The strength and taste of the drink directly depends on how many spoons of coffee are placed in the cup. But one container can be 100 ml, and another 200. Spoons also come in different sizes. Yes, and you can fill them heaped or flush with the edges. Therefore, the calculation of the volume of ground grain in cutlery is conditional. We will teach you how to navigate the world of household measurements and suggest options for different recipes and brewing methods.
About a teaspoon
It is worth saying that spoons have always been an integral attribute in human life. Their story began even before the discovery of iron. Previously, people used their wooden counterparts or used pieces of nut shells and similarly shaped pebbles as cutlery. As for Rus', even during the reign of Peter I, the boyars practically did not have their own dishes, including cutlery. At this time, spoons were a sign of luxury and high culture. It was only around 1760 that spoons acquired our usual shape, which was very convenient to use. From that time on, spoons began to be divided according to size and purpose, becoming a part of people’s lives. As for the teaspoon, today it can be made from a variety of materials: wood, aluminum, plastic, precious metals such as silver or even gold. Very often, modern manufacturers produce teaspoons with different combinations of metals: a stainless steel handle can be decorated with ivory, and a silver spoon can be plated with gold.
How to choose a dessert spoon
Basically, the table is served with dessert spoons for special occasions, usually on holidays and memorable dates. Therefore, ideally you should acquire a special one. Spoons from holiday sets differ from ordinary cutlery:
- more expensive and beautiful materials;
- exquisite ornaments, patterns and monograms;
- at a price.
Advice!
If your everyday cutlery set does not contain dessert spoons because they are unnecessary, then your holiday set must have them.
Classic holiday cutlery set
Often, holiday dessert spoons are made of silver. This tradition came to us from our ancestors. Even in ancient novels you can find the phrase “family silver.” It is passed down from generation to generation and is rightfully a source of pride for all family members.
Advice!
Silver spoons will be an excellent gift for an anniversary or a wedding, as they will be useful in any family that receives guests.
Collection set of dessert spoons “Views of Moscow”
If you did not inherit family silver, then who is stopping you from starting this wonderful tradition yourself and becoming its founder? Of course, this is an expensive pleasure. Therefore, it is recommended to start small. Don't buy the whole set. Focus on purchasing dessert spoons first and then add to your collection as you can. This can turn into a real hobby! And such a collection can be born with the purchase of one silver dessert spoon. In addition, the latter has always been considered a wonderful gift for a newborn.
An unusual surprise for guests - chocolate dessert in a spoon. New Year's table setting with dessert cutlery.
However, despite the simplicity of the rules, many do not take them seriously or simply forget about them. In order to feel like a real esthete and gourmet during every meal, let’s remember the basic rules for setting the table using dessert spoons.
So, a dessert spoon is used for serving sweet dishes. Therefore, it is smaller in size than a tablespoon. However, not everyone knows that a dessert spoon can also be served when setting the table with a tureen of broth. In this case, a saucer with such a spoon is placed next to it.
The most pressing question is regarding the place allocated to the dessert spoon on the table. It is placed above the plate so that the scoop lies sloping to the left. This rule applies when serving desserts that do not require cutting, such as mousse, pudding, fruit in syrup.
Sooner or later, every person has a holiday period or another grandiose event when it is necessary to properly set the table. Then the question arises of how to do it, what to serve for dessert. There are some etiquette rules regarding dessert spoons.
Dessert spoons are an integral part. Many people try to replace them with tablespoons or tea spoons, but you can only set the table correctly using them. They are used when serving desserts and sweet dishes. Dessert spoons are smaller in size and come in different shapes. The spoon has an oval shape and different types of handles. For example, in the shape of a stick, thickened at the end, the convex part is decorated with metal carvings, a pattern in the form of flowers is cut out on the middle part, and a pattern in the form of parallel stripes is made at the ends.
Today, there are both single options and sets on sale. Depending on how many people the table will be set for. The dessert spoon must have hygiene certificates and an assay mark. It is usually placed next to the plate.
Dessert spoons have different volumes. So, for example, an American spoon holds 10 ml or two, while a British dessert spoon has a volume of 11 ml. The dessert bowl holds 10 grams of water, 13 grams of syrup and 9 grams of butter. Knowing these proportions, you can easily calculate how many spoons you will need to prepare a particular dish. The weight of the spoon itself varies from 35 to 55 grams, depending on the metal from which it is made and the amount of decorative trim.
