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We all know plastic cutlery is super cheap, but we also know it’s not very durable and certainly not very nice to look at. Maybe there’s an alternative? An alternative that perhaps is both beautiful and compostable? Meet the WASARA Bamboo Utensils. These utensils accompany the WASARA tableware collection, and, similarly, are intended for single-use occasions (think picnics, parties, etc.). Each one securely attaches to the edge of a WASARA plate or bowl thanks to a slit incorporated into each handle, so say sayonara to awkward balancing acts when adding food to your plate or making new acquaintances. More info on composting below.

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If you’re a klutz when it comes to chopsticks, this might be a good alternative. It’s a knife and fork set that interlocks to become a pair of spring-loaded chopsticks. Now, while this seems quite clever, I doubt that many people in a restaurant would congratulate you for bringing your own utensils, so perhaps this is more of a stay-at-home item.
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Will this wooden cutlery break? Possibly, if you press down too hard. Do they look cool/interesting? No doubt. These look very similar to some wooden cutlery I posted back in ’09, yet unfortunately the price is quite a bit more. I’ve included a few more wooden cutlery options below at lower price points.
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I think every kitchen needs a large wooden spoon for cooking. It just has that warm, welcoming feeling when using it, and won’t burn your hand when you touch it. Having that minaturized into flatware for eating sounds like a good idea to me. Made from fast-growing and renewable bamboo, and supposedly the knife won’t ever lose its edge.

3 piece place setting.

Maybe it’s not picnic weather just yet, but that doesn’t mean we can’t prepare for it. This flatware is pretty clever in that the fork and spoon fit inside the handle of the knife, and then all 3 snap shut inside the cover. That means you have your own flatware for picnics, camping, or, if you’re particularly OCD, at restaurants.

Measures 7″ long x 1.5″ wide.
$16 per set

I’ll admit that the soup spoon might look a little funky to some, but if it didn’t, I wager the set could be mistaken for any generic place setting you might find in your gay uncle’s attic. Hence the unexpected and etheral forms of this stainless steel place setting by Zaha Hadid (winner of the Pritzker Architecture Prize – the equivalent of a Nobel Prize for architecture), brought to Earth in a mesmerizing mirror finish.

Black flatware… 1 cool point. Matte black flatware… 2 cool points. Stainless steel matte black flatware… cool point overload.

Produced in Europe
Manufacturer: TableArt
6-piece place setting available here.
Other black matte flatware and kitchen utensils available here.

With all the dreary weather that fall and winter can sometimes bring, you might as well stockpile some brightness for your tabletop with these colorful chopsticks. Might make a good host/hostess gift as well.

“Traditional Japanese chopsticks get a colorful make-over in this set of 24 Wood Chopsticks (1994). The round, lacquered wood utensils come in an assortment of 12 different hues, offering the freedom to mix or match colors, depending on your mood.”

Materials: Wood, lacquer.

The ubiquitous spork strikes again. It might be slightly uncouth, but it’s certainly handy to have in certain situations.

These eating tools have a spoon on one end, and feature a four-tine fork and knife — with a sawtooth blade — on the other. Super lightweight and extremely durable, they’re ideal for back packing, picnicking, lunchbox, briefcase or boat. Made of a heat-resistant (won’t melt in boiling water) polycarbonate material, they are machine washable and friendly to non-stick cooking surfaces.

Comes in Small and Medium for eating, and Large for cooking, stirring and serving.
Small: 6.5″ L x 1.5″ W, $5.95
Medium: 7.75″ L x 2″ W, $7.95
Large: 10″ L x 2″ W, $9.95
Buy it here.

Plastic is soo blasé. (Not really, but these are pretty cool.)

Each available in a set of 10.

Set of 10: $8.00, Buy it here.

[via happy mundane]

Never leave home without it…(‘it’ being cutlery that you can keep in your wallet).

In case of hunger don’t buy junk food, but good food. And be prepared to have your cutlery with you! Designed for, and available exclusively at, the Shop at the Cooper-Hewitt.

Designer: Ineke Hans, 2006

$10.00, Buy it here.

Sporks: one of man’s greatest inventions, especially at holiday parties.

Nicknamed ‘Sporks’, these spoon-and-forks are useful for hors d’oeuvres, picnics, or dining on-the-go. An example of the recent trend towards the inclusion of environmental responsibility as an important element of contemporary design, they are made of a 100% biodegradable corn-based plastic.

Hand-wash only. Set of twenty five.
Made in Italy

Size: 3.5″l

$24.00 ($21.60 Members), Buy it here.

While this utensil is most certainly classified as a ‘luxury good’, I would be very curious to see/hear if it’s worth the price tag.

The sterling silver TUKAANI is a hand made eating device for Asian food consumers in the West.
It may be held as traditional chopsticks. But unlike the disposable wooden chopsticks, TUKAANI is hand washable and much easier to set on – and use at table.
The matt surface and taut movement allow steady grip in the hand. The curl at the end of the TUKAANI provides eased food picking and delivery to the mouth. The loop also allows easier hanging, storage and display.
The Toucan’s bill provided inspiration for this cutlery project

1 TUKAANI: € 293
1 100% linen serviette: € 16
1 holder: € 48.50

Buy it here.

Designed in 1975, this flatware set has some sensible attributes to be sure (if only it were a tad bit more sensible price wise too…).

Carl Pott dedicated his career to studying the ergonomics of eating and using what he learned to design innovative flatware…To create the five-tined fork, which was an innovation when it was introduced, Pott extended its width and made the shape slightly spooned. These changes made for easier scooping of sauces and vegetables, like peas. The knife has a micro-serrated edge for cutting, and each piece has a fine groove at the end of each handle. “I am far from granting flatware more importance than it deserves,” said Pott. “However, as a daily tool, assuming it is functional and aesthetically pleasing, it is one of the cornerstones of our culture. How can we reach the summit, when the foundation of that which is ours, our home and our tools, is not solid, full of clarity and beauty?” Pott 33 is made of 18/10 stainless steel and each piece is handcrafted by artisans at a company of remarkable pedigree…The five piece set includes a knife, tablespoon, teaspoon, dinner fork, and salad fork. Made in Germany.

H 9″ W 2.25″

$280.00,
Buy it here.

These aren’t necessarily something you’d buy to complete your table setting, but I think they would be perfect as gift or to make the tea or coffee ritual a little more special.

Bisque porcelain

Small 4″l, Medium 4.5″l, Long 6.5″l.