knife); UK butter knife (Robert Welch).

What it is for. Your own butter knife at the bread plate: Merriam-Webster's butter spreader is "a small knife with rounded blade used for buttering bread at table".^{25, 55}

How to tell it from the master butter knife. A rounded tip and one at each place. The master butter knife is a serving piece that "sits with the butter dish" and "usually has a pointy end" (Silver Superstore).^{40, 41}

Where it sits. On the bread plate: "diagonally across the edge of the plate, handle on the right side and blade facing down".²⁵ (see it in a setting)

Length. 14.9 to 17.1 cm (5.9 to 6.8 in), 4 makers. As printed: Robert Welch Malvern Bright butter knife: 149 mm (5.9 in)⁶; Gorham Chantilly, hollow handle: 6.25 in (15.9 cm)²; Christofle Malmaison: 6.62 in (16.8 cm)³; Gorham Chantilly, flat handle: 6.75 in (17.1 cm)²; CAC China 8008-12 Golden Pearl: 6 3/4 in (17.1 cm), via Chef's Deal¹³.

Dessert knife

Names: side knife (Robert Welch).

What it is for. Dessert, with the dessert fork: "It is used in formal and informal dining with a dessert fork." (Etiquette Scholar). Viners puts it in its formal (44-piece) set.^{10, 28}

How to tell it from the dinner knife. Smaller than the dinner knife: "usually smaller than the table knife" (Viners); Robert Welch's side knife is 222 mm against its 241 mm table knife.^{6, 10}

Where it sits. No fixed place in the US sources we read; Christofle: "placed either to the right of the plate or on top of it"; Viners' product page says "laid next to the table knife", though its table-setting page puts dessert cutlery above the plate.²¹

Length. Two makers: Christofle 19.7 cm (7.8 in); Robert Welch 22.2 cm (8.7 in). As printed: Christofle Marly dessert knife: 7 3/4 in (19.7 cm)³; Robert Welch Malvern Bright side knife: 222 mm (8.7 in)⁶.

Fruit knife

Names: Sambonet sells a "fruit/dessert knife".

What it is for. "The fruit knife is used to cut and peel fresh fruit at the table in formal and informal dining." (Etiquette Scholar). Post 1922 pairs it with a fruit fork.^{28, 37}

How to tell it from the dessert knife. Smaller again than the dessert knife in Etiquette Scholar's order of sizes; Sambonet sells one knife for both jobs.^{19, 28}

Where it sits. Brought with the fruit: "A doily goes under the finger bowl, and a fruit knife and fork on either side." (Post 1922)³⁷

Length. No maker's printed length in what we read; Sambonet's guide gives about 17 to 18 cm (6.7 to 7.1 in) for its fruit/dessert knife.

Cheese knife

Names: Debrett's names cheddar, soft, flat, spreader and pronged kinds.

What it is for. Cuts cheese: Sambonet's has "very sharp blades and a double tip"; Christofle's is "often with a serrated or pointed blade to easily cut different textures of cheese."^{19, 21, 33}

How to tell it. A forked or double tip. Debrett's cheese spreader is the blunt one: "With a curved, rounded dull-edged blade".^{19, 33}

Where it sits. On the cheese board, shared: "Always use the cheese knife provided to cut cheese from a communal board, not your own knife." (Debrett's)³³

Length. One maker we read: Christofle 20.3 cm (8.0 in). As printed: Christofle Malmaison: 8.00 in (20.3 cm)³.

Dinner fork

Names: US dinner fork or place fork; UK table fork; "joint fork" in a UK catering textbook.

What it is for. "The dinner fork, the larger of the two forks, is used for the main course" (Emily Post Institute).²⁵

How to tell it from the salad fork. The longer of the two forks in a 5-piece set. The salad fork is shorter and, in Christofle's words, "wider than a table fork, with one side used to cut salad leaves."^{20, 25}

Where it sits. Left of the plate. Every fork goes on the left except the oyster fork.^{26, 27} (see it in a setting)

Length. 18.4 to 21.3 cm (7.2 to 8.4 in), 9 makers. As printed: Oneida Chef's Table: 8 in (20.3 cm)¹; Oneida Diameter: 7 1/2 in (19.1 cm)¹; Oneida Louisiana: 7.25 in (18.4 cm)¹; Gorham Chantilly place fork: 7 3/8 in (18.7 cm)²; Gorham Chantilly Continental fork: 8 3/8 in (21.3 cm)²; Robert Welch Malvern Bright table fork: 207 mm (8.1 in)⁶; Robert Welch Stanton Bright table fork: 198 mm (7.8 in)⁷; Christofle Malmaison: 8 1/8 in (20.6 cm)³; Christofle Cluny: 8.25 in (21.0 cm)³; Reed & Barton 1800: 7.62 in (19.4 cm)⁴; Lenox Alcott: 8.25 in (21.0 cm)⁵; International Tableware MA-221: 7 1/2 in (19.1 cm), via Chef's Deal¹³; Frieling 192400B000320: 7 7/8 in (20.0 cm), via Chef's Deal¹³; CAC China 2003-05: 7 1/4 in (18.4 cm), via Chef's Deal¹³.

Salad fork

Names: sold as a "salad/dessert fork" by Yamazaki and as "Dessert/Salad Fork" in one Oneida pattern.