Types of these devices:
How to care for dessert spoons:
- It is necessary to carefully care for the scoop, otherwise dark stains may appear on it, which are quite difficult to remove.
- If you have combination spoons made of different metals, it is better to wash and clean them by hand rather than in the dishwasher.
- It is useful to soak spoons made of silver from time to time in the water remaining after boiling potatoes. Then they will regain their former shine.
Summarizing all of the above, we can conclude that a dessert spoon is a fairly necessary tableware item that is served with desserts and has its own differences from other utensils.
In everyday life, we make do with a couple of spoons - for soup and tea, one fork for everything and sometimes a knife. However, when we go on a visit, or receive guests at home, or go to a restaurant, we have to use cutlery, which sometimes confuses us.
Of course, it is very difficult to teach how to use cutlery via the Internet, but to give an idea of what knives, forks, or spoons are and what they are for
we can. First, we will get acquainted with the cutlery that is most often found. Let's look at them, in the photo of course.
Now let's get to know them better. Meat knife, large knife
The knife measures 20-24 cm. Served with meat or main dishes along with a meat fork. Served with large plates. Meat fork, large fork
The fork has a size of 19-21 cm. Served for hot appetizers, spaghetti served in a soup bowl. Serves as an addition to a soup spoon for dishes served in soup pots. Steak knife
It differs from a regular meat knife in its sharp, sharpened edge. Large soup spoon
It has a size of 19-21 cm. Served complete with a meat fork. Used for first courses or as a spoon for sauce. Broth spoon
It has a size of 16-17 cm. Served for soup in special broth cups. Spoon for pouring sauces, 18-19 cm
Typically for fish dishes with sauce Consommé spoon, size 14-15 cm
For soup served in consommé cups. Fish fork
It measures approximately 18 cm, with three cloves.
Served with a fish knife. Used for easily cut fish dishes, fish with scales and shelled seafood. Fish knife, size 19-21 cm
Served in pairs with a fish fork for the same dishes listed above. Not used for salmon, herring, and eel dishes. Oyster knife
Used to open oyster shells. As you know, oysters have valves, and they can only be opened with a knife that has a short blade and a pointed end.
The guard on the knife protects your hands from damage from the edges of the shell. Opening the oysters is done with or without gloves. The knife can be used to open shellfish. The knife comes with an oyster fork.
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It has three short cloves, a wide base and is about 15 cm in size. Served with a coffee spoon. The spoon is used for seafood cocktails, which are served in cups. Lobster fork or spatula
, has a size of about 23 cm.
Used for cutting and eating lobsters, crabs, lobsters. The two sides of the fork have different purposes. With a sharp end, for extracting meat from claws, and with a deep, spoon-shaped end, for scooping out juice. Lobster tongs, size about 20 cm.
They are used for removing and splitting shells and cutting limbs. For cracking shells and cutting limbs of lobsters, lobsters, crayfish and crabs; size about 20 cm. In general, there are several types of knives. There are more complicated ones, forceps + scissors, they are used to cut lengthwise and unfold the edges. Simpler, they just break it. In any case, a lobster fork is used for eating. Crab fork, approximately 18 cm
Complete with a crab knife, used for cutting and eating crabs Crab knife, approximately 18 cm
Complete with a crab fork, used for cutting and eating crabs Snail tongs
When the snails are served without the shell, in a special container called a “Snail Bowl,” no tongs are required. If you brought hot snails in the wings, you need to eat them using tongs, which you need to hold in your left hand and a snail fork (photo below). With our right hand, in which we have a fork, we pick up the snail and put it whole into our mouth. Do it carefully! There is a risk of splashing! Snail fork
Mussels are eaten in the same way. caviar spoon,
size approx. 20 cm, made of mother-of-pearl or horn, approx. 20 cm
For caviar, placed in small vases Caviar knife
, just like the spoon, is made of horn or mother-of-pearl so as not to change the taste of the caviar.
Served to spread caviar on a sandwich or pancakes. Long fork or fondue fork
Serves for all types of fondue, meat, cheese, chocolate and fondue bowl or small or dessert knife, sizes 19-21 cm.
