Choose a number, 1-5!

2, and only 2.

Dont you love when you stick your fork into a potato and end up cutting the fucker in half? Thats what these wide tines do.
- Looks like 4 has wider tines… and a couple others.
Yep, number two is the best.
Give us a harder choice.
Agreed, none of the others are balanced properly or have good flow. Number two is the only option.
2 is definitely the best-machined. Quality manufacturing right there.
- 5 looks well made too. I like a slightly sporked fork though.
Has a stupid handle
- Stupid but comfy. ☺️
I was like this, then I saw the handle. That being said its still 2 but its very close and it could be better still like the 1 or 5 handle
It is clear to me that the only explanation for your preference is nostalgia.
- I don’t understand. I think the handle would work best for my hands, and the prongs are just the right size for me.

Handle of 5 + the fork of 3

I am so on board with you
The will of the people
Aesthetics - #5 is the obvious choice Handling/ grip comfort - #5 wins again Scooping/horizontal food retention - #5 with its slight bowl-shaped head Tine shape - #2 wins out for sheer uniformity
Final answer
Exactly

None of these. 2 has the best tines, but the handle sucks. These look like forks you'd find in a diner. Rounded outer tines is a crime against humanity. Did you maybe want a spork instead? 😡

Agreed. 2 is the clear winner of this heat, despite the bad handle. 5 has the best handle of the bunch, but all these were stamped from thin, stainless sheet steel, rather than forged from thicker plate. All of their handles are lousy.
5 has a better finish than the rest, but the tines are a train wreck.
Here is the perfect fork:
- Handle needs some kind of texture, or else may become slippery.
- Yup. I've never really felt compelled to steal anything at all in my life, but I found some silverware like this at a restaurant one time and I don't think I had much of a choice.
  Once I felt that ideal shape in my hand, with the perfect amount of heft distributed exactly as it should be, I knew I could never go back to using regular flat silverware.
  The waiter caught me trying to clumsily hide the one set, and then he brought me a second one to take home as a gift. It was one of the nicest things, I'll never forget it.
- Allow me to introduce you to my favorite fork. I feel like yours would rotate in the hand while applying downward cutting force.
- Personally I don't like that handle either. Needs to be thicker.
- Damn, that is the most perfect fork I've seen, wow.
  Yeah I was gonna say 2's prong/head with 5's handle would probably be the best out of what's available in the OP image, but yours is... sublime, hah.
- Round handles don't let me know the rotation so hard pass from me.
- I completely agree with you that all forks in the image suck. The part that you stick into the food shouldn't be rounded like that, it should be straight, so when you take it out of your mouth, it glides through your lips uniformly without some weird bumps. It should also have enough space in between the thingys, so you don't just cut your food in half when sticking it in. Then the handle, there's no reason for it not to be straight either. My hand doesn't have weird bumps like that, so the handle shouldn't either. It should also not be that flat, so it's nicer to grip.
  Once I move out of my parents house, I'm definitely gonna buy forks like the one in your image. This is the best fork I've ever seen. Everything is straight without weird bump, it's not gonna cut my food in half and the handle is thick, so it's nice to grip. I don't understand how people who design things like this just don't think about making them nice to use. Do they stop themselves from thinking about how the thing they make would actually be used or what?
- This is the cutlery I have!
  What's it called? I need more!
Please skip to 1:59

2

Slim fork, wide handle.

Damn right. I have 4 2s and 4 4s and it's a sad day when I've been too lazy to do the dishes and only have 4s left to use.
I can taste that flared base agaist my hard palate
I hate them! Because can't fit to dishwasher basket
- Top rack is the solution! Or a basket that doesn't have slots, just the basket.
A scholar and a gentleman

Definitely 2. All other answers are just plain wrong.

None. They’re all stamped from thin sheet metal. Tines and handles are too thin and will bend.

Apostrophe catastrophe.

Oh, there are forks: #2.

This is exactly what I thought, and in the same order.

Head of 2, body of 5.

