Replacing kitchen items ??

[Granny_Weatherwax]

How often do you replace your...

 

dishes?

 

I have a Pfaltzgraff set that DH and I purchased years ago (between 16-20). We're down to three bowls, three salad plates, and 7 plates (3 are chipped). All of the mugs and saucers are in excellent shape because they have rarely (aka never) been used. The service dishes - platter, large bowls, pie plate, divided vegetable bowl, etc - range from good to excellent condition. I'm growing weary of the pattern and would like something new. I've thought about packing them up for DD but it's been difficult to find matching/coordinating pieces to make a cohesive place setting. At one point Kohls sold dishes in a solid color that was almost an exact match with the main color in the pattern but they no longer carry that color. 

 

Baking pans -

my cookie sheets are awful.  They are about 15 years old. Does having darkened pans alter cooking times, texture of foods, etc?

 

With the holidays coming, I'm wondering if I should just ask for new dishes and baking pans.

 

[regentrude]

I have never replaced my dishes.

I still use the dinner set I bought when I moved out into my first own apartment 26 years ago, and the yellow breakfast dishes DH gave me for my birthday 18 years ago.

 

I shall replace them when there are no longer enough pieces to serve the number of people I need to serve. At the current rate, with 2 of 12 plates broken in 26 years, despite little kids, I may own these dishes until I die. The breakfast cups don't handle the dishwasher well, so I had to discard a few chipped ones, but I still have plenty, and will be empty nesting soon.

 

I wish I had an excuse to get some new ones ;)

 

Honestly, if your DD is just starting out in life, I would not worry about matching and coordinating and simply give her the dishes. Free trumps "cohesive place setting". She can always augment by buying plain white, or use them as accent pieces.

Edited August 30, 2016 by regentrude

[marbel]

You sound ready for new dishes, and I don't think it would be a frivolous purchase!

 

We use dishes my husband had when we were first married.  We have plenty of some pieces, and have filled in with bowls from IKEA that are a close match in shape and color.  (Who knows how long they'll carry them, though.)   I don't get tired of it because it's very neutral.   I could see myself continuing this way till I die, assuming IKEA doesn't let me down.  :-)

 

My cookie sheets are awful too. Yes, darkening can affect baking times.  I use parchment paper for baking, though, so it's not a problem  for me.  If I didn't like using parchment paper, I'd just all my old pans and get new shiny ones!    

 

I might not have been the best person to respond, but I still give you a resounding yes, go buy some new stuff, even though I'm not following that advice.  

 

ETA:  LOL, Regentrude and I will be old ladies using our ancient plates.  :-)

 

 

Edited August 30, 2016 by marbel

[Angie in VA]

I have one small plate and 2 or 3 bowls from a set of dishes my parents bought for me when I was in college. They were good about giving me practical gifts for when I was on my own (and fun stuff I wanted/needed then too) during those years. We have done the same for our dc who's in college. 

 

So, after ~ 30 yrs, I have 3-4 pieces left from that set. DH and I got another set a few years ago. 

 

My pampered chef stoneware I got 10+ yrs ago is going strong. Our cheapo pizza pans are disgusting, so much so that I might prefer you look in my underwear drawer than see those pizza pans.

 

I think you should ask for new dishes and baking pans for gifts!

[Pawz4me]

DH and I have been married for 26 years. I don't remember if we bought the dishes before we got married or if one of us already owned them (the latter is most likely, since we both already owned houses). So ours are at least 26 years old. They're Correlle and so noting fancy but no pieces have broken either. And I'm kind of attached to them at this point. ;)

 

Baking pans I replace fairly regularly. No matter how well I wash them they seem to develop sticky build up eventually. And I can't stand that.

[Guest]

I still have my old Pfaltzgraff too. It's 16 years old this year. I did just replace my baking sheets, but I hate the new ones. Everything is burning on the bottom and I'm not sure why. They look exactly like my old ones. Anyway......

 

Sounds like you could totally justify new dishes though! Sometimes I wish a couple more of mine had taken a tumble but for now I'm stuck.

