Silver Flatware Terms: Place Spoon, Teaspoon and Demitasse

Silver flatware is sold and described in a vocabulary that can seem confusing at first: place knife, luncheon fork, demitasse spoon, iced tea spoon. The key point is that these names describe a piece’s role at the table, and the actual sizes vary by maker, by pattern and by era. If you are buying, matching or inheriting a set, read the terms below as a guide, then check measurements for the specific pattern.

This glossary covers the pieces most often met in a sterling set, with notes on where sources give hard figures and where they do not.

Why the names are not exact

There is no single worldwide standard for flatware sizes. A teaspoon from one American maker and a teaspoon from a British silversmith can differ by a few tenths of an inch, and pieces made a century apart can differ more. Catalogues of antique and vintage sets therefore list measurements for each pattern. Treat any “typical size” in a glossary as a range.

In sellers’ listings, the word “place” in names such as place fork or place spoon is usually meant to separate pieces for an individual place setting from serving pieces shared by the table. There is no standard definition, and pattern lists and sellers use the term differently, so confirm what a listing means before you buy.

The core place setting

• Dinner fork. The main fork for a meal, and usually the largest fork in the place setting.
• Dinner knife. The main table knife, and the largest of the knives in most sets.
• Luncheon knife. Usually a little smaller than the dinner knife, intended for lighter meals. The size gap differs between patterns.
• Salad fork. A smaller fork for the salad course.
• Dessert fork. A smaller fork again, for dessert.
• Place spoon. A term some makers and sellers use for the spoon of an individual place setting. It has no standard definition, and in some patterns it overlaps with the dessert or oval soup spoon, so ignore the label and rely on the pattern’s measurements.

Teaspoons and small spoons

Teaspoon

The teaspoon is the everyday small spoon for tea and coffee. As a unit of volume, a teaspoon is about 5 milliliters according to Wikipedia, but that is a measuring convention for cooking, not a rule for table silver. A silver teaspoon’s bowl may hold a different amount.

Demitasse spoon

“Demitasse” refers to a small cup, and the demitasse spoon is its partner. According to Wikipedia, it is smaller than a teaspoon, usually three to five inches (7.6 to 12.7 cm) long, with a narrower, shallower bowl. It stirs and serves drinks in demitasse cups, traditionally strong black coffee such as espresso, and is also used as a baby spoon. It is traditionally an after-dinner piece, and in modern formal place settings it is usually absent, since dessert utensils are placed in view to signal a dessert course.

Iced tea spoon

A thin, long-handled spoon with a small bowl, made for stirring sweetener into drinks in tall glasses. An Iowa State University museum entry says it is the longest spoon in a set of flatware, roughly seven to ten inches, and generally considered informal because formal settings do not typically include it.

Larger spoons

• Soup spoon. Used for soup and other liquid or semi-liquid foods.
• Dessert spoon. A mid-size spoon used for desserts and sometimes for cereal.
• Tablespoon or serving spoon. Larger spoons for serving at the table. Their sizes and names vary more than any others, so check each pattern’s list.

Serving pieces

Serving pieces are sold separately from place settings in many patterns and often carry descriptive names: pie server, gravy ladle, sugar spoon, salad servers. A set of place pieces does not usually include them, so someone building a service will add them over time. The page on how to match a sterling flatware pattern explains how to identify a pattern and find pieces that fit.

Flatware versus hollowware

Flatware refers to the utensils for eating and serving. Hollowware describes vessels such as bowls, pitchers, candlesticks and trays. The two are often sold by the same silversmiths and sit in the same collecting category, but they are quite different objects. The page on sterling hollowware explained covers the second category.

How to read a pattern listing

1. Look for measurements. If a listing gives lengths, use them. If it does not, ask.
2. Check the maker and pattern name. The same piece name can mean different sizes in different patterns.
3. Note the era. Older sets may contain pieces that are no longer standard, such as specialty spoons and forks.
4. Count the pieces. A “service for eight” normally means eight place settings, but the contents of each setting vary.
5. Compare like with like. When replacing a lost piece, hold it against one you already have.

Common mix-ups

• Mistaking an iced tea spoon for a long teaspoon.
• Assuming “place” is a size rather than a role.
• Taking a modern stainless set as a guide for sterling sizes.
• Buying a dessert spoon when the pattern’s soup spoon is what you need.

Frequently asked questions

What is a demitasse spoon used for?

It is for small cups of strong coffee such as espresso, and it is traditionally an after-dinner spoon.

How long is a demitasse spoon?

Usually three to five inches, according to Wikipedia, though patterns vary.

What is the difference between a teaspoon and an iced tea spoon?

An iced tea spoon is much longer and thinner, with a small bowl, and is made for tall glasses. A teaspoon is shorter with a larger bowl.

Are all flatware sizes standard?

No. Sizes vary by maker, pattern and era, so check measurements for the specific pattern.

Summary

Learn the role each piece plays, then look up the measurements for your pattern. The names are consistent enough to guide you, but only the measurements settle questions of fit.