When is the last time you set/sat at a table with more than a single knife, spoon and fork?

I took an etiquette class in middle school. That’s what the Christian school had instead of sex ed. We learned all of those different utensils, but were told, when in doubt just use the utensils furthest from the plate and work inward for each course.

I can’t remember the last time I actually had meal with a full place setting. Except for the salad fork and the butter knife, I can’t recall much more than that.

I usually just use my hands. I only use a fork or a knife if it’s more practical to do so. Fancy restaurants are not for me.
I went to a wedding once and this was the only encounter of superfluous cutlery that I can recall.

I think the multiple utensils make sense when you are at a restaurant or being served by footmen and a butler. (yeah right.. like that’s going to happen) They take your plates away after each course and they might take your silverware away as well. So to have one for every course makes sense to me. I hate going to restaurants where I have to make sure they don’t take my fork away when they take away my salad.. lest I have no fork to eat the main course.

It would have been more than 25 years ago, when we lived in France and before we had kids. We could allow ourselves to eat in places like this back then. The best of them would swap out utensils with each course, though, so there was no confusion about what to use when.

Nowadays, Chipotle is our idea of fine dining.

That is why I grab many sets of chopsticks at the take out so I don’t have to wash any silverware at meal time.

Sex et? @keobooks Too funny. My parents though it important that we kids knew etiquette, so, although they were CHEAP, we at at full service restaurants on Sundays, after church. I hate them taking the fork, too, and it makes me mildly crazy that spoons aren’t an option at our favorite Mexican restaurant.

You are so non-foody, @dxs!

Wow, I’ve never eaten that high on the hog, @thorninmud! We sell used stuff and it’s fun to guess what the serving pieces are intended for. i.e. ‘Tomato Server’, lol.

I envy your chopstick expertise, @Cruiser. I don’t see how you can eat enough rice with two little sticks to survive.

When I make dinner for my Dad, even if it’s a grilled cheese sandwich, I put out a butter knife, a fork and a spoon, plus a steak knife and maybe an extra spoon, usually a longer handled iced tea spoon, for using with salsa or guacamole, he’ll use the other regular spoon for his bowl of tomatoes and olives. If I don’t do that, he’ll get up and get those extra items. He has a bit of a problem with his esophagus being narrow, so he has to have things cut up in itty bitty pieces, hence the steak knife.

If I fix dinner for my mom (we all eat at different times and different foods) I’ll set her up with just a butter knife, fork and spoon.

For me, it just depends upon what I’m eating. Since I’m a vegetarian, I would not likely need a steak knife, never used any of those seafood forks. I use chopsticks occasionally, in restaurants.

We’ve had to ask for spoons, to serve up the salsa at Mexican restaurants. I’m not sure how they expect you to get it onto your plate from those little containers without a spoon.

My aunt and uncle like to dine out at expensive restaurants, so we’ve been to a few of those lately and they usually have the extra salad fork.

@ibstubro Who said anything about rice. If you can fork it chopsticks will too. Steak, seafood, casseroles, veggies, you name it.

I doubt I would be able to use the formal set without error. I once heard that you should start with the silverware on the outside and work you way in as the meal progresses.

I eat at restaurants enough to have multiple forks and spoons. The last time I ate with more than the three basics was about ten days ago.

But it would be improper service to ever set all that out at a place setting at the same time. For instance, if one is having tea, you don’t place a demitasse spoon. You don’t set out a cordial glass like that. You don’t have both a cake fork and a dessert spoon.

And one should have used utensils removed between courses and new utensils set.

@zenvelo Can you imagine eating like they do on Downton Abbey, every single day. And also having to change your clothes for each meal? Yikes!

Friday night (5 days ago).

I probably had two forks or two knives or both at a place setting within the last two months. I can’t think of a specific instance, but I would say I have two forks or two knives about 6 times a year, maybe it is actually more often than that, plus sometimes an additional dessert fork or spoon. I like having separate flatware for every course when I eat out, especially if they are removing my plate from the first course before my second course comes out. I’m supposed to rest my dirty flatware somewhere? Why does anyone think that is ok? The flatware for the next course may not be at the initial setting, but I prefer new flatware for each course, sometimes they bring it out after removing the first course.

I usually only have one course or my first course is still aroud when the second course comes out, so it isn’t an issue.

I am willing to bet if you go to the Palace and dine with the Queen, they don’t have all the silverware on the table at once as they do in the OP’s second link. There’d not be enough room on the table for all of those spoons lined up at once.

I don’t use anything, whenever I’m hungry, I go into a forest and pounce on something and just eat it right there.

Do sporks count?

Boxing Day. My Grandmother puts on a pretty impressive spread and there were a whole load of utensils that I didn’t use.

New Year’s brunch at a nice hotel in Boston few weeks back. Usually only at restaurants and my house for holiday dinners.

errr..what actually is a ‘demitasse’ used for???

I usually just eat with one knife and one fork (and a spoon obviously if there is dessert) but I would be generally ok with extra forks and knives..I knew to work outside in. However, that demitasse thing… ??

really interesting actually – thanks for the GQ

Double-ended utencils. Problem solved.

@nebule demitasse is where you’d put a small amount of coffee—like espresso or Greek coffee in.

Edited out horrible spelling… and jinx!

At a restaurant you rarely have a place setting with 10 pieces of flatware, because they don’t usually know what is going to be ordered. At a highish end restaurant I generally see two forks, bread knife and teaspoon. All other necessary utensils are brought out according to what is ordered. If I go somewhere and there is a preset menu there might be two forks, two knives, soup spoon (if there will be soup) teaspoon and dessert fork, or something along those lines.

I set my own table according to what is being served.

@nebule Demitasse is a small cup. Usually it is used for espresso or similar strong coffees. The demitasse spoon is a small spoon, smaller than a regular teaspoon that might be at a typical place setting.

@keobooks Jinx.

ahhh thanks @JLeslie makes sense now! I was wondering how one got from the ‘half cup’ translation to a spoon!

Last cruise back in November. (sat at, did not set)

Can’t even remember honestly.

I have three sets of china and I know how to use my cutlery still (hopefully?), but I still sit around and eat my fried chicken with my fingers. Hubs uses a fork and knife and I tease him.

Demitasse holds 4 oz. of fluid as opposed to the traditional 8 oz. coffee cup. Hence the “half.” A demitasse spoon is scaled to work with the smaller cup.

What a great bunch of answers! Too bad I wasn’t around to respond to each individually as I’m not going to spend an hour and had the thread, now.

I will add that a demitasse spoon is about midway between a teaspoon and a salt spoon.

I will not lay my silverware on the table. That’s just gross. If if comes wrapped in a paper napkin, they have to bring me another to put under my clean flatware. If there’s a clean tablecloth and they have placed my flatware on the table, that’s okay. If I set a formal table, I would include a knife rest.

I agree that it’s unlikely the tableware would be displayed as pictured. Guests would be so far apart that the conversation would not be intimate and there’s be a lot of noise. Foe PAW! (faux schmacks).

I am amazed that so many jellies have used to many utensils so recently!