[barnwife]

Dishes are so not something we worry/care/think about.

We use cheap Corelle. It's all mismatched. IOW, if you want fancy, you probably don't want to eat here!

FWIW, I am quite sure it bothers my mom. But...really, I use it for eating. It gets covered by food. So what it looks like isn't that big of a deal to me.

Now, my kitchen drawers that keep breaking are another story. I see new (used) cabinets in my future!

[wintermom]

I just replaced my cookies sheets after 20 years. It seemed a crime to put the blackened, icky-looking things into my newly renovated kitchen. I found some new ones on sale, and I love them! 

 

Over the last 20 years I've added a couple sets, one I purchased and one was given to us, to our original set. Most of the original plates don't get used, though the serving dishes do. We have a weird mix of plates in both white and black. It doesn't bother me at all. There are enough of each colour so that the entire family can eat using the same colour plate (mostly). ;) 

 

If you want a new set, though, go for it! 

[HomeAgain]

We replace our dishes when we find a good set on clearance.  The ones we bought 5 years ago are now chipped or broken, so we'll be hunting for a new set in Jan, and I'll cut these down to a smaller set of 4 to send to the thrift store.

 

Baking pans - every move.  So...2-3 years?  They're often not packed because we still want something to use until we leave, and then they're tossed.  Same with dishcloths.

[Granny_Weatherwax]

<snip> Our cheapo pizza pans are disgusting, so much so that I might prefer you look in my underwear drawer than see those pizza pans.

 

<snip>

LOL :laugh:

[Farrar]

I've never replaced the plates per se... We've never had a full set of anything which was sort of purposeful for me. I like have a mishmash of eclectic plates. If I see some I like, I buy a couple sometimes. Often at the thrift store. And then if one gets chipped or broken it's okay. I did part with a couple at one point.

 

I have one cookie sheet that was my grandmother's that I don't think I'll ever replace. They don't make any like it anymore and it's beyond perfect. Best one I own. No one is allowed to use it but me. The others always get icky over time. Maybe every 10-15 years?

 

My first thought on the thread was that I just had to replace a can opener. It was a supposedly really nice edgeless one. It was 11 years old. It stopped opening cans as I was trying to get into a can of tomatoes last week. The result was not pretty and involved the sewing awl and the hammer. I seriously couldn't figure out another solution to finish the stew and I needed to leave it for the family to eat while I was out of town. We don't even open cans that often - the main canned thing we eat is black beans and the Goya ones have a pull top. Sigh. I ordered a new one to come while I was on my trip.

[Kassia]

We have never bought dishes (married 29 years).  Ours are old sets that my mother and his grandmother gave us when we got married.  They are old and ugly, but I can't justify replacing them since they are fine.  We will probably have them for the rest of our lives.  I'd love to get new ones, though.  In the rare event one breaks, I am happy!  Of course, our family is getting smaller so we won't need as many dishes so I guess a shattered plate every few years won't make a difference.

 

Cookie sheets - I definitely need new ones.  Ours may have been donated with the plates.  I never even thought about that!  I do have some new ones, but I use the older ones more because they have sides on them.  

 

 

[wendy not in HI]

I sent the remainder of my wedding set with dd when she went to college.  At that time I had Corelle and I used it more anyway.  But then I started hating the Corelle, so I bought a new set and gave the Corelle to Goodwill.  That was about 5 years ago.  I was just at the mall today and walked passed the Fiesta Ware and I think I want some of those, then I would have a reason to buy new dishes every few years.  The dishes I have are all white (all of the different sets I have had over the years have been white.)  My serving trays and bowl are also white.  It would be nice to add in some color....  I think i could start with just a couple sets and build it up over time...

 

I replaced my silverware about 8 years ago.  My spoons are dwindling - where do you think they go?  I really love the set, but I wish I had bought two sets and put one away in the attic for replacement parts.  

 

I bought new cookie sheets at costco a few years ago.  I love those basic bar pans and use them for everything.  I use parchment on my new pans and never spray them with cooking spray and they are still very clean, though I bought them 2 moves ago.  There is something about moving that makes me need new kitchen items.

