The Best Sets Across the Board
Utensils that were recommended repeatedly.
The Interior-Designer Favorite Burke Decor Prism Flatware Five-Piece Set, $100 at burkedecor.com
Combining three trends in one—gold, mixed materials, and color—Burke Decor’s Prism flatware set in tortoise was recommended by three interior designers, including stylist Karina Lameraner, who calls it “a statement by itself.”
The Could-Go-Anywhere Set Sabre Bistro Shiny Solid Flatware 24-Piece Set, $266 at sabre.fr
“I’ve always loved these because of their high-low design approach,” says Shane Davis, a partner and the creative director of community space Public Records, of this set. “I can just as easily see them in a fine-dining restaurant as I can in a school cafeteria.”
The Café Kitsuné President’s Favorite Sambonet Linea Q 18/10 Stainless-Steel Five-Piece Place Setting, $85 at sambonet-shop.com
According to Vinod Kasturi, the Linea Q flatware (which interior designer Elaine Griffin also happens to use) “has low-key swag.” He says the “squared-off ends make it feel contemporary,” but the pieces still have a “simple, classic style.”
A Moody Black Set CB2 20-Piece Olympia Brushed Black Flatware Set, $100 at cb2.com
Designers Tina Martin Del Campo and Heather Goerzen are both fans of this black set. “Their slender yet sculptural shape and stark black finish makes them both modern and dramatic,” says Goerzen.
The Best Value J. A. Henckels International Madison Square 65-Piece 18/10 Stainless-Steel Flatware Set, Service for 12, $140 at walmart.com
If you’re starting from scratch, you can’t do much better than this set. Editor Ameena Walker says the pieces “feel lightweight but sturdy” and that, along with table settings for 12, “you get a serving spoon, a serving fork, a slotted serving spoon, a butter knife, and a sugar spoon.”
An Apple Design Researcher’s Set Cutipol Moon Cutlery Polished-Steel Five-Piece Set, $75 at shophorne.com
Alyse Archer-Coité calls these made-in-Portugal utensils “elegant forever” thanks to their exaggerated proportions—long, slender handles topped with large, rounded heads.
The Best Basic Bistro Set Ginkgo Lyon Stainless-Steel Flatware 20-Piece Set, $150 at food52.com
Each piece in this set has a riveted thermoplastic handle, and the flatware comes in either black or white. We heard about it from Elena Frampton, an art adviser, as well as Lameraner.