Customer Reviews

Reed & Barton Cole 18/10 Stainless Steel 65-Piece Set

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

It's actually 18/10 like it says (some aren't), it feels nice in the hand with a good weight like the more expensive brands. Best of all it comes out of the dishwasher spotless. I mean spotless. (Read the directions; handles down in the basket for forks & spoons, handles up for knives.) I love it. Good value for the money.

The only negative is I wish they sold this pattern open stock so I could buy extra spoons. Cocktail forks and iced tea spoons would be nice too. So far I've only been able to find it in 65-piece sets.

I was so excited to find these because the design is just stunning. However, I ordered them off Amazon and I am sorry to say that the craftsmanship is terrible. The first sign was that I noticed they were made in China. Now, I'm not normally a snob about these things but in this case, it really shows. I only had to look at maybe 10 of the 65 pieces to notice major problems -- tines that were out of alignment, chipped edges on the serving utensils and a particularly egregious chip on the side of a fork (if you put it in your mouth, you really don't want anything scratching you, and this chip is an inch long), and spots of tarnish. I will try to upload photos to show the problems. I'm really upset. It's not like I am an expert on flatware, either -- I am very young and buying my first flatware set for my apartment -- and even I can notice the shoddy manufacturing!

Purchased this set because was looking for a 18/10 quality set with a good design, modern, and this one looked like what I was looking for. However I just received this set today, and to my surprise, when I opened the package, I saw a different set than it looks in the picture. The handles are very thin, they are not easy to hold, the grip is not good, except the knife whose handle is a little wider. Also, the metal is very glossy and brilliant, not polished / half-brushed like in the picture. I can't tell about the quality, but definitely considering a return, because it does look like a different set, not what I expected. I do like light flatware, so their weight is not a problem, but it must be good to hold since this is something to be used daily.
Note: I've uploaded a picture.

My wife loves the way they come out of the dishwasher they look great. I'm not so happy thou about the handles being so thin they just don't feel right in my hand. I will probably end up getting something else later.

One reviewer said that this set of flatware was "not polished / half-brushed like in the picture" but I can only say after saving and enlarging the picture from Amazon, and other web sites, and examining the set that I received, that they were never supposed to be "half brushed and polished."

This set is genuine 18/10 stainless steel flatware, with a heavy coating of chrome. The heavy chrome layer on this set is not "polished" because it didn't have to be. The finish on the set I received is clear, faultless and without defects.

I deducted one star simply because this set, for me, does have narrower handles than I am use to, but the weight and balance is good. My wife, who has much smaller hands than I, thinks that size and weight of the pieces is perfect.

So opinions about the size of the handles comes down to a matter of taste, and what a person is use to. Yes, this set is manufactured in China, but the quality and finish of the pieces is AAA, and a surprise to me, after receiving other Chinese manufactured house-ware items from Amazon that were a complete disapointment.

I read the reviews for these and I ordered anyway and I am so glad I did. Actually, the picture of the shiny cutlery was very helpful b/c it does look like it's matted. This didn't bother me. I just needed a nice set of cutlery that was 18/10 and a good price. It is a beautiful, modern, classy set and for the amount of pieces you get it is really a bargain compared to other sets and stores. I was surprised how critical some of the reviews were for this set - as if they paid $500 for it. It's about $125, is 65 pieces, 18/10 quality, and beautiful. I highly recommend this product to practical people with good taste.

I purchased these with Christmas money late last year. I really should have looked at them in person before purchasing. The handles appeared fatter in the picture. I agree with the other reviewers who stated the picture is somewhat misleading...I realize now it was taken at an angle to make the ends appear fatter. We have a very good dishwasher...one of those I barely have to rinse the dishes to get them perfect...and I use a very good dishwasher liquid. I have never had to clean my silverware before I put it in the dishwasher the way I do these. If I clean them before I wash them, they come out pretty good...I still have to wipe them down with a damp towel to polish them though. I cannot turn the teaspoons handle down because the ends are so small they often fall through the holes...that is how small they are. I made the mistake at one point of changing dishwasher liquid and the silverware actually had spots and even rusty looking spots. So, if you are having that problem, buy a better liquid and clean before you wash. Again, should have looked in person, I would have never bought anything so shiny and requiring so much fussy care. The other thing I had a problem with was I had to actually research whether these were 18/10 stainless at other than the Reed and Barton site; they didn't explicitly say on their site at that time and there was no price difference between those that were and those that were not...deliberately misleading again? My prior set was one my grandmother had purchased at Target, Oneida I think, 18/10 (marked on the pieces), good weight, always cleaned well, never spotted or rusted, attractive, but I was missing pieces. So I decided to treat myself and get a really nice, 12 piece set. I heard Reed and Barton made an excellent flatware, I made sure I got 18/10, and I regret I made this decision based on pictures. I wished I had made the effort to return them. Unfortunately, like many companies that have made reputable products in the past, they have obviously changed to cheaper manufacturing and we the consumer are mislead by their reputation of the past. I too am not a snob about things made in other countries, but when I spend good money on something I intend to use forever, I want corresponding quality in the manufacturing process.