If there is one thing that I truly despise about fast food it’s that they give you these wimpy pieces of plastic flatware that more often than not snap when you are using them. Well, that is when you even get a spoon or fork with your meal – don’t even bother asking for a knife – chances are they will laugh at you as they slam that little sliding glass window closed in your face. After dealing with this for so long I decided that I needed to add some cheap but sturdy plastic eating utensils to my small locker box in the back of the Avalanche. I’ve got the usual items in there; disposable wipes, napkins, first aid kit, emergency money and assorted munchies in case we ever get stranded some where. I never thought to toss a box of plastic flatware in there but after getting so frustrated trying to eat food with Mc Donald’s pathetic excuse for forks and spoons I could stand it no longer and grabbed a few of these boxes off the shelves when I was trolling the aisles at Rite Aid. Since then they have become a staple for our mini road trips as well as within the house and hey, they are dirt cheap too!

Rite Aid Heavy Duty Plastic Flatware

Let’s face the facts here; it’s plastic but it sure as hell beats the stuff you get when you pick up take away [take out for the Americans] food. Next time you are at a fast food place take a gander at what they offer in the way of “eat ware” – Wendy’s has the best spoons – those cream colored ones that are prefect for ice cream. The bottom of the barrel has to be “the spork”, a combination of a spoon and fork that really doesn’t manage to get anything accomplished. These are above average when it comes to handling things like salad or stabbing fries and are a must have item when dealing with anything that’s the least bit messy – chili fries being at the top of my list. These are also great to have on hand if you have kids that like to eat outside. My silverware isn’t the best nor was it all that expensive but the pattern is discontinued and there is no way I am letting my little monsters take forks, knives and spoons outside. The last time I let them do that I had to pull a covert ops mission to find them all; the last piece being buried deep inside the long forgotten, overpriced and rarely played with sandbox.

If I had to voice a complaint it would have to be that I can’t find these in most of the Rite Aid stores, for some reason some of them aren’t carrying things like plates, cups and flatware when it they are all great sellers. And while I am on the subject of minor issues – would it be so hard to have a resealable box? Even though I toss these into a large zipper plastic bag to keep them clean, having a box that can be closed or with a tab top would keep them a little more organized. Even so, for about .75 cents, you can’t go wrong picking these up for your kids lunches, picnics, road trips or the way I use them – to save myself the stress of trying to use the el cheapo ones you get at the drive thru. These are sturdy enough to be used over and over again if you want to wash them but for the sake of simplicity, they can just as easily be tossed in the trash if you don’t want to tote them in and out of the house. I’ve only had a few of them break since I started buying them over a year ago and that was due to the fact that I was trying to dig out a huge chocolate swirl from some heavily frozen ice cream [couldn’t wait until I got home to try it out] and the tines on a fork snapped when I tried to do a “stab and grab” on a half chicken I picked up at Boston Market.

What You Get

In each box you get eight forks, knives and spoons; I really wish they would sell the 24 count of each of them because I always end up with tons of knives left in the box and no spoons or forks. The forks have rather pointy tines on them so this might not be the best pick for younger kids unless they have mastered using a standard fork. Knives have the usual ridged edging to them and will cut through most foods but unless you are going to sit there for the better part of an hour sawing through your skin, there’s no real chance of them causing any damage. The spoons are teaspoon sized; perfect for pudding, soups, fruit cups and kids lunches. The average cost is around .75 cents with some areas charging a little more and some a little less. To get the most for your money, be sure to try and catch them on sale – usually a buy one get one free kind of offer.

The Bottom Line

I am a huge fan of these partly because they are a lot cheaper than the name brand ones and partly because they are so damn sturdy. If they can go up against my boys and all the weird foods they are in to without snapping, breaking or the tines cracking then hey, they are something that I’ll gladly pick up when ever we are running low. Now that Annabelle is back with us on a daily basis, these are more than just a convenience item to have around – she won’t use any type of metal utensil when she eats – it’s plastic or nothing for the picky little princess … something that I am sure she will grow out of but until then, Rite Aid’s Heavy Duty Flatware is a definitely the way to go!


As always, thanks for the read!

~^V^~ Freak ~^V^~

© 2004 Freak369

Need some suggestions on how to take your food on the road, prepare for an awesome picnic or make serving kids meals a little easier? Check out these reviews on other great products …

• Rubbermaid Take-Alongs Chug Bottle • Rubbermaid Take-Alongs Deep Square • Rubbermaid Take Alongs 9 Ounce Sip Cup • Rubbermaid Take Alongs Rectangle • Rubbermaid Serving Saver Egg Keeper • Arrow Plastic Pack-A-Snack • Arrow Plastic Primary 16 Ounce bowl • Arrow Plastic Anyware Cutlery Set • Arrow Plastic Primary Fork & Spoon • Arrow Plastic 7 1/2" Divided Plate with Cover •




Recommended: Yes