[AMJ]

If you don't like your dishes and you are not desperately short on money then get rid of them and buy some you like and will use.

 

Do not foist them off on family if the family don't actually REALLY want them.  Instead donate them to a thrift shop, since people do shop there to pick up an odd piece or two at bargain prices.

 

Do not angst over any that were gifts.  If you have used them, great!  If you have not used them then let them out of your life knowing they are in pristine condition for someone else who will appreciate them more.  Either way the gifts have done their job as tokens of affection and appreciation.  You don't have to keep them forever.

 

Same thing with pots and pans.  If you don't like them anymore or simply don't use them let them go and get stuff you will actually use.

 

 

Again, don't send them to your DD unless she really wants them.  Free can trump matched, especially if there are no guilt trips if she breaks/loses/gives them away.  However if the pieces aren't actually what she will use then they will just be clutter for her, possibly with emotional strings attached.

 

 

The advice I give college students and others setting up their own homes from scratch is to not bother with sets of dishes or pots & pans or knives.  Most sets contain items that are seldom if ever used, and this results in clutter folks feel they shouldn't get rid of because "it's part of the set".  Instead buy pieces that are functional enough, just buying the basic pieces to start (one plate, one bowl, one mug, one glass, one 3-piece place setting of flatware, a wooden spoon, a serving spoon, a silicone spatula, one fry pan, one sauce pan, maybe one tea kettle, one chef's knife, one paring knife, one cutting board, one draining rack with rubber mat) and only adding to that collection as needed.  This gives the newly-out-on-their-own a chance to figure out for themselves what they actually want and need in the way of kitchen gear without having to deal with the clutter.  And since money is being spent a piece at a time it becomes a little easier to afford to buy decent quality gear if one wants to.

 

This can often be done quite cheaply by starting at thrift shops and garage sales, too.  No regrets if anything bad happens to the dishes, and easier to pack up when changing residences.

[ktgrok]

Get new ones if you like! You don't need permission. Something you look at that often should bring you joy, not make you groan. Get some new ones!

[3 ladybugs]

We got new dishes at the 11-12 year mark. We are 13 years into our marriage in December and my mom got us dishes the last 2 christmas'. I too had Pfalzcraft and I didn't like that I couldn't get replacements for them. So I said I wanted Fiestaware in all sorts of colors. So that is what she did. Now I don't think I will ever get "new" dishes as I can just replace what breaks with a new color set. We still need some completer pieces (probably this Christmas) so we are still using some Pfalzcraft but it is really limited.

 

Cookie sheets were replaced a few years ago. They were all from 2003 (DH was a grad student, I was a live in nanny, we had nothing when we got married). Pots and pans we replaced gradually over the years. I got something that I liked a lot when we got married but I don't trust teflon anymore. So we have been going away from it for the most part. 

[Ausmumof3]

I am in awe of people that have their original dinner sets when the kids are in college. We started out with two twelve pieces, one as a cheap stoneware set for everyday and one as a nice one. The stoneware chipped very easily. When I went through my flylady stage we were moving interstate so I left the stoneware behind and just used the nice ones. This was about the same time we had toddlers and preschoolers in the house and wad probably a bad move though j don't really regret not looking at the ugly stoneware all those years. When we got a dishwasher my mil bought some extra plain white dinner plates bowls and cups for a bday pres as she wisely figured we'd need more when we weren't washing after every meal. Long story short we have smashed our way through a fair percentage of the bowls and butter plates from both sets. I have ended up just buying odds and ends of both when I've seen stuff on clearance. I figure there is no point going with everything matching in a family of klutzes living on hard tile floors. We also regularly replace drinking glasses. I think my motor skills needed a bit more work during kindergarten...

 

But I also don't reckon it's worth agonising over. I can buy three new dinner sets for what it costs to feed is for a week so if I want to save money I'm better doing a bit more gardening or baking than agonising over smashed dinner sets.

 

So I say kondo the old dinner set joyfully and find something that brings you joy whether they are beautiful matching pieces or just odds and ends that you really like.