This is the correct answer
Yeah, the actual fork bit of 2 is nice but I don't like utensils with dump truck ass; they're top heavy when in use.
This is the only correct answer
Nah just two all round
I agree, but if we could include the prong to base ratio of 4, that'd be great. I feel like 2's head is to... idk, flimsy? Either the base should extend further or the prongs be shorter. Great shape otherwise though...

2, assuming the broad pommel is a counterweight. If it's flimsy lightweight material then none of them.

Obviously #2, but with a slightly smaller handle tip and that's about it.

Those all suck, this is the perfect fork.

2

They all have problems. If i have to pick any one of them its going to be 2, but i won't be happy about it.

It's 2 and it ain't even close

I'd pick 5 but none of these look all that comfy

Handle of 5 is the best. They usually also have a bit of a weight in it, I hate light forks.
- It doesn't, that's Ikea's fork, I know it. It's super uncomfortable for me but I'm the neurotypical in the house, my partner only uses those.
- but the handle could be a bit wider. i mean it is the best but not perfect at all.
Yeah, I didn't think I was fork divergent... But I jumped straight to 5.
Wow we are so different. I don't even want to be in the same room as 5. I like the edges to be straight straight straight like a hitscan ray no bend tyuuuuu ^^

Neurodivergent’s what?

Neurodivergent is which

2 with 5s handle suppremacy

You don't have to be neurodivergent to have an opinion about fork shapes. Also 2 is the best.

...get that f*ucking plural-~~comma~~ apostrophe out of my face...

¹ ^head ⁺ ⁵ ^handle

The present is now, old fella

Neurodivergents*

It's a trick question, they're all bad.

(I have autism)

Six.

Look at this fork. LOOK AT IT. Now, calm down.

2.The crazies here who don't think that's the best head by so much that the handle doesn't matter, they scare me. No amount of bad handle can make up for how much I hate the rest of them

2, but the base is a bit wide. Am I on the list now?

Wrong sub. Post here

https://lemmynsfw.com/c/ifyouhadtopickone

2

2 its just right

2 No discussion, the weight, the smoothness, ist all about how they lay in the Hand.

2

2 but its a bit big

2 with 5s handle

Worst 5 fork designs in this meme. Thanks for nothing

2

My fork is the correct fork. None of these are my fork.

In the event of a fork loss, any of these forks could become my fork after a period of time, probably about a month or so until it felt right.

i only eat spoons, they taste better

Makes perfect sense to me. Would you choose any of these handles for your spoon?

2 clearly

No discussion.

2

Hard to say. It's 1 or 3.

2 has an annoying bulbous handle that upsets the balance and the tines take up too much of the fork space, leaving too little room for the little shovel bit at the back that can hold things that might fall through the tines a bit better,

5 is an utter nightmare of awful.

Why would this not apply to neurotypicals? seems to me that most people would have at least a slight preference

My guess is neurodivergents tend to be more militant in our preferences because the factors that affect the choice weigh a lot heavier on us. Like how loud crowded areas aren't really pleasant for anyone, but it can be down right crippling for neurodivergents because of how severe the over stimulation is.
I am wondering the opposite as a neurodivergent. Why aren't all of them kind of fine? Like, one is going to be better than the other, but it seems like a hard pick.
Maybe I am too autistic to consider about forks.
I agree, but "slight" is the operative word here. I'm autistic and there are some cutlery that feel so unpleasant in my hand that I can barely force myself to use them. In the past, it has even resulted in me hardly eating (when the lack of good cutlery was due to the nice ones being missing rather than just dirty). I felt very silly that I was letting myself go hungry over an irrational preference, but I find that some battles aren't worth fighting.
I have also found that other neurodivergent people often have strong opinions on cutlery, which has been a wee source of solidarity. I think that, in addition to the concrete reality of people's preferences, there's a reinforcing cycle where once a cultural thing becomes associated with a particular group, there will be in-group jokes made about that association, which reinforces the link. That is to say that the relevance of this meme somewhat transcends the reality of the relative frequency of neurodivergent people having strong opinions on cutlery

Handle of 5, prongs of 3.

None of them are great, all too thin and probably have hard 90° edges from being stamped cheap metal, but maybe 2. Five can fuck off, too wide and trying to be a spoon, the rest are too narrow in the handle.

