Sparkling Silver

Cutlery tips in time for the family-gathering season!

image ~ pixabay

I've recently learned that you can't wash stainless steel and silver cutlery in the dishwasher at the same time because there is a chemical reaction between the metals which will damage the silver pieces by pitting their surfaces. It's called galvanic corrosion. What? But then, if you have a great set of silver (real silver) you aren't just going to put them in the dishwasher are you?

This is the good stuff. Silver. Or silver-plated. From your grandmother... or your grandmother's grandmother. (Apparently my grandmothers were out buying clothes instead of cutlery, so I don't have these.) These cutlery sets are precious and are likely to scuff, so hand wash them in reasonably hot water, and don't put them in multiples in a drip-dry basket. They will scratch and scuff with heavy use, so just hand dry them with microfiber or cotton.

If you want to baby them, put some aluminum foil  in the bottom of a flat cake pan, add enough warm water to cover the cutlery, add some baking soda (about 1-2 teaspoons), and let them soak for 10 minutes. Then rinse before hand drying them to sparkling perfection. Yes - elbow grease is needed with polishing silver. Store this set in one of the fancy 'tarnish-resistant chests' or silverware bags.

Unless you are a masochist, you are not going to use this good set very often. Or you are a real housekeeper - not in the same LAZY-league as me.

Dishwasher Proof Cutlery

What? Isn't all cutlery dishwasher safe? Sort of.

There's the 'good set'. I have one and I'll bet you do too. This is the set you pull out for visitors. If these are stainless steel, they can go in the dishwasher but you will get some scuffing over time. I prefer to hand-wash because I love my forged set and rarely use it. 

Next, and this is what this post is all about; the everyday cutlery or flatware. These are the unsung heroes of your kitchen, the hardest workers, utensils you use every couple of hours, and tools you don't give a moment's thought to. However if you are buying new daily-use cutlery, take the time to do some homework. Get it right and then don't think about it again.

When you are buying your everyday cutlery:

• Pick a style that is simple and elegant, suits where you often eat or entertain the people for non-occasions. Pick up each piece and see what the 'feel' is like. You will use it every day so consider things like how comfortable they are to hold, are the spoon bowls big enough, are the knives balanced well, how easy will they be to eat with;
• Ornate styles have the least amount of flexibility for various plate styles and table settings but if everything you have is formal and you love it, go for it ;
• A nicely weighted set is a pleasure to use. This is where there is a bump in cost. Perfection isn't mandatory - choose what feels good to you and you'll always enjoy using it. Choose for YOU - you will use it the most, you will enjoy it, and you're worth it! 
• Choose 'satin' over 'shiny' finishes 100% if you use a dishwasher! A shiny silvery finish will scratch and scuff easily in daily use and look older and worn much sooner than a satin-matte;
• Learn what 18/10 is and stick to it: it is a tried-and-true standard for looks and wear. I'm geek enough to know it's a ratio of the metals which compose the stainless steel (chromium : nickel, or strength : shine). You want both and 18/10 is the perfect proportion of strength and beauty. A manufacturer spending the extra to produce a great set will brag about it. If it doesn't say it's 18/10, it's not.

image ~ pixabay

TIP: Don't let anything acid sit on your cutlery for long periods (everyday, special occasion, or other!) - tomatoes, vinegar, lemon juice, citrus fruits and salad dressings, coffee are all acids. These will discolor and permanently stain your stainless steel if left on. What this means (unfortunately) is that you should rinse cutlery immediately after meals and THEN put them into the dishwasher. This genuinely runs against every LAZY bone in my body, but is also the reason I was thinking of cutlery today. I went to the computer to figure out how I'd stained my daily set. Now I know... and so do you.