Used for butter and most cold appetizers along with a dessert fork, as well as for cheese and fruit. Can be used for caviar if there is no special knife for it. Dessert or small fork, size 18-19 cm.
Used for all of the above, as well as for baking and sweets along with a dessert spoon. Dessert or small spoon, size 18-19 cm
For desserts, sweets, pastries and first courses served in special broth plates. Butter knife, size 17 cm
We already talked about using a dessert knife for butter, but there is also a special butter knife. It's a little smaller. It can also be used for caviar. Cake fork, 15-16 cm
Place when serving baked goods, cakes, pastries. Coffee spoon, size 13-15 cm
The spoon is used for serving breakfast, tea, coffee, chocolate. Can be used when serving marmalade, honey, consommé, soft-boiled eggs, seasonings and side dishes, cream dessert, egg dessert, cocktails together with a dessert fork, for oysters and seafood cocktails in combination with an oyster fork. Mocha coffee spoon, size 10-11 cm
Serve for mocha coffee. Can be used for soup and spices served in special cups, as well as for small shells. egg spoon,
size 11 cm, mother-of-pearl, horn or plastic.
For soft-boiled eggs. Ice cream spoon, size 18 cm
The name speaks for itself, that is, for ice cream and dishes made from it. Lemonade spoon
Served with narrow glasses or tulip-shaped glasses into which soft drinks are poured - lemonade, juice or fruit drink, chilled tea. Citrus knife
For citrus pulp Citrus spoon
Served with a citrus knife Asparagus tongs
Using tongs, lift the asparagus from the grill to a plate. You need to eat asparagus with your hands. Corn cob knife
The corn cob is eaten by holding it with both hands. Here's another photo that shows some cutlery that isn't listed above or has a slightly different shape.
1 coffee spoon 2 tea spoon 3 dessert spoon 4 tablespoon 5 large pastry tongs 6 mixed drinks spoon 7 asparagus tongs 8 ice tongs 9 small pastry tongs 10 cigar pruners 11 and 12 lemon fork 13 cocotte fork 14 and 15 shovel-shaped blunt knife for fish main courses and a fish fork with a recess for separating bones 16 and 17 dessert knife and fork 18 and 19 dessert knife and fork 20 and 21 snack knife and fork 22 and 23 snack knife and fork 24 pouring spoon, ladle 25 and 26 table knife and fork for main courses (except fish) 27 pastry spatula 28 pate spatula 29 fish spatula 30 caviar spatula 31 ice cream spoon
I hope that the article helped you understand a little what these or those cutlery look like and what they are needed for.
A spoon refers to cutlery that is shaped a bit like a spatula. It includes the scoop itself and a long bridge (handle) connected to this vessel. This item is used not only during meals, but also as a laboratory instrument.
Volume of a teaspoon
It will not be a secret to anyone that the basis for measuring the volume of any object is water. So, according to these indicators, a teaspoon contains 5 g (ml) of water. However, housewives should not forget that the volume will vary for different products. So, for example, only 3 grams of ground cloves will fit, but as much as 30 grams of butter! In this case, information about the volume of a heaped teaspoon may be important. This formulation can often be found in recipes and will be equal to approximately 7 grams.
Minor species
Or auxiliary. Act as an assistant on the table:
1. Salad maker. He helps transfer the salad from the large communal salad bowl to his plate.
2. A pouring spoon, used when laying out main dishes on individual plates.
3. An ice cream device shaped like a small spatula.
4. Spoon for sauces. It is a small spoon with a slightly elongated nose.
5. Spoon with a long handle. It is used when stirring all kinds of cocktails.
6. Curly spoon. Needed for transferring jam from a common vase to individual sockets.
7. Spoon for potato tubers. In appearance it resembles a tuber. It has so-called “ears” on both sides, which protect the potatoes from falling.
8. Sour cream spoon, the purpose of which is clear from the name.
9. Spice spoons. They are miniature in appearance and must be next to the spices in the stand.
In addition to the indicated types of utensils in question, there are spoons for decoration. Wooden spoons are also used as a musical instrument.
About the coffee spoon
As already mentioned, not all people know that there is also a coffee spoon. Why is she so special? First of all, it should be noted that the main indicator for determining the type of spoon will be its size. Many may be interested in a very important question: what does a coffee spoon look like? It is distinguished by its very small, almost doll size. That's all the differences. However, that's not all...