Number 2, obviously.

Definitely 2.

2

5 is an IKEA fork

Source: I have an IKEA fork

I think at least three of these are from IKEA.
Source: I live in IKEA-Land

Handle of 5 with any other head 😭

Most efficient, can hold the most food, doesn't spread the food by wide sides which would get the food stuck

2 for hand feel alone

The best fork for what?

2

3 or 2-with-5's-handle

When I got married, sitting down with the caterer and choosing between dozens of flatware types, I realized that I personally like three dimensional smoothness, with round, cylindrical handles that have some heft but not too much width. I also like cylindrical tines that don't look like it was made from a flat sheet of metal cut and bent into shape (I prefer tines that are cylindrical, not rectangular prisms).

I also like curves along where the head meets the handle, and along the head itself. No sharp corners or edges.

I dislike ornamentation on the handle itself. I like plain, smooth handles.

I chose the forks for my wedding, and then later on in life, based on what I learned about my own preferences, I bought some flatware that fits those general principles (looks like the Sambonet Hannahs, but cheaper than that very expensive line), and replaced the ones in my house. Now I basically don't have any forks that I don't like.

2 with 3's handle,

2's head is just weirdly always satisfying

but 2's handle is a bit comical

Also team 2

2 but 3 would do as a second tier choice if 2 was dirty.

Also whoever said the tines of 2 and the handle of 5 is correct.

2 is best. 5 is tolerable.

Number 2.

Long sensual tines, full round butt gives you something to hold on to.

I'm inclined to say 2, just for form and shape. But it looks to chunky. Like probably heavy af. So I'll choose 3.

P.s. thanks for giving me a new thing I didn't know was linked to my neurodivergence

2 and it's not close, 1 is the worst.

3

1 is too short, 2 is too top heavy, 3 is too thin and light, and 5 is almost a spork.

I like none of them

1 or 3. I cant stand forks with curved outer tines. 2 is good but i prefer a straight handle over a curved one. My preferance leans towards 3 though as 1 looks like it would have slightly sharp stamped edges.

2

All of these fail. This is like one of those pick the baddie out of the line up things, except all of these have done some shitty things. 3 is the closest I guess, but the handle fails hard.

I dont like any of them :(

2

2 for a meal, 5 for snacks and desserts

They all lack thickness but 2

I guess I’m picky. I don’t like any of these lol. I’d pick 4 off these were all in a drawer together, though.

1 is just a funny goofy guy doing his job well not concerned about what the other forks think. I choose him.

3 > 1 & 4 >> 5 >>>>>>> 2

4

4 gang!!

2

2 GANG RISE UP

It's balanced, not too sharp or long.

Nr. 2 is a no go, the thick butt is annoying af to put in a dishwasher cutlery basket. You need to think about these things.

The rest is fine and whatever.

2 if I had to pick from that drawer, but the actual answer: Victorinox Swiss Classic / Swiss Modern cutlery. Absolutely love the large handles, sharp knives and large spoons. Very nice feel in hand and mouth.

https://www.victorinox.com/de-DE/Produkte/Haushalts--und-Berufsmesser/Besteck/Classic-Besteck-12-teilig/p/6.7233.12

Fat bottom forks you make the rockin world go round...

2

5 for me

2, if I wanted it to be round, I'd have grabbed a spoon.

1 is also nice, every other choice is heresy.

Well, not #2. The curved droplet-shaped handle seems inconvenient for spinning spaghetti around

Obviously depends on what you're about to eat

2 and 5. 1 is fine, i hate the others.

2 and 5 are also fine at best. Good cutlery needs to have proper "thick" handles, these all look cheap and unergonomic.

5 is definitely the best. It offers a thicker handle edge for cutting and did not require a stamping bend on thinner material to add rigidity. The rounded head and outer tines serve two purposes. One it offers a smaller controlled side contact like the profile of a chef's knife that will focus more force at the contact point allowing for better contact with the plate and shearing more efficiently. Second, the rounded outer edge will fit the contour of a bowl allowing a fork to efficiently manage rice or other small items down to the last bite with nothing remaining. The larger outer tines and shorter overall length is also more durable and resistant to bending. It cost far more to make number 5 and the design functionality came ahead of the operations cost, and materials stock selection. All of the others were made according to the minimum number of forming operations and thin stock.

