Artaste Rain II Forged 18/10 Stainless Steel (Gold (Service for 4), Flatware 20-Piece Set)

I bought a full Artaste Rain II flatware set, in the mirror finish stainless steel over 18 mos ago. Today I am ordering additional pieces and realized I need to share my experience as I am an avid review reader.Hands down this is the best quality flatware set I’ve ever purchased. I researched and shopped for weeks because I wanted something that would hold up for the long haul and yet have a classy appearance.These have a heavy, balanced weight, feel good in hands of all sizes, and maintain a beautiful mirror finish regardless of regular use and repeated dishwasher cleaning. The knife has a serrated edge that cuts through food effortlessly. The small fork and spoon are about 7” and are perfect for desserts, coffee, small portions or small people hands (although I have a 6’2” guy in the family who prefers the small fork for nearly everything, go figure.) The large spoon is perfect for soups, stews, cereal and even as serving spoon in a pinch. Both the large and small forks have 4 tines, which is a personal preference of mine.They came quality packaged in individual plastic sleeves, within bubble wrap, within hard cardboard branded boxes, inside cardboard sleeves, within a separate shipping box.I’ve not had any issues so I can’t speak to their customer service. My initial orders came quickly.My only “disappointment” is that I had to order iced tea spoons in the original Rain pattern as I could not locate any in the Rain II collection. That said, they match well enough (same mirror finish) and I absolutely love them too! A couple months ago I ordered more small spoons, now I’m ordering additional knives, and small forks as they seem to get the most constant use with my tribe.Anyone complaining of “rust spots” when dishwashing should check the age of their machine, their high heat water/dry settings and use of a rinse agent. Could be residual dampness in the appliance. I have a newer dishwasher, and I’ve never had any issue with it.

These WONDERFUL Artaste 18/10 stainless teaspoons weigh in at a hefty 57 grams, approx. 2 ounces each. Well worth the cost, compared to some of Amazon's 12/$10 range (which have sharp edges and tend toward flimsiness). Each Artaste teaspoon is a skosh over 7". The depth of the spoon part (sans handle) is a scant 1/4", the length of spoon part is approx. 2 3/8", and the spoon part is approx. 1 3/8" at its widest. The handle is rounded, so it tends to clank against a ceramic mug, which is annoying to some people, but otherwise this teaspoon is PERFECT; it's elegant but durable. I expect that over time, these spoons will develop a patina that reflects wear and tear, as I will be using these spoons every day, dishwashing them, and storing them in my flatware drawer. They'd retain their newness longer if better cared for, but that is not my concern -- I'd rather have a weighty, sturdy spoon that performs to my expectations

We searched for a good flatware set for weeks and finally settled on the Artaste Rain II. We've now had the set for 6 months, so I decided to write a review. They are simply excellent - even better than we thought they'd be. The product is extremely durable and sturdy - you can scoop hard ice cream with the spoons without worrying about them bending, for example. They also hold up well in the dishwasher. We use Cascade Pods as our detergent and we wash often. We don't really take any precautions with this flatware. I've kept them soaking for days in water in the sink. We've had absolutely no issues with staining or rust. Sometimes they have spots on them after drying in the dishwasher, but those wipe off easily with a paper towel (not that we regularly take that extra step, but I've tried it and it worked). The one downside for most people - but certainly not for us - is that these are a bit heavy because they are sturdy and unbending. If you like light flatware, these aren't for you. But if you are looking for something robust, durable and beautifully designed, I highly recommend them.

The beautiful finish and balanced weight of this set are impressive. I have owned this set for a few months now, washing them in the dishwasher, and I have had no staining of the finish. They come out of the dishwasher looking shiny and new. Each piece is strong, well balanced in the hand and have no sharp edges to cause discomfort. The knife blade is able to cut through most meats too. I am thrilled with this set!

After the best part of 15 minutes unwrapping these utensils (sealed box, first bubble wrap sleeve with rubber bands, second bubble wrap sleeve with rubber bands X5, and plastic sleeves for each utensil {20}) they were indeed beautiful with a very pleasing heft with a soft, smooth finish. Since I have only had them a few days I can't comment on the longevity. Having put them in the dishwasher several times with no problems, I can only imagine no future issues. As I said the heft is very good, however if the handle end of each utensil were wider by 1/8-1/4" (yes,I understand that would make them heavier) they would be easier to use; like twirling spaghetti with a fork or cutting meat with the knives. The soup spoons could be slightly deeper and the blades of the knives slightly wider. The forks are nearly perfect with the exception of the width of the handles. Overall I like these and would recommend them.

Great quality! Beautiful flatware.

When we began looking for new flatware, we didn't know exactly what to look for. After a lot of trial and error, we opted for this set. It is shiny, smooth, and has a good weight. They've been through the dishwasher multiple times without problems. Overall, this is now our favorite set of flatware. We are discussing throwing out our old set and purchasing another set of these.