Main types
Today, many types of spoons are produced, each type has its own function. However, there are varieties of this item, the use of which is undeniable.
The main types are used:
1. A tablespoon used when serving the main meal.
2. A dessert spoon that is slightly smaller than the first. It is used when serving sweet dishes. It is also called a dessert tablespoon.
4. Coffee spoon.
Material of manufacture
What materials can a coffee spoon be made from? Most often this is stainless steel, precious metals (gold, silver, aluminum). As a gift option, coffee spoons are carved from wood. The travel sample is made of plastic. However, manufacturers create cutlery from combinations of metals: silver - gold, stainless steel - medical alloy. It is also worth mentioning that you can see various gift options for coffee spoons on sale: made of high-quality metal and in beautiful packaging. Another interesting fact is that it is customary for small children to be given tiny spoons for their first tooth or for birth. It’s good if it’s not a teaspoon, but still a coffee spoon. After all, it can become the baby’s first cutlery at the time of introducing complementary foods, since it has a small, just suitable volume.
Purpose
It is very important to know how and when to serve a coffee spoon and when to serve a teaspoon. So, the names themselves speak volumes: when drinking tea, you need to put teaspoons on the table, but according to all the rules of table etiquette, coffee should be served with small coffee spoons.
It is important to remember that coffee spoons have different handle lengths. After all, for example, if a guest wants to drink iced coffee or Irish coffee, which is served in tall glasses, then for this he needs to take a coffee spoon with a rather long handle. Otherwise, the original cutlery will dive completely into the cup of drink.
The beauty of presentation
Let's highlight the serving sets, which include the heroes of this article.
Table set of three items (spoon, fork, knife). Used when serving main courses. The size of the knife from this set is almost similar to the diameter of the plate on which it is served, the size of the other items is slightly smaller. The fork and spoon from the cutlery set help in transferring portions from a common dish.
The dessert set is similar in composition to the table set. The volume of a dessert spoon is slightly smaller than that of a tablespoon; it is used when serving sweet dishes (ice cream, mousses, puddings, compotes, creams). If broth is served, this spoon can also be seen on the saucer next to the bowl.
Table etiquette
A few words also need to be said about how the coffee spoon should be served correctly, that is, how it should be placed if you want to treat your loved one with coffee according to all the rules. It is important to remember that a cup of hot drink is almost always served on a saucer. The handle of the cup should point to the right and must be parallel to the table. It is possible that black coffee is served without grounds, in which case the handle of the cup may point to the left (necessarily parallel to the table). However, the coffee spoon always retains its standard position: it is placed behind the cup with the handle to the right in relation to the person who will enjoy the aromatic drink.
Why do you need a special Turkish spoon?
A Turkish spoon is a device with an elongated handle for stirring the coffee being prepared directly in the cezve. A spoon is also used for tasting the drink.
In everyday life, coffee can be stirred with an ordinary spoon. But the standard length of the device is sometimes insufficient for immersion to the entire coffee depth, and during manipulations it is quite possible to burn your fingers on the heated handle.
The Turkish spoon has a special design
- An elongated handle that allows you to thoroughly stir the brewing coffee without burning your fingers.
- A miniature cup-shaped part that will easily pass through even the narrowest neck of the cezve.
The device is not strictly necessary. It's more of an accessory. Therefore, Turkish spoons are often found in souvenir designs - with inlay, decoration with stones and overlays made of precious metals.
When is a Turkish spoon useful?
- For making coffee yourself, especially according to oriental recipes, when stirring or skimming is required.
- To try the drink.
- For a gift for a coffee connoisseur.
Small conclusion
Now, if our readers have a teaspoon and a coffee spoon in front of them, no questions will arise. Indeed, at the moment it is already extremely clear how these tableware items differ: size and purpose. If, after everything you’ve read, you still don’t understand what a coffee spoon looks like, a photo is your first assistant in this matter. So, for convenience, it is better to look at our photographs to see how a coffee spoon looks in comparison with a tea spoon, and draw certain conclusions for yourself. It is worth mentioning that for some people it is bad form when serving teaspoons with coffee. After reading our article, you can easily avoid awkward situations. After all, we informed you about everything.