Exactly! Everyone is saying 2, but 2 is way too long for comfortable cutting, and that's a very important feature of a fork - unless all you're eating with it is very very soft.
- If eating with stamped metal utensils things must be cut by a knife. 5 will be warped just as fast, plus the curved edge means it will do a horrible job of cutting while it bends.

You 2-people are insane. It's clearly fork number five.

Maybe if you have baby hands.

2

So apparently I'm the only one that hates the long ass tines of 2 and prefers something like 1 or 4

The other handle shapes look awful

1 - the tines on it are plenty long and it's narrower than most of the others

People who choose 4, are you doing okay? It's okay to seek help.

3 is even worse

None of them are correct

1s the best. 3 and 4 are acceptable, 2 and 5 are a crime. i dont get y'all

My partner has ADHD and autism and they swear by 5. That's IKEA's cheap fork and in our house I'm forced to use all the other forks (which are better so whatever). In their words: "all the other ones are too pointy". I don't fucking know.

Long handle, long thin straight tines, large round pan so it fits nicely in your hand, 2 is basically the ideal fork

They are all OK. But I spent 7 years eating with a trident, so what do I know.

2, 5 if there are no clean 2s

#2 and #3 Edit: no just #2

fork tierlist

    
S| 2
A| 3
B|
C| 4
D|
E| 1
F| 5

although, a non-metal handle would be better

Fuck you & fuck this insulting post.

#2

3 looks better balanced and crafty enough. 5 looks like a dessert fork

Many go for 2, but they are just thinking about using it, not cleaning it. More surface to clean plus extra volume which fills quicker the place where forks, knives and spoons are stored till they dry

1 is too bended.

1

All of them have a flat handle. My personal preference is for a cylindrical handle. Heavier and easier to hold. Flat cutlery that looks like it was stamped out of sheet metal won’t do at all.

Also when the tines have like sharp corners from the stamping — ick. I'm not a machine, sir. Please do be keeping ur industrial design away from my mouth. ;x

1 and if we're being really picky I want the top of one and the handle from 5

Only #2. Having a consistent set of cutlery is priceless.

1

2

3

Add-on question: when using a fork, do you put the points on the plate (or stab a piece) and then use your knife to push food onto the downward curve of the tines (I would say the back but that's because I don't do this) and lift it points-down?

Or do you carry food on the concave curve of the tines (as well as stabbed on the points of course) and lift it points-up?

This is cultural, neither is incorrect, but it might affect your choice of fork. Whether you switch hands or keep it entirely in your left might also make a difference.

Depends on the food tbh. If it would fall out using the coop method then I point down and push it into the tines.
Peas: point down and mash into tines
Mashed potatoes: scoop 'em
Steak: points down to stab
Use a kwhat? Fork and plate alone so you don't have additional items to wash.
I'm doing it the latter way. I chose 1.
Whether you switch hands or keep it entirely in your left
What about me who just keeps it in my right
- What about me
  American

#1 looks like it's for kids.

#3 & #4 aren't dry-fined enough.

A cross between #2 (weird end) & #5 (weird tip) would be perfect. In fact, I think mine at home is like that (on vacation right now so can't check).

You cannot know the answer without seeing the underside of the forks. How will you know if they correctly conform to the curvature of your thumb and/or fingers.

One of the best gifts my partner got me was completing a set of cutlery I had grown to love via eBay and other random shops. How she found decade old stuff in mint condition is beyond me.

I want to say 2 because longest fork depth, but 4 has that round mouth feel with still good fork depth without being too aggressive about the curvature like 5. The thicker outer prongs grip slippery/heavy food better too.

I'm going 4.

Also because 2 has that annoying fin. The worst forks do that, and also curve down. Hurts my hands, but I'm a giant with bear paws so YMMV.

What?

2, but I feel like none is good enough. Or sturdy enough. I need 2, but thicker body

2! No other answer is correct!

Hello. I like rusty spoons.

