Easy and Affordable Ways to Class Up a Dinner Party

*Originally published on The New York Times, Wirecutter

Whether you’ve grown weary of your dishes or are looking to furnish your cabinets for the first time, setting an Instagram-worthy dinner table doesn’t have to be stressful or expensive.

Michael Sullivan, kitchen writer at Wirecutter, has held multiple restaurant jobs, from dining-room manager to pantry chef. He’s researched and tested water and wine glasses, tableware, and linens to find practical and beautiful settings that add effortless elegance to any meal.

Excerpt:

Update your silverware

Hosting a crowd may mean you need extra forks, knives, and spoons. Mr. Sullivan visited Sherrill Manufacturing, the last flatware maker in the United States, and spoke with design experts and a metallurgist to come up with a set of guidelines for how to choose flatware that both looks great and will last a long time. “First settle on a general style that appeals to you,” he advised, “then compare materials, which can differ between even very similar designs.”

Read the full article here.