What it is for. "the smaller fork is used for a salad or an appetizer" (Emily Post Institute).²⁵

How to tell it from the dinner fork. Shorter than the dinner fork, and wider: Christofle says one side cuts the leaves; Etiquette Scholar gives salad, fish, dessert and pastry forks "a wide left tine and an optional notch".^{20, 29}

Where it sits. Outside the dinner fork when the salad comes first; inside it, next to the plate, when the salad follows the main.^{26, 27} (see it in a setting)

Length. 15.2 to 18.4 cm (6.0 to 7.2 in), 7 makers. As printed: Oneida Diameter: 7 in (17.8 cm)¹; Oneida Easton: 7 in (17.8 cm)¹; Oneida Louisiana: 6.75 in (17.1 cm)¹; Gorham Chantilly: 6 3/8 in (16.2 cm)²; Christofle Malmaison: 6 1/2 in (16.5 cm)³; Reed & Barton 1800: 6.62 in (16.8 cm)⁴; Lenox Alcott: 7.25 in (18.4 cm)⁵; International Tableware MA-222: 6 in (15.2 cm), via Chef's Deal¹³; CAC China 2003-06 Elizabeth: 6 1/2 in (16.5 cm), via Chef's Deal¹³.

Fish fork

What it is for. "A fish fork is wide enough to pick up fish flesh that cannot be pricked." (Christofle)²⁰

How to tell it from the dinner fork. Etiquette Scholar: "the fish fork features an extra wide left tine, and an optional notch, grooved to fit over the bones."²⁹

Where it sits. Left of the dinner fork: "If there is a fish course, this small fork is placed to the left of the dinner fork because it is the first fork used."²⁶ (see it in a setting)

Length. 17.8 to 22.9 cm (7.0 to 9.0 in), 4 makers. As printed: Christofle Malmaison: 7.00 in (17.8 cm)³; Libbey 774036: 7 in (17.8 cm), via Chef's Deal¹³; Gorham Chantilly, hollow handle: 8.00 in (20.3 cm)²; Robert Welch Malvern Bright: 194 mm (7.6 in)⁶; Libbey 492-019 Louvre: 9 in (22.9 cm), via Chef's Deal¹³.

Dessert fork

Names: UK also pudding fork (Debrett's "dessert (pudding) spoons and forks"), "sweet fork" in a UK catering textbook, side fork (Robert Welch).

What it is for. "The dessert fork is used with the dessert spoon for entremets, but it also works for starters." (Christofle). Debrett's: "Always eat puddings with a spoon and fork (both should always be laid)".^{20, 32}

How to tell it from the salad fork. Often the same fork as the salad fork: Yamazaki sells a "salad/dessert fork", one retailer's 5-piece setting has a dessert fork where the others have a salad fork, and the Emily Post Institute says salad forks "can often double as dessert forks".^{17, 18, 27}

Where it sits. Above the plate, handle to the left, under the dessert spoon; at a formal dinner it comes in on the dessert plate. Viners' product page lays it "to the left of the table fork"; its table page, above the plate.^{25, 26} (see it in a setting)

Length. Two makers: Christofle 17.1 cm (6.8 in); Robert Welch 19.0 cm (7.5 in). As printed: Christofle Marly dessert fork: 6 3/4 in (17.1 cm)³; Robert Welch Malvern Bright side fork: 190 mm (7.5 in)⁶.

Cake or pastry fork

Names: Cake fork (Christofle, Sambonet); pastry fork (Robert Welch, Arthur Price, Steelite).

What it is for. "With one of its edges being sharp, the cake fork is specially designed to cut cakes or pies on your plate without crushing or deforming your cakes." (Christofle)²⁰

How to tell it from the dessert fork. One wider, bevelled outer tine that cuts: Sambonet's has "only three prongs, the outer one of which is wider than the others so that it can serve as a knife". Tine counts vary: Wikipedia gives three or four.^{19, 50}

Where it sits. No fixed place in what we read.

Length. 15.2 to 16.3 cm (6.0 to 6.4 in), 3 makers. As printed: Steelite 5970SX025: 6 in (15.2 cm), via Chef's Deal¹³; Christofle Malmaison cake/pastry fork: 6.25 in (15.9 cm)³; Steelite 5992SX068: 6.375 in (16.2 cm), via Chef's Deal¹³; Robert Welch Malvern Bright pastry fork: 163 mm (6.4 in)⁶.

Oyster fork

Names: also cocktail fork or seafood fork (Wikipedia; Christofle sells an "Oyster/Cocktail Fork"; Tasting Table treats the seafood fork as a different fork).

What it is for. Shellfish: Christofle's oyster fork "has flat edges that allow it to loosen and prick the oyster."^{20, 48}

How to tell it. The smallest fork in a set, with "three short, broad tines" (Wikipedia). Whether a cocktail or seafood fork is the same fork, sources split: Wikipedia and Christofle say yes, Tasting Table describes a seafood fork as a different, larger fork.^{3, 46, 48}

Where it sits. Far right, outside the spoons: "It is the only fork ever placed on the right of the plate."²⁶ (see it in a setting)

Length. Two makers: Gorham 14.0 cm (5.5 in); Christofle 14.6 cm (5.8 in). As printed: Gorham Chantilly cocktail fork: 5.50 in (14.0 cm)²; Christofle Malmaison oyster/cocktail fork: 5.75 in (14.6 cm)³.

Snail fork

Names: Snail or escargot fork, used with snail tongs.

What it is for. Takes the snail out of its shell; a UK catering textbook pairs it with snail tongs, which hold the shell.^{29, 36}

How to tell it from the oyster fork. Two tines: "The snail fork is approximately 4½ inches in length with two long, pointed tines." (Etiquette Scholar)²⁹

Where it sits. "Snail tongs: left of cover Snail fork: right of cover" (Lillicrap)³⁶

Length. No maker's printed length in what we read; Etiquette Scholar gives about 4½ in (11.4 cm).

Lobster fork or pick

Names: Lobster fork (Christofle); lobster pick (a UK catering textbook).