Everyone is busily selecting a fork, and I'm trying to figure out if the apostrophe was an intentional troll ..

2, obviously

Came here thinking I'd be the odd man out by saying #2, I'm pleasantly surprised.

4 has the best handle, 2 has the best fork

This feels like a reverse Avatar test for autism

Glad to see my undiagnosed disorder is alive and well. #2 crew represent.

1 feels like home, 4 and 5 is too fancy, 2 just feels right enough to stab at my enemy.

I choose 2.

1 is the one you leave in the drawer till it's the last one or use for stuff you don't want to risk your other forks for...

Number 5 is the best, fight me. The wide, rounded handle provides a comfortable grip, and the slightly shorter prongs, combined with the bulge on the outer ones give it a friendly look. You don't want to put some aggressive looking stabbing device like the disgusting number 2 into your mouth do you? Where all the soft, vulnerable stuff is? Come on. And don't get me started on the handle of number 3, that is just atrocious, way to thin and I can already feel it digging into my skin when just trying to apply modicum of rotational force into my food.

2

1, obviously. 4 and 5 are equally obvious trash. 2 is okay but its handle is malformed and ugly.

3 is acceptable for someone with different, smaller hands.

On second thought, I rescind my general critique of 2. The overly wide bottom might be helpful to people with trouble grasping implements, but in that case the tines are too long.

Anyone interested in developing a "Find your ideal fork" web app?

I for one would be very interested to see statistical preferences...

None of em

All are bad. If I'd have to choose, it'll be in the order 1, 2, 4, 5, 3.

1, but these all suck ass.

Idk without holding them. But probably not 2 or 5

I'm very picky about kitchenware, it's like I have to listen to my inner grandma.

You come here asking neurodivergents a question and you only give five options?

All of these options are terrible. You should feel ashamed, OP.

2 is such an obvious answer

Those all look horrible, mine's better, it kinda looks like it has the head of #2 and body of #5

2

How can people chose without weighing them?

Long tines and a big "handle".

1, 4

It probably says a lot about me to be able to articulate this, but it's 100% 3 because of the way the head has a low flare leading to a high taper. The others are all way too flat or round, save for 1, but it's out because the spaces between the tines terminate too high.

And no, I don't have a reason for this, it's entirely based on how I feel about forks.

2 and 3. 1 and 5 are too short, they're last resort shit

There isn’t a best, maybe a less bad but even then it’s an impossible choice. ✋wins here.

5 looking kinda shiny

They are all good since they are all single extruded so no food remains getting in between the metal part and the plastic/wood/other

Though, we could argue that 1. is better that the others for the easy grip due to its in-curved handle. Or that its diametrical opposite, number 5. Is the best thanks to its filleted handle making it easier to hold in the case of the food scooped by it not being very hard.

The handles on all the others except 5 are hideous but 5 has a really weird pointy bit

2 or 5

2 but thicker and a bit different handle.

None of them; my forks are best

1 or 2 :p

I dont like any of them but if i had to pick: 2. I like the prongs. But I don't like the handles for any of them

Hot take: 1

5, mostly because I am using those for over 2 decades now and all other feel somehow wrong.

I don't like any of them

Def 3

5

My fingies hurt just looking at them. Half of them will bend when cutting a banana, and the other half will split your skin when you try.

You cut bananas with forks?
- You can cut bananas with anything, including another banana if you would like to make a little mess while doing it

3 speaks to me I like 😋😋

Handle of number 1, prongs of number 2.

But I'd still grab 5 just to watch the world burn.

on this topic:

This is a cutlery model sold by a specific store chain here in sweden some decades ago, i fucking adore how simple and proletarian it is, it's absolutely ubiquitous even to this day.
Like IKEA things but cheaper and higher quality.

Small forks go faster.

The pointy handle on number 3 is OFFENSIVE

All of #3 is torture

2 would be the closest I'd consider to being ideal. The handle kinda looks like it sucks tho.

Ideal would be the head of 2 with the handle of 5.

ADHD, don't care as long as it works.

Yup. Clean is the main thing though. I’ve forgotten my silverware for lunch and figured out some very interesting workarounds before.

