Many people don’t understand that there are differences between restaurant cutlery and cutlery found at home. It varies on things like price, durability, difference in blades and handles, you are the most expensive and you will find great quality cutlery in high end restaurants.

When it comes to food service, stainless steel will typically be used. The finest cutlery is made almost 100% of silver, however they are rarely found due to their high cost. Knives found in the food service industry are often plated with what is called electroplated nickel silver or EPNS. This will determine both price and durability. In its high-end restaurants, the EPNS creates an elegant and classic look. Lower end restaurants with a lower EPNS will have cutlery that does not include an extended shelf life.

Typically, cutlery found in restaurants is a mix of nickel, chrome, and steel. They also come in different grades. For example, if you have a rating of 18/10, this defines you as having 18 parts nickel and 10 parts chrome. Subtract this from 100 and the remaining 72 parts are made of steel. When you consider the lower grades, this is where you find cutlery inside homes versus restaurants. This is because they are cheaper.

Within the home, cutlery will also vary compared to restaurants when it comes to steak knives. In observation of the blade, during a casual dinner, the blade will be serrated and the handle will be plastic or wood. Wood can be difficult to clean. Although you can find similar steak knives depending on the restaurant, they will gravitate towards using the plastic handle because they are easier to clean and whiten. The handles can also be solid or hollow. Restaurants will prefer the solid handle because of the durability it offers.

When it comes to the professional knives used in a restaurant, you’ll notice that these sets are quite different. They all offer several different length knives and various blades. This is because a chef will need knives of all sizes, while someone at home will only need smaller knives. In general, restaurant cutlery will be more expensive because the knives are of better quality. Within the home, cutlery is not used as frequently and therefore the cheaper brands are used a lot.