What it is for. "The lobster fork is ideal for removing flesh from lobster claws." (Christofle); the textbook's lobster pick is "to extract the flesh from the claw".^{20, 36}

How to tell it from the oyster fork. "The lobster fork is larger than the oyster fork and has a different use." (Christofle)²⁰

Where it sits. No fixed place in what we read.

Length. No maker's printed length in what we read; Etiquette Scholar gives 6¾ to 8 in (17.1 to 20.3 cm).

Soup spoon (oval) or place spoon

Names: US oval soup spoon, place spoon, dinner spoon or soup/cereal spoon (one Oneida pattern: "Dessert/Oval Soup Spoon"); the big spoon in a US 5-piece set.

What it is for. "The oval soup spoon is made to eat soup, namely, soup made with particles of solid food, such as meat, vegetables, grains, and pasta." (Etiquette Scholar). As the place spoon, "an all-purpose utensil used to eat soup, cereal, and dessert".^{15, 30, 31}

How to tell it from the dessert spoon. An oval bowl in Etiquette Scholar; Viners, a British maker, describes its soup spoon as having "a deep, circular bowl". Each is one source's pattern, not a national rule. The round cream soup spoon is the one made with a circular bowl (Etiquette Scholar).^{10, 30}

Where it sits. Far right, outside the knives: "the soup spoon goes to the far (outside) right of the dinner knife".²⁵ (see it in a setting)

Length. 17.1 to 20.7 cm (6.8 to 8.1 in), 6 makers. As printed: Oneida Chef's Table: 7 1/4 in (18.4 cm)¹; Oneida Diameter: 7 1/2 in (19.1 cm)¹; Gorham Chantilly: 6 3/4 in (17.1 cm)²; Robert Welch Malvern Bright soup spoon: 207 mm (8.1 in)⁶; Robert Welch RW2 Satin soup spoon: 198 mm (7.8 in)⁷; Christofle Malmaison: 7 1/2 in (19.1 cm)³; Reed & Barton 1800: 7 in (17.8 cm)⁴; Lenox Alcott: 7.5 in (19.1 cm)⁵.

Dessert spoon

Names: UK dessert spoon, also pudding spoon (Debrett's) and "sweet spoon" in a UK catering textbook; in US sets the oval soup or place spoon is sold for dessert too (ours: roughly the same job).

What it is for. Cambridge (UK): "a medium-sized spoon, used especially for eating sweet food at the end of a meal". Debrett's: for puddings, "the spoon should be a dessert spoon."^{32, 51}

How to tell it from the soup spoon (oval) or place spoon. "The dessert spoon is a similar size to a soup spoon; however, it features an oval bowl rather than a round one." (Viners). Post 1922: "the spoon which is double the size of a teaspoon is known as nothing but a dessert spoon".^{10, 37}

Where it sits. Above the plate, spoon on top with its handle to the right; at a formal dinner it comes in on the dessert plate.^{24, 25, 26} (see it in a setting)

Length. 17.1 to 18.9 cm (6.8 to 7.4 in), 6 makers. As printed: Robert Welch Malvern Bright: 189 mm (7.4 in)⁶; Christofle Malmaison: 6.75 in (17.1 cm)³; Amefa 141024B000345: 7 3/16 in (18.3 cm), via Chef's Deal¹³; Frieling 192400B000345: 7 7/16 in (18.9 cm), via Chef's Deal¹³; International Tableware MA-114: 7 in (17.8 cm), via Chef's Deal¹³; Oneida Chef's Table (1880 Hospitality) tablespoon/dessert spoon: 7 in (17.8 cm), via Hubert¹⁴.

Cream soup spoon (round)

Names: Cream soup spoon.

What it is for. Gorham's: "The rounded bowl is specially designed for cream soups and hearty stews"; Miss Manners' old family had "a round spoon used for cream soup served in soup cups".^{2, 34}

How to tell it from the soup spoon (oval) or place spoon. A round bowl, "made with a round bowl to fit the shape of the cream soup bowl" (Etiquette Scholar), and shorter than the oval soup spoon in the makers' figures.³⁰

Where it sits. The soup spoon's place: "If soup or fruit is served as a first course, then the accompanying spoon goes to the right of the knives."²⁶ (see it in a setting)

Length. Two makers: Gorham 15.9 cm (6.3 in); Christofle 16.5 cm (6.5 in). As printed: Gorham Chantilly: 6.25 in (15.9 cm)²; Christofle Malmaison: 6.50 in (16.5 cm)³.

Bouillon or round-bowl soup spoon

Names: Bouillon spoon; round bowl soup spoon (Robert Welch).

What it is for. "The bouillon spoon is used at light meals, such as formal and informal luncheons, when clear or jellied soup is served as a first course." (Etiquette Scholar). Post 1922 has cup soups "eaten with a teaspoon or a bouillon spoon."^{30, 37}

How to tell it from the cream soup spoon (round). Round, and the smallest of the soup spoons in Miss Manners' account: "a smaller round spoon for bouillon".³⁴

Where it sits. The soup spoon's place, right of the knives, when it is the first course.²⁶ (see it in a setting)

Length. Two makers: Robert Welch 18.0 cm (7.1 in); Oneida 15.9 cm (6.3 in). As printed: Robert Welch Malvern Bright round bowl soup spoon: 180 mm (7.1 in)⁶; Oneida Chef's Table (1880 Hospitality) bouillon spoon: 6.25 in (15.9 cm), via Hubert¹⁴.

Table spoon

Names: Table spoon or tablespoon; in the UK a serving spoon (Cambridge); in the US also the 15 mL measure.