I rank them in order of decreasing favorability: 3 5 4 1 2

5 and I know this because it's the fork that lives in my room at all times because it's my favorite fork and I don't like when someone else dirties it or misplaces it. It's my desk fork. Always ready for leftovers or door dash. It's the perfect fork.

tines of three, handle of five

Depends on the weight for me.

All those with cupped handles look light and need the cupping for structural support, but 5 is thick in the right way. The head is wrong, though.

All heads are wrong for me. Either to long vor thick. And 1 is to rectangly.

Definitely not 5 because it looks like it's trying to be a spoon, but you can't eat soup with a fork (well, technically you can but it'd take a long time).

Pasta!

I like 1.

5 is one of the worst things ever created

of the ones losted? 2. However, have you considered wood fork?

3

I think 5

5 nice and clean. No messing around. Hard to bend accidentally (I worry about that)

Obviously, 2 is really bad. 5 is nice.

All but 5 look like cheap crap and I don't like 5 for forks sake

For mouth comfort 5

Depends on the knife.

5, easy

How thick are they?

Some of y'all don't know about the yogurt test and it shows! 4 is the only correct answer.

Forget the handles because they all suck. The flared outer tines are a sin and the shorter tines on 1 is a war crime. I would take 3. Ergonomically it's not terrible and I can deal.

5, easy

2 or 5

None of them are usable. If I had to take one, number 3. All the others are a sin.

Edi: I must agree with others though, that the handle of 3 is very bad. Still, the shape of the head is more important to me.

I hate all of them but many people seem to like number two, but that is decisively the worst. I literally just bought twelve forks from a discontinued line because I had a few of them and they are the best forks ever. There are few things better than a great fork.

Number 5, as a backup 2. Edit: I feel like 2 is too fat and 5 is too narrow. Somewhere in the middle.

What am I eating? Spaghetti is different from steak which is different from peas

2

they all suck the prongs are too thick

It depends.

Number 1, just because I have small hands.

Top part - 2, 5 for bottom.

Every other choice is wrong.

Probably 2. 5 is a maybe? But 2 is probably the one I'd want.

I don't really like any of these.
\ Ideally, #3's head on #1's handle

Edit: I'm torn between the head of 2 and 3
\ 2's head is more satisfying, but 3 is more practical for spoon-adjacent tasks like scooping rice

It was between 2, 4 and 5, but 4 is my final pick

5, 1, 3, 4, 2 but I don’t actually like any of them. I want the smallest functional fork available (generally around 15cm/6”)

The 2nd one with the small waist and thicc ass

I'll pick 1 as it looks the comfiest and I hate big forks.

It's about how they stack, I like a neat stack 👄

1, 2, and/or 5 depending on the type of food i'm eating.

Gotta go with 1

It's probably made of that super light material, and if I use too big of a fork, I'll drop rice all over myself. Or get too big of a mouthful.

I'm glad someone on the internet finally figured out that we all have rules about forks. Every ND person I've met has a fork rule. My fiance (ADHD) and I (ADHD also) have two sets of silverware- one for him, and one for me, and then we have the weird loose ones from either set that were imperfect in meeting our demands.

2

Oh gawd no! That square handle digs into the hand when you use it. I've been there.

5, obviously

For me it's 5 times the same fork 🤔

I actually own the cutlery set that 5 is from. Because it was the best option at IKEA at the time.

1

I like the one that doesn't have an unnecessary apostrophe.

1 or 5

Wooden chopsticks. Metal is too loud to eat with, plus I'm clumsy enough to end up biting the fork and hurting my teeth.

I do like playing with forks though! Some heavier and more angular shapes, like 2, tend to have a really nice balance to them and are satisfying to twirl in my fingers while I'm working on something.

Spoon better

1

The only valid choice is 3, I want the full weight of the fork to be the tongs so they don't knock cups over. 2 is TERRIBLE

2

Put 5's head on 2's body

2,

because it also has best spikes to test if potato is done.

2,

because it also has best spikes to test if potato is done.

2 because the wider handle is much more comfortable to hold

number 5 for its solid structure and good distance between prongs

2,

because it also has best spikes to test if potato is done.