I Finally Found My Forever Flatware

In my line of work—reviewing culinary gear—it’s a good idea to not get too attached to anything in my own kitchen. Because I’m always testing the latest gadgets and cookware, I have to let things go to make room for new frying pans, countertop ovens, electric kettles, ice makers, all of it.

But there’s one thing I’ll never give up: My Made In flatware.

Until a few years ago, I couldn’t get excited about any silverware. Or rather, I couldn’t stay excited about silverware beyond the length of a trend cycle.

When I moved to New York at age 18 in the actual Y2K, I took with me a small set I’d picked up at Walmart. The black bistro-style handles felt sophisticated (and matched my glossy black dishes), but the materials were cheap, and within a year or two, those cool handles had separated from the flimsy stainless steel.

Out of financial necessity, I amassed a collection of thrifted vintage forks, spoons, and knives. I figured my eclectic mishmash was better quality than anything I’d get at a big-box store, and the dull, mismatched look fit into the bohemian style to which I aspired at the time.

About a decade later, I splurged on a single brushed champagne place setting from West Elm and added it to my everyday rotation. I was cautiously optimistic that the dishwasher-safe claim was true. Sadly, it wasn’t; the warm finish quickly wore off as it does as it does with all cheap and moderately priced plated flatware.

On one thrifting trip, I came across a small lot of Ekco Canoe Muffin—midcentury flatware with cool wood handles—I thought I’d finally found The One. It was interesting, unconventional, and fairly easy to find cheap. I bought the pieces I didn’t have on Etsy and eBay, and set the table with my strangely named silverware for years. Sure, I often wished it were heavier, I was annoyed when I had to oil the wood handles, and even the big forks were frustratingly small, but it was the only flatware I’d ever really liked.

Then, in 2022, after a dizzying amount of flatware research—including reading hundreds of customer reviews—I decided to try the single silverware style offered by DTC cookware brand Made In.

Online, the high-quality silverware looked simple and elegant, but not too elegant. It had timeless curves and, appealingly, no ornate embellishments. Save for the tiny “Made In” and “Made In Italy” stamps in the 18/10 stainless steel, I saw no embellishments at all.

In person, it was even better.

As I unboxed the 20 pieces, I noticed the well-balanced weight of each spoon, fork, and knife. And though I’d intended to try it out as everyday flatware, the high-shine mirror polish had me excited to set it out for special occasions too. I used it for a few days, then couldn’t hand my funky vintage stuff off to my sister quickly enough.

More than two years later, my Made In flatware has taken hundreds of trips through the dishwasher and my kids have slammed it onto our granite countertop more times than I’d like to admit. It still looks great. Sure, it shows some minimal signs of wear—but that’s to be expected with such heavy use, and it just adds to the charm for me. In fact, I’ll call it “heirloom charm,” because I’m pretty sure I’m going to use this stuff until I die.