What it is for. Viners: "The table spoon is the largest spoon in the cutlery range. It is not part of a place setting and is used for preparing and serving food." Sambonet's is "used for eating soups but also for serving dishes".^{10, 19}

How to tell it from the serving spoon. The largest spoon of a set. As a measure it is a different thing: 15 mL on US food labels and 20 mL in Australia (see the measures below).^{51, 57, 58}

Where it sits. Not part of a place setting, in Viners' words; on the table it serves.¹⁰

Length. Two makers: Christofle 20.6 to 21.0 cm (8.1 to 8.3 in); Amefa 20.5 cm (8.1 in). As printed: Christofle Malmaison: 8.12 in (20.6 cm)³; Amefa 141000B000325: 8 1/16 in (20.5 cm), via Chef's Deal¹³; Christofle Marly: 8 1/4 in (21.0 cm)³.

Teaspoon

Names: Robert Welch sells an "English Teaspoon" and a longer "American / US Teaspoon".

What it is for. Cambridge: "a small spoon used to stir (= mix) tea or coffee in a cup". Debrett's adds grapefruit, boiled eggs and ice cream.^{32, 51}

How to tell it from the demitasse or espresso spoon. Bigger than the coffee or demitasse spoon. At Robert Welch the US teaspoon is 160 mm long, the English one 134 mm.⁶

Where it sits. Right of the knife, inside the soup spoon: "the teaspoon or dessert spoon, which will be used last, goes to the left (inside) of the soup spoon".²⁵ (see it in a setting)

Length. 13.1 to 16.5 cm (5.2 to 6.5 in), 6 makers. As printed: Oneida Louisiana: 6 in (15.2 cm)¹; Oneida Chef's Table: 6 3/8 in (16.2 cm)¹; Gorham Chantilly: 5 3/4 in (14.6 cm)²; Robert Welch Malvern Bright English teaspoon: 134 mm (5.3 in)⁶; Robert Welch Malvern Bright American / US teaspoon: 160 mm (6.3 in)⁶; Robert Welch RW2 Satin English teaspoon: 131 mm (5.2 in)⁷; Christofle Malmaison: 6 in (15.2 cm)³; Christofle Marly: 5 7/8 in (14.9 cm)³; Reed & Barton 1800: 6.12 in (15.5 cm)⁴; Lenox Alcott: 6.5 in (16.5 cm)⁵.

Demitasse or espresso spoon

Names: Demitasse, espresso, coffee or after-dinner coffee spoon.

What it is for. "At a formal dinner or formal luncheon, coffee is served in a demitasse cup, and a demitasse spoon is used if sugar is added." (Etiquette Scholar)³⁰

How to tell it from the teaspoon. Shorter than a teaspoon with a smaller bowl: Robert Welch's coffee spoon bowl is 21 mm wide, its English teaspoon's 27 mm.⁶

Where it sits. No fixed place in what we read.

Length. 10.2 to 13.3 cm (4.0 to 5.3 in), 7 makers. As printed: Robert Welch Malvern Bright coffee / espresso spoon: 102 mm (4.0 in)⁶; Christofle Malmaison espresso spoon: 4.00 in (10.2 cm)³; Gorham Chantilly: 4.13 in (10.5 cm)²; Libbey 239-007: 4 1/4 in (10.8 cm), via Chef's Deal¹³; Amefa 331923B000380: 4 1/4 in (10.8 cm), via Chef's Deal¹³; CAC China 2003-09: 4 1/2 in (11.4 cm), via Chef's Deal¹³; International Tableware MA-116: 5 1/4 in (13.3 cm), via Chef's Deal¹³.

Iced-tea spoon

Names: Iced-tea or iced-beverage spoon; long handled spoon (Robert Welch).

What it is for. "The iced-beverage spoon, also known as an iced-tea spoon, is used to stir sugar in cold beverages served in a tall glass, such as iced tea or iced coffee." (Etiquette Scholar). Debrett's: ice cream in a tall glass takes "a long teaspoon".^{30, 32}

How to tell it from the teaspoon. A teaspoon-sized bowl on a long handle, long enough to reach the bottom of a tall glass (ours; Etiquette Scholar says the spoon is for a tall glass).⁶

Where it sits. No fixed place in what we read.

Length. Two makers: Robert Welch 20.6 cm (8.1 in); Libbey 19.1 to 21.3 cm (7.5 to 8.4 in). As printed: Robert Welch Malvern Bright long handled spoon: 206 mm (8.1 in)⁶; Libbey 649-021: 7 1/2 in (19.1 cm), via Chef's Deal¹³; Libbey 657-021: 8 in (20.3 cm), via Chef's Deal¹³; Libbey 130-021 Harbour: 8 3/8 in (21.3 cm), via Chef's Deal¹³.

Grapefruit spoon

Names: Grapefruit, citrus, orange or fruit spoon.

What it is for. "A grapefruit spoon is a utensil usually similar in design to a teaspoon that tapers to a sharp edge or teeth, the intent of the front serration being to separate the flesh of a grapefruit from its rind." (Wikipedia)^{36, 50}

How to tell it from the teaspoon. A teaspoon with a point or teeth: "an elongated bowl and a pointed tip" (Etiquette Scholar).³⁰

Where it sits. Far right as a first-course spoon; Post 1922 puts "the oyster fork or grape fruit spoon" outermost.^{26, 37}

Length. No maker's printed length in what we read; Etiquette Scholar gives 5½ to 6½ in (14.0 to 16.5 cm).

Serving spoon

Names: Serving spoon (a pierced, slotted version is sold too: Oneida, Gorham).

What it is for. Serves from the dish: Post 1922 has "a serving spoon (somewhat larger than an ordinary tablespoon) is put on all dishes".³⁷

How to tell it from the table spoon. Larger than the table spoon where one maker prints both: Christofle Malmaison's serving spoon is 13.00 in (33.0 cm) against its 8.12 in table spoon.