[Spryte]

We replaced ours (well, mine, collected painstakingly while in school) when we became concerned about lead on our 50s dinnerware. That was about 10 years ago.

 

We have current fiesta now, mixed colors, and just replace as we break or need more. We have roughly 12 place settings but I've broken some pieces here and there. But we have enough. Though our flamingo pink plates have broken, and DD is heartbroken as those were hers. I can't seem to find more, aaaargh.

Edited August 30, 2016 by Spryte

[lllll]

nm

Edited November 7, 2016 by cathey

[Catalytic]

I purposely bought white Corelle plates about 18 years ago just so I wouldn't ever have to worry about it.  When we start getting low on a piece, I pick more up at Walmart.

[Happy]

We have never bought dishes (married 29 years).  Ours are old sets that my mother and his grandmother gave us when we got married.  They are old and ugly, but I can't justify replacing them since they are fine.  We will probably have them for the rest of our lives.  I'd love to get new ones, though.  In the rare event one breaks, I am happy!  Of course, our family is getting smaller so we won't need as many dishes so I guess a shattered plate every few years won't make a difference.

 

Cookie sheets - I definitely need new ones.  Ours may have been donated with the plates.  I never even thought about that!  I do have some new ones, but I use the older ones more because they have sides on them.  

Old and ugly are perfect reasons for tossing out or donating!!!!  Then go find some dishes, cookie sheets, pots, pans, and spatuals (my current quest) that make you smile.

 

A couple of decades ago my darling and wise sis in law reminded me the home is OUR workplace. We deserve decent tools to do our jobs.

 

We cook a LOT--terrific pans and cookie sheets and KNIVES--oh DH and I bought ourselves Wustoff for Christmas last year. Love those! Anyway good tools make our cooking more fun and more efficient. Replace in a big splurge or a piece here and there, but do replace.

 

Dishes....I have a serious weakness for cute dishes. Several years ago, I would swap out dishes seasonally. Now I have a colorful set we got at Costco a couple of years ago for every day and Christmas dishes. When the Costco dishes have gathered enough chips to annoy me, I'll retire them and find something else. I can usually find a set for $25 dollars or so--I buy two sets so I have service for eight. Any gathering bigger than that, we use disposable plates. By the way, the Costco dishes will be busted up and used in a mosaic project when their time has expired. :)

Edited August 31, 2016 by Happy

[Anne]

We've been married over 30 years, and we're on our third set of dishes. I say, if they don't bring you joy anymore and you can afford to replace them, do it!!

 

I spend enough time in the kitchen, cooking & cleaning and so forth, I want to like my tools (including dishes) as much as possible.

 

Anne

[Carol in Cal.]

Sigh. 

What I do:  I pick out my absolute perfectest thing.  Then I agonize over spending the money for it.  Then I find something kind of similar in a garage sale site and reason that at least it's an improvement over my old stuff, even if it's not what I really want.  Then I stick with it for years and years.  Lather, rinse, repeat.

 

I veer wildly between being kind of proud of being able to save so much money this way, and being wistful about never having exactly what I want.  :)

 

Edited August 31, 2016 by Carol in Cal.

[KatieJ]

my Mom gave me while corelle for a wedding shower gift. I added to it some black and white ones 10 years later. Replaced all,of them over 15 years ago, with a different white corelle pattern. I'm tired of them but they are light and arthritis hands like that. Plus I can fit a lot of them in a small space.

[Tap]

5 different sets in 21 years.   I have Fiestaware now, so aside from adding pieces, I may be set for life. LOL 

 

The first set was the ones dh bought when he moved out at 16yo.

2nd- set we picked as our first mothers/fathers day presents to each other (each got 4 place settings)

3rd- my favorite set was Noritake Colorwave, but they chipped and broke over time. Not cheap enough to keep replacig. 

4th- a set from Costco.  They were chipping withing the first couple of months.  I think we may have got a set that was dropped and had micro-cracks.  Since I couldn't replace them anymore, I returned them to Costco.

5th- Fiestaware.

