In Kitchuan's 20-piece and 40-piece sets, the sizes are: dinner knife 9 inches (22.9 cm), dinner fork 8.15 inches (20.7 cm), dinner spoon 8 inches (20.3 cm), salad fork 6.85 inches (17.4 cm) and teaspoon 6.73 inches (17.1 cm). Use the knife for cutting, the dinner fork for the main course, the salad fork for salad and dessert, the dinner spoon for soup, and the teaspoon for coffee or tea.
Below, you will find a size table, what each piece is for, how to tell similar pieces apart, and where each piece goes on the table.
What size is each piece?
The dinner knife is the longest piece at 9 inches (22.9 cm), and the teaspoon is the shortest at 6.73 inches (17.1 cm). These sizes are for Kitchuan's 20-piece and 40-piece sets, in both silver and black.
| Piece | Inches | Centimeters |
|---|---|---|
| Dinner knife | 9 | 22.9 |
| Dinner fork | 8.15 | 20.7 |
| Dinner spoon | 8 | 20.3 |
| Salad fork | 6.85 | 17.4 |
| Teaspoon | 6.73 | 17.1 |
All five are full-size pieces made of stainless steel about 2 mm thick, with gently curved handles, a balanced weight and smooth, rounded edges. A 20-piece set has 4 of each piece (service for 4), and a 40-piece set has 8 of each (service for 8). See the 20-piece set in silver or black, and the 40-piece set in silver or black.
What is each piece for?
The knife is for cutting, the forks are for the main course and salad, and the spoons are for soup and for coffee or tea.
- Dinner knife: cutting food on your plate and spreading butter.
- Dinner fork: the main course, such as meat, fish, vegetables or pasta.
- Salad fork: salad and appetizers. Many people also use it for cake, pie and other desserts.
- Dinner spoon: soup, cereal, rice and other foods you eat with a spoon.
- Teaspoon: stirring coffee or tea, and eating yogurt, ice cream or other small servings.
How can you tell a salad fork from a dinner fork?
The salad fork is the shorter fork: 6.85 inches (17.4 cm), compared with 8.15 inches (20.7 cm) for the dinner fork.
That is a difference of 1.3 inches (3.3 cm), which is easy to see when you hold the two forks side by side. When you unload the dishwasher, sort the forks by length: long forks in one slot, short forks in another. This makes setting the table faster.
How can you tell a teaspoon from a dinner spoon?
The teaspoon is the shorter spoon: 6.73 inches (17.1 cm), compared with 8 inches (20.3 cm) for the dinner spoon.
That is about 1.3 inches (3.2 cm) shorter. Here is an easy way to remember the whole set. The three pieces with "dinner" in their name are the long ones, from 8 to 9 inches (20.3 to 22.9 cm). The salad fork and the teaspoon are the short ones, at 6.85 and 6.73 inches (17.4 and 17.1 cm).
Where does each piece go on the table?
Forks go on the left of the plate, and the knife and spoons go on the right, with the knife blade facing the plate.
For a meal with soup, salad and a main course, a common layout from left to right is:
- Salad fork
- Dinner fork
- Plate
- Dinner knife, with the blade facing the plate
- Teaspoon
- Dinner spoon
Guests usually start with the pieces on the outside and move toward the plate with each course. That is why the salad fork goes outside the dinner fork when salad comes first, and the dinner spoon goes on the far right when soup comes first. If you serve salad after the main course, switch the two forks. If you do not serve soup or salad, leave those pieces off.
Where does a steak knife go?
A steak knife goes on the right side of the plate, with the blade facing the plate, usually instead of the dinner knife.
Kitchuan's 24-piece sets include a steak knife in each of the 4 place settings. Each setting has 6 pieces: a dinner knife, steak knife, dinner fork, salad fork, dinner spoon and teaspoon. These sets have square handles, a different pattern from the 20-piece and 40-piece sets. The steak knives have serrated blades that cut cleanly through steak, chops and roasts. In the silver 24-piece set, the steak knives have black handles. The black 24-piece set has a matte black PVD finish.
If you set both knives, put the one you will use first on the outside, farther from the plate. Please note that the sizes in this guide are for the 20-piece and 40-piece sets only. This guide does not list sizes for the 24-piece sets.
Quick answers
How long is a dinner fork?
In Kitchuan's 20-piece and 40-piece sets, the dinner fork is 8.15 inches (20.7 cm) long.
Is a salad fork smaller than a dinner fork?
Yes. In Kitchuan's 20-piece and 40-piece sets, the salad fork is 6.85 inches (17.4 cm), which is 1.3 inches (3.3 cm) shorter than the dinner fork.
Which way does the knife blade face?
The knife goes on the right side of the plate, with the blade facing the plate.
What is in a 5-piece place setting?
A 5-piece place setting has a dinner knife, dinner fork, salad fork, dinner spoon and teaspoon for one person.
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