Where it sits. On the dish it serves (Post 1922).³⁷

Length. 22.9 to 33.0 cm (9.0 to 13.0 in), 3 makers. As printed: Robert Welch Malvern Bright: 251 mm (9.9 in)⁶; Oneida Butler: 9 in (22.9 cm)¹; Christofle Malmaison, large: 13.00 in (33.0 cm)³.

Serving fork

Names: Gorham also sells a cold meat fork.

What it is for. Serves meat and vegetables from a platter (ours); sold beside the serving spoon by Oneida, Robert Welch and Christofle.^{1, 3, 6}

How to tell it. A large fork, about the serving spoon's length at Robert Welch (249 and 251 mm) and Oneida (8.9 and 9 in); Christofle's is 9.87 in against its 13.00 in spoon.

Where it sits. With the platter it serves (ours).

Length. 22.6 to 25.1 cm (8.9 to 9.9 in), 3 makers. As printed: Robert Welch Malvern Bright: 249 mm (9.8 in)⁶; Oneida Butler: 8.9 in (22.6 cm)¹; Christofle Malmaison, large: 9.87 in (25.1 cm)³.

Gravy or sauce ladle

Names: Gravy ladle (Gorham, Christofle, Oneida); sauce ladle (Robert Welch).

What it is for. Serves gravy or sauce (ours). It is in Oneida's 3-piece hostess set, Etiquette Scholar's four-piece hostess set and its 43-piece service for eight.^{1, 31}

How to tell it. A small deep bowl on a handle (ours), smaller than a soup ladle (Christofle's soup ladle is 11.50 in, 29.2 cm).³

Where it sits. With the gravy boat (ours).

Length. 16.5 to 17.8 cm (6.5 to 7.0 in), 3 makers. As printed: Gorham Chantilly: 6.75 in (17.1 cm)²; Robert Welch Malvern Bright sauce ladle: 165 mm (6.5 in)⁶; Christofle Malmaison: 7.00 in (17.8 cm)³.

Master butter knife

Names: Master butter knife or butter serving knife; "butter knife" in Victorian use (Wikipedia).

What it is for. "Master butter knife designed for serving from the butter dish" (Gorham, as its retailer prints it). Eliza Leslie, 1853: "Always take butter with the butter-knife, and then do not forget to return that knife to the butter-plate."^{2, 39}

How to tell it from the butter spreader. Pointed, and only one on the table: "It usually has a pointy end" (Silver Superstore); the spreader at each place is rounded.^{40, 41, 49}

Where it sits. "The butter serving knife sits with the butter dish." (Silver Superstore)⁴⁰

Length. Two makers: Gorham 16.8 cm (6.6 in); Oneida 17.8 cm (7.0 in). As printed: Gorham Chantilly butter serving knife: 6.63 in (16.8 cm)²; Oneida Butler butter serving knife: 7 in (17.8 cm)¹.

Sugar spoon

What it is for. Serves sugar from the bowl (ours); in hostess sets from Oneida and Gorham, and Sambonet sizes it between the dessert spoon and the teaspoon.^{1, 2, 19}

How to tell it. A teaspoon-sized serving spoon, often with a shaped bowl (ours).

Where it sits. With the sugar bowl (ours).

Length. Two makers: Gorham 15.2 cm (6.0 in); Oneida 15.9 cm (6.3 in). As printed: Gorham Chantilly: 6.00 in (15.2 cm)²; Oneida Butler: 6.25 in (15.9 cm)¹.

Cake or pie server

Names: "Cake/Multi Server" (Christofle).

What it is for. Cuts and lifts a slice of cake or pie (ours); Gorham and Etiquette Scholar put a pie server in the six-piece hostess set.^{2, 31}

How to tell it. A flat, wedge-shaped blade (ours).

Where it sits. With the cake or pie (ours).

Length. Two makers: Robert Welch 25.1 cm (9.9 in); Christofle 27.3 cm (10.8 in). As printed: Robert Welch Malvern Bright cake / pie server: 251 mm (9.9 in)⁶; Christofle Malmaison cake multi-server: 10.75 in (27.3 cm)³.

Carving knife and fork

Names: Carving set (carving knife and carving fork).

What it is for. Carves a roast at the table or sideboard (ours).^{3, 19}

How to tell it. Among the longest pieces of a silver service in what we read.³

Where it sits. Beside the roast (ours).

Length. One maker we read: Christofle 27.6 to 33.0 cm (10.9 to 13.0 in). As printed: Christofle Malmaison carving fork: 10.87 in (27.6 cm)³; Christofle Malmaison carving knife: 13.00 in (33.0 cm)³.

Fish knife vs butter knife (and dinner knife)

Length settles most cases. Fish knives run 19.4 to 22.4 cm (7.6 to 8.8 in) in the makers' figures we read, not far short of dinner knives at 21.6 to 26.4 cm (8.5 to 10.4 in); butter spreaders run 14.9 to 17.1 cm (5.9 to 6.8 in), the shortest knife on the table. Then the blade: the fish knife's is wide, flat and dull, often notched or pointed near the tip; the spreader's is small and rounded.^{28, 51} And the place: a fish knife lies with the knives, right of the dinner knife; a spreader lies across the bread plate.^{25, 26}

What the fish knife does is where sources split: Christofle says it cuts ("producing fine, clean slices"), Etiquette Scholar that its point separates the skeleton and lifts the bones, and Wikipedia that it "is not designed for cutting."^{21, 28, 47} How to hold it is in fine dining etiquette.

The pair became a television moment on Below Deck Mediterranean (season 9, episode 11, aired August 2024): a guest asked why she had a butter knife, and the chief stew, Aesha Scott, told her it was a fish knife.^{65, 66} No source we read describes the knife on screen, so we cannot say more than the tells above.