[KungFuPanda]

I re-homed my 18-year-old stoneware with a kid who was moving out of her parents' house. I replaced it with corelle because I can fit twice as many in the same space. I've used the Corelle for 5 or 6 years with no chipping or breakage, but my family isn't destructive or clumsy. I did notice tons of pfeltzgraf at Goodwill if you're looking to keep your pattern. I was ready for a change.

[nd293]

I suppose I've replaced the dishes at least 5 times in the 20 years we've been married. But then we've also moved country twice and 'started over' to some extend each time. I definitely replace the set if we get below 1 item per person in any part of the set - if I could replace that part with a matching solid colour I'd do so only if I really liked the set. The remaining items go to the charity shop.

[horsellian]

I've thought about packing them up for DD but it's been difficult to find matching/coordinating pieces to make a cohesive place setting. At one point Kohls sold dishes in a solid color that was almost an exact match with the main color in the pattern but they no longer carry that color. 

 

Have you tried eBay?  My mum has had great luck finding pieces to match their wedding present china (which was discontinued about a year after they bought it, 40yrs or so ago), and it hasn't been expensive.  If you now the pattern name, then you might be able to find enough extra items to make a decent set.

[cjzimmer1]

DH bought a small set of Pfaltzgraff about a year before we were married.  We got lots of additions to the set for wedding presents.  Our pattern was blue but it also came in black and green.  Over time the we broke some plates.  I found some in the black pattern at thrift stores and would buy them.  I never found any blue or green.  But eventually we broke more than I could find replacements for.  So we added Fiestaware to mix.  The Fiestaware withstands the drops much much better than the old stuff.  In 4 years we have had one piece break verses several a year before.  The 3 year old is hard on plates but the fiestaware seems to hold up to him.

[Guest]

My mom was a potter and made my first set of dishes when we got married 35 years ago.  She was a newbie, however, and while I loved the thought behind it all, the plates were sloped and different sizes.  The bowls were all different shapes so they wouldn't stack (so they took up a LOT of room), and they were *heavy*--too heavy to lift to an upper cabinet other than one at a time.  So I kept all the serving pieces (including some of the cereal bowls that pretty much WERE serving pieces) and got rid of the rest about 25 years ago.  I have that set now, and there hasn't been and most likely will not be a lot of breakage, so I just keep using it.  It's a very light ecru white.  We hate them in combination with the flatware I got; the flatware won't balance on the side of the plate (a bad combination of designs) and so the forks and spoons slide right into the food.  

 

But we are too cheap to pay for new dishes, so we just complain about it.  And put our flatware down upside down.  :0)  

 

We had a beach house and I got a new set of dishes (done with plastic!!!) three years ago.  When we sold the beach house, I could have kept this--we had only used it about  10 times--but I gave it to a new bride who is putting together her home.  Maybe she will have it in 35 years.  I won't.  It's not that likely I'll be worried about dishes of any kind in 35 years.  LOL

[LucyStoner]

We married about 15 years ago.  

 

We replaced our everyday dishes because we were sick of the all white thing and they were too freaking big.  We have Fiestaware now (for 4+ years).  

 

I've replaced or repaired things as they wore out or broke.  

 

For example, replaced all of the raggy dishtowels and have repaired (now 2x) the Kitchenaid mixer.  

 

I don't think there's anything wrong with refreshing the kitchenwares and appliances as needed or wanted.  

[ktgrok]

my Mom gave me while corelle for a wedding shower gift. I added to it some black and white ones 10 years later. Replaced all,of them over 15 years ago, with a different white corelle pattern. I'm tired of them but they are light and arthritis hands like that. Plus I can fit a lot of them in a small space.

 

Same here. Genetic issues with arthritis in the hands, and although I currently have no pain I do have weakness. And correlle are so nice and light. I have a white set with the raised border along the rim. And I also have some plain white with no border, that are smaller, which I use most of the time since bariatric surgery. The kids eat off plastic Ikea dishes, lol. 

