Here's what I wanted in a new silverware set: simple, elegant design; heavy duty, but not huge and clunky; lots of pieces; matching serving set (maybe I'm a bit obsessive), high quality; durable (I bent so many spoons from my last set eating ice cream!); and finally, affordable. Is that so much to ask? Apparently so, because I couldn't find exactly what I was looking for! Until I found this set, that is. For those of you who "want it all" in a flatware set, this is the one for you. One thing to note: while the eating utensils hold up very well in the dishwasher, the service pieces seem to get tiny dings. I'll be hand washing those or keeping them in a separate compartment in the dishwasher from now on.