Butter knife vs butter spreader vs master butter knife

"Butter knife" names two different pieces. The butter spreader is your own, one at each place, with a rounded tip; the master butter knife is shared, usually pointed, and "sits with the butter dish".^{40, 55} In 1853 Eliza Leslie meant the shared one: take butter with it, then "return that knife to the butter-plate."³⁹ Debrett's still has butter "taken from the butter dish, using the butter knife and placed on the edge of your side plate."³³

The names do not line up between sources: the Emily Post Institute, Post in 1922 and Robert Welch all call the individual one a butter knife, and Etiquette Scholar's six-piece hostess set calls its serving piece a "butter spreader".^{6, 25, 31, 37} A seller's blog adds that "a single pattern may offer eight or more different styles of butter handling utensils."⁴¹ Go by the tip and by where it lies (ours). A dinner knife is neither: it is longer and is laid on the right, though in a 5-piece set it does the spreading too.¹⁵ The table setting guide's butter spreader entry has the dictionary wording.

Salad fork vs dinner fork vs dessert fork

In the makers' figures we read the salad fork is the shorter, 15.2 to 18.4 cm (6.0 to 7.2 in) against 18.4 to 21.3 cm (7.2 to 8.4 in) for dinner forks, though the ranges touch: Lenox's Alcott salad fork is as long as Oneida's Louisiana dinner fork.^{1, 5} It is usually wider too: Christofle says "wider than a table fork, with one side used to cut salad leaves"; Etiquette Scholar gives salad, fish, dessert and pastry forks a wide left tine.^{20, 29}

Salad fork vs dessert fork: often the same fork. Yamazaki sells a "salad/dessert fork", one Oneida pattern a "Dessert/Salad Fork", and the Emily Post Institute says salad forks "can often double as dessert forks".^{1, 17, 27} Dessert fork vs cake fork: the cake (pastry) fork has one wider, sharpened outer tine for cutting; sources disagree on tine counts, so count the wide tine, not the tines.^{19, 20, 50} A "place" fork and a "dinner" fork can be two sizes of the same piece in one pattern: see sizes.

Oyster fork vs cocktail fork

Wikipedia treats them as one fork: "An oyster fork, also known as a cocktail fork or seafood fork", the later names having come in "as other seafood became popular"; Christofle sells one "Oyster/Cocktail Fork" and Gorham's same-size piece is called a cocktail fork.^{2, 3, 48} Tasting Table disagrees, describing a seafood fork that is "more petite than a regular table fork yet larger than a salad fork" and usually four-tined, beside an oyster fork that "is short with three short, slightly curved tines."⁴⁶ Either way it is the smallest fork with short, broad tines, and it is the one fork laid on the right.²⁶

Formal or informal? Sources split too: the Emily Post Institute lays it at a formal setting, Etiquette Scholar says "The oyster fork is used only in informal dining."^{26, 29} The other shellfish forks are easy to tell: the snail fork has two long, pointed tines, and the lobster fork is "larger than the oyster fork".^{20, 29} Eating oysters is in fine dining etiquette.

Dessert spoon vs soup spoon vs table spoon vs teaspoon

Bowl first: a dessert spoon has an oval bowl, a cream soup or bouillon spoon a round one, and the oval soup spoon is oval but is sold in US sets as the all-purpose place spoon.^{10, 30, 34} Miss Manners describes the old family: "a large oval tablespoon that was used for clear soup served in soup plates, a round spoon used for cream soup served in soup cups, a smaller round spoon for bouillon and a medium-sized oval spoon used for dessert."³⁴ Wikipedia's claim that British soup spoons are round and continental ones oval carries no citation there, so we leave it out. Viners, a British maker, does describe its soup spoon as having "a deep, circular bowl", while Etiquette Scholar's oval soup spoon is oval: each is one source's pattern, not a national rule.^{10, 30}

Size next: the table spoon is the largest, 20.5 to 21.0 cm (8.1 to 8.3 in) in two makers' patterns; the dessert spoon sits between it and the teaspoon, and Post in 1922 put the dessert spoon at "double the size of a teaspoon".^{3, 13, 37} One maker even sells one piece as "Tablespoon/Dessert Spoon".¹⁴ And the words "tablespoon" and "teaspoon" are also measures, which are not the same size as the spoons on the table: see spoon names as measures.

Silverware vs flatware vs cutlery

The same knives, forks and spoons, three words by region. Cambridge marks cutlery as the UK word, "( US usually silverware )", and flatware as the US one, "( UK cutlery )"; Oxford and Longman both mark cutlery as especially British; Oxford gives flatware or silverware for North America and Longman gives silverware.^{51, 52, 53} Silverware need not be silver: Oxford's American dictionary has it "made of metal but not necessarily silver".⁵² Two catches. In North America "cutlery" also means sharp knives (Oxford: "knives, etc. that are sharp"; the American Dictionary.com entry lists "cutting instruments collectively" first).^{52, 54} And flatware first meant plates and dishes; its US sense of domestic cutlery is recorded by 1895.⁵⁶ The word cutlery itself comes through Middle English from Old French coutellerie, from coutel, "knife".⁵² The table setting guide keeps the short entry.