[Granny_Weatherwax]

Thanks for all of the replies. Our first set of dishes were the seasonal melamine plates from McDonalds; the ones from the 1970's with Mayor McCheese and the Hamburgler. We still have those.  :) 

 

Our current set is the first real set of dishes we've had. It's the Delicious pattern and has been discontinued. I've looked on Ebay and some of the prices are outrageous. I found a salad plate for $17.99. I won't pay that much for a plate.

 

My kitchen has always been decorated in shades of cranberry and white and everything always looked nice together. I would like to refresh something and since remodeling the kitchen is out of the question for the time being, I thought repainting the walls, painting the cabinets and getting new dishes would be a fun, less expensive way to bring some much needed change into kitchen and dining room.

 

DH would like Fiestaware. We keep looking at those when Kohls has them on sale and we get an extra 30% off.  We've never purchased anything though because the service pieces for our Delicious set are in great condition and we can't see replacing those.

 

DD doesn't necessarily want the Delicious set either as we all are growing tired of apple decor. She likes more modern, solid color pieces and not so much the country style of Delicious.

 

Maybe I should pack them away and save them for the cabin in Wisconsin DH and I hope to purchase some day. When our children are grown. And we have free time. And excess money to spend.  

[Carol in Cal.]

Have you seen the cranberry stoneware from Pampered Chef?  It's yummy.  Sounds like it would go great with what you already have.

 

They are switching some of their stoneware to an industrial gray color that is pretty nice, too.  I'm glad I jumped on the cranberry stuff when they had more of it, because I just love it.

 

I think your idea of saving those dishes for a cabin is a great one.  We have a lot of strawberry motif stuff, and that's what we did with it.  Since our cabin is in the town of Strawberry, it is amazingly appropriate.  Apples in northern Wisconsin would be as well.

[KatieJ]

ScoutermominIL, those dishes are so pretty!  What if you bought claret,sage or shamrock green, and/or off white Pfaltzcraft plates, bowls, etc, and used your serving pieces and painted your kitchen a matching green..sage maybe?  That might give you  a spruce up,  and some new dishes that would work with your old set. New glassware and silverware are fun to switch up every now and then too.

Edited September 1, 2016 by KatieinMich

[wintermom]

I do like your cranberry dinnerware, and I can also see how you'd like a change. The Fiestaware looks great. 

[Carol in Cal.]

PS BTW, our strawberry motif and cranberry colored stoneware are not eaten off of, mostly.  Instead the strawberry stuff is table cloths, mugs, and a few little bowls.  The cranberry stuff is serving ware only.  I think you could use your remaining apple patterned stuff as just serving ware with solid bright or white dishes to eat from, and add in some cranberry stoneware to pull it all together.  Then the apple motif is optional, not normative, and you can switch things up in different seasons, reserving the apple stuff for the harvest months more so.

 

Here is some of the Pampered Chef stoneware I like.  It's a nice deep red, not cherry or lipstick, so it's easier to mix.  And it's interesting how many holidays focus on red or at least include red, especially deep red--Christmas, Thanksgiving, Valentines, Fourth of July, harvest in general, Reformation, Pentecost.  Easter and New Year's are really the only times when red is not absolutely perfect as one of the serving colors.  

http://www.ebay.com/itm/The-Pampered-Chef-Deep-Covered-Baker-Stoneware-Cranberry-1321-NEW-IN-OPEN-BOX-/222226863680?hash=item33bdc0d640:g:TQ0AAOSwU-pXuzg3

 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Pampered-Chef-Cranberry-Glaze-Family-Heritage-Stoneware-New-Traditions-Pie-Plate-/331953388515?hash=item4d49f6bbe3:g:uekAAOSwdIFXwv7l

 

 

 

[ktgrok]

 

Our current set is the first real set of dishes we've had. It's the Delicious pattern and has been discontinued. I've looked on Ebay and some of the prices are outrageous. I found a salad plate for $17.99. I won't pay that much for a plate.

 

 

Maybe I should pack them away and save them for the cabin in Wisconsin DH and I hope to purchase some day. When our children are grown. And we have free time. And excess money to spend.  

 

Um...sounds to me like you should sell them on Ebay! You might make enough to finance the new dishes!!

