Table Buying Guide
As with silverware, rinse off food residue as soon after the meal as possible. Hand-wash your stainless steel flatware the first few times you use it to condition it. Afterwards, you can machine wash it. Be careful not to use too much detergent; this can cause rust to form. If rust does appear, clean your stainless steel flatware with an all-purpose metal cleaner. You generally do not need to polish stainless flatware.
How to set the table
Formal dinnerware
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Two rules dictate every place setting. First, solids go to the left and liquids to the right. This means that any plates set out go to the left of the setting while glassware is set to the right. Second, use flatware from the outside in. This means that you use the outermost fork or spoon for each course, and you use each utensil for only one course. If you remember these two rules, formal dinners will never be intimidating. When in doubt as a guest, follow the host for clues.
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If you are the host, it is your duty to give the proper signals about which courses will be served. When setting your table, be sure to lay out only the pieces which will be used. For example, if you will not be serving oysters, do not lay out an oyster fork. If there will not be a separate cheese service, do not lay out a cheese knife. If there will not be champagne, do not set a champagne flute.
Formal dinner
All pieces should be about an inch from the edge of the table, and each piece should be spaced apart equally.
Dinnerware: Start by setting the table for the first course, with the charger centered in front of the chair. Place the bread and butter plate at the upper left of the charger. If soup will be served first, you can set the soup bowls on the charger. A napkin may be set on the charger or in a wine glass.
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Flatware: Remember that all flatware should be laid out so that guests will go from the outside in. Forks are placed on the left, with the exception of the oyster fork. If used, it is placed to the right of the spoons, often at an angle. The dinner knife is placed on the right side of the charger with the blade facing in, followed by the fish knife (if used) with the soup spoon to the right of the knives. If used, a table spoon or place spoon is set between the soup spoon and the knives. The butter knife is laid across the bread plate with the handle to the right. The dessert fork is placed horizontally above the charger with the handle to the left, and the dessert spoon is placed above it with the handle to the right. If needed, the cheese knife is placed parallel to the dessert fork. In North America, the forks are placed with the tines pointing up, while in Europe, the tines point downward.
Glassware: For a formal meal, you may use up to five glasses. Glassware should be to the right side of the place setting. The water goblet should be directly above the knives. To the right of it is the red wine glass, which will be used with the main course or meat course. The white wine glass is set to the right of the red wine glass; it will be used with the fish course. The champagne flute is placed behind the two wine glasses (forming a triangle) if the sparkling wine will be served with dessert. If champagne will be served with oysters, the flute is placed to the right of the white wine glass, near the oyster fork. If a dessert wine will be served, the glass should be to the right of the champagne glass.
At the conclusion of each course of a formal meal, the dishes, glasses and flatware used should be taken away. The next dishes should be brought out with the food on them and with any special utensils, such as steak knives. The chargers are usually removed before the dinner plates are brought out. The bread and butter plates remain on the table until just before the dessert course. The water glasses should remain on the table throughout the entire meal. When dessert is served, the cups and saucers can also be brought out.
Casual dinner
With a casual dinner, you may only be serving two or three courses, but you'll want to remember the same basic rules. You will still only set the dinnerware that will be used, and you will set the flatware to be used from the outside in.
With a casual dinner, you can choose to place all the dishes out that will be used throughout the meal, although it can be a little crowded. You don't need to use a charger if you don't wish to. Place the dinner plate in the center, with the salad plate above it and to the left, next to the bread and butter plate. You only need two glasses: one for water and one for whatever other drink you choose to serve (wine, juice, iced tea, etc.). Place the glasses to the right of the plate.
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The dinner knife is to the right of the plate with the blade facing in; if you'll be serving steak, the steak knife can replace the dinner knife. The soup spoon is to the right of the knife. On the left side of the plate is the dinner fork, with the salad fork on the side of it (left or right depending on when you will serve the salad). You may place the dessert fork and spoon above the plate as in the formal setting or line it up next to the plate. If you place them next to the other flatware, make sure the dessert fork is closet to the left side of the plate and the dessert spoon is between the knife and the soup spoon. You'll still want to have a butter knife on the bread plate with the handle to the right.
Bon app?tit!
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Common Table Setting questions
Is there a way I can mix my old family China in with my new pieces from Overstock.com?
Mixing up your dinnerware is an excellent way to personalize your table setting. To maintain a cohesive feeling, mix pieces that share a common element: a similar style, a shared color or a similar shape. Let the occasion dictate how eclectic your table setting can be. Your prim-and-proper grandmother may not appreciate the effect at her birthday dinner, but your sister may think the look is fantastic for her engagement dinner.
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Do I need to set the table differently for left-handed guests?
If you know one of your guests is left-handed beforehand, it is recommended that you seat that guest at a left end of the table and reverse the place setting components. If you are unsure, you can set the table as usual; your left-handed guest will likely not be insulted and is probably accustomed to trading utensils from the right hand to the left.
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Ideas from Overstock.com
Serve with style
Napkin Folding
You'll find beautiful serveware to complement your dinnerware when you are online shopping with Overstock.com. Don't forget to pick up coordinating table linens, including cloth napkins to place on the table with your formal place settings.
The centerpiece
No table setting is complete without a centerpiece. You can order flower arrangements here on Overstock.com, or visit our home d?cor department to find vases of varying heights to place on your table. Be sure to keep any centerpiece low enough that your guests can talk to each other across the table.
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