US and UK names for the same pieces

• The big knife and fork: dinner (or place) knife and fork in the US; table knife and table fork in British makers' ranges (Arthur Price, Robert Welch, Viners); "joint knife" and "joint fork" in the UK catering textbook Food and Beverage Service; "large knives and forks" in Debrett's.^{6, 9, 10, 32, 36} Dictionary.com's American entry gives case knife as another name for a table knife; the British (Collins) entry knows only the sheath knife.⁵⁴
• The middle spoon: the British dessert spoon (also "dessert (pudding)" spoon in Debrett's, "sweet spoon" in the 1990 catering textbook, where the 1971 edition said "Dessert spoon") is close to the spoon a US 5-piece set sells as the oval soup, place or dinner spoon (our reading: the sources give a similar size and an oval bowl, and Etiquette Scholar says the place spoon eats "soup, cereal, and dessert").^{1, 15, 32, 36} Gorham's Strasbourg "Place Spoon" is "an elegant sterling silver oval soup spoon".²
• The big spoon: a British tablespoon is "a large spoon used for serving food", the American one "a spoon that contains 15 mililitres, used for measuring food" (Cambridge's spelling).⁵¹ British sources disagree on whether it is everyday cutlery: Debrett's lists tablespoons among the pieces you meet "on a day-to-day basis", while Viners says it "is not part of a place setting".^{10, 32}
• The small pieces: butter spreader in the US retailers' lists and butter knife in Robert Welch's and Arthur Price's (our reading from the catalogues); fish knife and "Fish Blade" (Arthur Price's catalogue); dessert fork, "sweet fork" (the textbook) and side fork (Robert Welch); English teaspoon and the longer American / US teaspoon, which Robert Welch sells side by side (134 mm and 160 mm, 5.3 and 6.3 in).^{6, 9, 36}

Place, dinner, luncheon and Continental sizes

US silver patterns can come in more than one size of the same knife and fork. Gorham's Chantilly is the one pattern we read that prints three; it is one pattern's example, not a standard:²

The labels are per maker, so one maker's dinner fork can be shorter than another's place fork (Oneida Louisiana's dinner fork is 7.25 in, 18.4 cm, against Chantilly's 7 3/8 in place fork).^{1, 2} A smaller luncheon size sits below them: Gorham's luncheon knife is 8.88 in (22.6 cm), "Smaller than a traditional dinner or place knife", and Christofle sells a "standard" (luncheon) fork of 7.37 in (18.7 cm) beside its 8.12 in dinner fork.^{2, 3} One US replacements dealer says that "Since about 1975 most manufacturers have deemed "place size" the industry standard for 4 piece and 5 piece settings"; that is one dealer's account.⁴³ Miss Manners on place pieces: "Between luncheon and dinner size, they are supposed to fit not only any time of day, but any course."³⁴

Spoon names as measures: teaspoon, dessertspoon, tablespoon

A recipe's teaspoon and tablespoon are volumes, not the spoons on the table. For US nutrition labels "a teaspoon means 5 milliliters (mL), a tablespoon means 15 mL"; that is a labelling rule, not the size of a table spoon.⁵⁷ Australia's tablespoon is 20 mL: an NSW Health cookbook gives "4 teaspoons or 20ml" and the national food regulator writes "20 ml (1 Australian metric tablespoon)".^{58, 59} For the dessertspoon, Cambridge's UK entry gives both the spoon and "the amount that a dessertspoon holds"; Wikipedia puts the measure at usually 10 mL, but we found no official UK source for it.^{50, 51} Mrs Beeton in 1861 made a "DESSERT-SPOONFUL" half a table-spoonful.⁷² The spoons in a drawer vary: Wikipedia reports a survey of household teaspoons holding from 2.5 to 7.3 mL (the study itself we did not read), and says a spoon's capacity "is defined by neither law nor custom".⁵⁰ For cooking, use measuring spoons (ours).

Cutlery names in French, Spanish, German and Italian

The headwords and genders below are as Larousse, the Real Academia Española, Duden and Treccani print them (m masculine, f feminine, n neuter); a blank means those four did not give it in what we read.^{60, 61, 62, 63}

From weaker sources (Wiktionary, the PONS bilingual dictionary and the Italian, Spanish and German Wikipedias, which we did not check against a national dictionary):⁶⁴

• French: couverts (m pl) for cutlery; cuillère à café (teaspoon); cuillère à soupe (tablespoon); cuillère à dessert; couteau à beurre; couteau à poisson and couvert à poisson, a fish knife and fork (PONS)
• Spanish: cubiertos (m pl); cuchara de sopa; cuchara de postre; cuchillo de untar (butter knife); cuchillo de pescado; tenedor de pescado; tenedor de postre
• German: Messer (n); Buttermesser (n); Dessertmesser; Butterstreicher
• Italian: posate (f pl) for cutlery; cucchiaio da tavola; cucchiaio da dolce; coltello da burro; coltello da pesce

Everyday cutlery is a handful of pieces; formal sets add the course pieces. Debrett's splits it the same way: everyday is "large knives and forks, small knives and forks, teaspoons, dessert (pudding) spoons and forks, and tablespoons", and "Extras include blunt knives for butter, fish knives, soup spoons, and extra small spoons for coffee, or for salt and mustard."³² Our advice: start with the five pieces below for each person, and add a course piece only when you serve that course often (steak knives if you serve steak, a fish set if you serve fish).

What a US 5-piece place setting holds

Two forks, one knife, two spoons, in all 10 listings we read, with small differences in the names:

Etiquette Scholar's buying guide counts up from three pieces: "The minimum number is three: dinner knife, dinner fork, and teaspoon." A fourth is the salad fork, a fifth the soup spoon, a sixth the butter spreader, and a seventh "an iced beverage spoon ... or a seafood cocktail fork".³¹ So you may never need a separate butter spreader: in a 5-piece set the dinner knife spreads (our reading).¹⁵

What a 24-piece cutlery set holds

Six place settings of four pieces: a table knife, a table fork, a large spoon and a teaspoon each. The large spoon is where makers split, so read the box:

Bigger sets add the course pieces. Viners' 44-piece "formal setting" for six adds dessert knives, dessert forks and soup spoons to the 24, plus two table spoons; Robert Welch's 7-piece place setting adds a side knife, side fork and dessert spoon; Christofle's Marly 36-piece service has dessert forks and knives.^{3, 6, 10} Robert Welch's 16-piece set for four swaps its soup spoons for dessert spoons.⁷

How many place settings to buy

One etiquette site gives numbers: "Four to eight place settings offer a couple several days' use, but the average family may need eight place settings per day. Those who entertain often may want twelve to sixteen place settings." It adds that catalogues sell them "in sets of four, eight, twelve, and sixteen".³¹ Our reasoning: count the most people you seat at once, then add the pieces that get used twice in one meal (teaspoons and forks run out first when dessert follows a main), and the dishwasher cycle you wait on. We found no other source that gives a number.

Stainless grades: 18/10 and 18/0

The numbers on the box are the steel's chromium and nickel: "18/10 flatware - 18% Chromium, 10% Nickel" and "18/0 flatware - 18% Chromium, no Nickel", in one seller's FAQ, which also says "the difference between 18/8 and 18/10 is non-existent."⁴² Arthur Price makes most of its range in what it calls "the highest grade 18/10 stainless steel."²³ We read no standard that defines the grades. For one set that does everything, Etiquette Scholar's advice is "stainless steel in a simple pattern."³¹

Care: the dishwasher question

Makers and appliance brands disagree on silver in the dishwasher, and even Christofle's two care pages differ on stainless. What each says:

• Christofle (maker): "All Christofle cutlery is dishwasher-safe, with the exception of pieces from the Talisman collection." Knives blade down, at most 65°C / 149°F, and "Knives made before 1968 must be washed by hand". Its everyday-care page: wash stainless and sterling separately.²²
• GE Appliances (dishwasher maker): Under normal conditions sterling, plate and stainless can go in, but "Do not mix sterling silver with stainless steel in your silverware rack. The stainless steel can cause pitting of the sterling silver."⁴⁴
• Arthur Price (maker): "Absolutely, all of our cutlery is suitable for dishwashers."²³
• Cascade (detergent brand): "It is NOT recommended to wash sterling silver dishes or silverware or silver plated flatware in the dishwasher".⁴⁵

Christofle also warns that "Highly acidic foods, such as lemon or tomato juice, may cause silver to tarnish more quickly when left in contact with cutlery for extended periods", and that regular use reduces tarnishing.²² Follow your own set's care card when it has one (ours).

Placement has its own guide, and the diagram maker draws any setting from a menu; this is the recap, in the same words. The glasses above the knives are in types of glasses.

• Outside in, by course: "Utensils are placed in the order of use; from the outside in."²⁷ Forks on the left, knives and spoons on the right (which side the fork goes).
• Knife blades face the plate (why); the steak knife replaces the dinner knife; the butter spreader lies on the bread plate (steak and butter knives).
• Spoons: soup or first-course spoon outermost, teaspoon inside it (where the spoons go); the oyster fork, the one fork on the right, outside them all (oyster fork).
• Dessert: spoon and fork above the plate, or brought with the dessert (dessert spoon and fork); British sources differ on above or beside the plate, and the table setting guide has both (US, UK and French settings).
• Pieces with no fixed place in what we read (cake fork, lobster fork, demitasse and iced-tea spoons) have no sourced position; the table says "no fixed place" rather than guess. Our reading is that they arrive with their course or drink (ours).

The full layouts are in how to set a table (basic, informal and formal photos with keys, and where everything goes), and the table setting diagram maker draws the setting for the courses you choose. How to hold each piece is in fine dining etiquette: holding the knife and fork, American and Continental styles, soup and resting and finished positions.

Spoon or fork first?

No source we read gives a spoon-or-fork rule. The rule is the order of the courses: the piece for the first course sits outermost, so you start from the outside and work in. The Emily Post Institute puts it as order of use, outside in; Robert Welch as "The general rule with cutlery is to start from the outside and work inwards, from starters to the main course."^{24, 27} Soup first: the spoon on the far right. Salad first: the fork on the far left.

Specialised pieces multiplied in Georgian and Victorian England: as a Harper's review of Bee Wilson's history of cutlery puts it, "special-purpose silverware proliferated": fish knives and forks, oyster, pickle and cake forks, grapefruit and ice-cream spoons, tongs and servers.⁷¹ One estimate has makers designing "nearly two hundred different types of eating or serving implement".⁷⁰

Why silver for fish? Three wordings of one idea: Beeton's steel imparts "a very disagreeable flavour"; the COVE essay says "it was thought ordinary metal blades blackened when coming into contact with fish"; Bee Wilson, as Harper's reviewer relays her, that silver "did not react chemically with the lemon juice".^{70, 71, 72} The same review relays Wilson's twist: "The authentically posh didn't use fish knives but instead maneuvered the flesh off the bone and onto the plate by the deft use of two forks", because owning new fish knives "betrayed the fact that you hadn't inherited your silver but bought it."⁷¹ We could not establish the earliest oyster fork: the dates we found disagree and their sources were not readable.

Laying a table for a dish you plated? Photograph the plate and Plate Artists re-plates that dish, with the food kept as it is and the changes named. Start with a re-plate.

We measured nothing and tested nothing for this page. Every length is a maker's printed figure, read on the maker's own page or where a retailer or restaurant-supply distributor prints the maker's number (each source entry says which); a range runs across the patterns we read, never a standard, and the conversions (1 in = 2.54 cm, rounded to 0.1) are ours. Uses and placements are quoted from the etiquette and service sources, the names from the dictionaries, makers' catalogues and the etiquette sources (the Etymonline dates are a prior reading); the UK catering textbook and Miss Manners' book were read only as search fragments. The grouping, the advice and anything marked ours are ours. The figures are AI renders of one plain pattern, not photographs of a real set. Read 4 November 2026.