 

Besides, I think it's sad to have something that nice (even if you are sick of it) packed up not being used, when there are people out there that would love to have them, you know? Let them bless someone else, either via a thrift store or selling on Ebay. 

SaveSave

[Zinnia]

If you ever do get that cabin, it'll be so fun to hunt down more apple dishes that remind you of a different time in your life.  I vote for gifting/selling/thrifting the current set and getting new ones.

 

When I got married, I didn't get fine china, but I got three sets of department store "everyday" china.  So...stuff similar to FiestaWare.  I rotate the 3 sets every few months, and I still love all 3 of them.  I can't see getting rid of them.

 

I do buy melamine, too, for just a change, and I end up keeping those sets about 4-5 years until I get tired of them.  

 

My mother *lurves* china.  So, so much.  She has several complete sets (two full size china cabinets with massive storage and a built in pantry in her dining room), and she regularly buys new stuff at the thrift store and rotates out anything she is tired of.  It's a fun way to get new stuff that you love and makes you happy.

[Carol in Cal.]

OK, now I'm looking at your pattern on Ebay, and you MUST get the little ice cream cone shaped ice cream bowls if you don't have some already--they are the cutest thing EVER, and your cabin in Wisconsin will surely have an ice cream maker, yes?

 

(Dang, now I want them.  To go with, um, my strawberries.)

 

And OMGosh, they have individual chip and dip bowls!  What a great idea!

 

(This is why I have always yearned over Pfaltzgraff.  I don't really like heavy stoneware all that much, but their concept of making special dishes for everything really appeals to me.)

Edited September 1, 2016 by Carol in Cal.

[Granny_Weatherwax]

I don't have the ice cream dishes but I have always wanted the pizza slice shaped plates. Pizza is still a favorite food of mine. Plus, those plates would hold pie slices so they could serve double duty.

 

I'm really liking a pp's idea about going with a complimentary green color. That might work.

[amsunshine]

Hmm.  I haven't replaced my dishes in the 20 years I've been married.  Mine are plain, off-white porcelain dishes that I registered for with Crate and Barrel (these are our "nice" dishes), and I have a lot of white Corelle for everyday.  Nothing has chipped or broken.  I decided on simple white dishes because I didn't want to get tired of a pattern, lol.  I do like others' dishes with pretty patterns, though.

 

Bakeware -- I got some new cookie sheets within the past few years.  Those do seem to need replacing more often than other items.

 

It sounds like you need new dishes, though!  Go for it!

[Seasider]

I keep serving ware until I don't have enough pieces to serve my inmediate family, then I replace. I still have wedding gift plates in the cabinet (everyday stuff, not talking about fine china, still have that, too).

 

Other kitchen stuff I keep til it breaks or disappears. It has been nice to hand off various things to the kids leaving the nest, I could justify replacing my own things easily!

[ktgrok]

I'm telling you, if you can sell them on eBay at $17 a salad plate, do it! Make some money! Then use that money to buy whatever you want. Sounds like there is quite the market for this stuff. 

 

Meanwhile, I now want new dishes. Mine are these, which are nice enough, and thin and easy to handle, and break resistant. But..not very fun. Of course, I don't like any of the other Correlle patterns really, and I don't think I want to deal with heavy stoneware. Bergh. I'll have these forever. 

[Guest]

Dishes are so not something we worry/care/think about.

 

We use cheap Corelle. It's all mismatched. IOW, if you want fancy, you probably don't want to eat here!

 

FWIW, I am quite sure it bothers my mom. But...really, I use it for eating. It gets covered by food. So what it looks like isn't that big of a deal to me.

 

Now, my kitchen drawers that keep breaking are another story. I see new (used) cabinets in my future!

We had beautiful dishes when we got married, but they were just too delicate for the kids and several bowls and plates were broken, as well as a serving dish. Now we have only plain, white corelle ware and Pyrex and everything is fantastic. A few have broken, but they're so much cheaper to replace its really worth it!

 

I stored my pretty ones until kids are gone, and I'm going to have to buy another set or two if I do that because we have service for four but already have eight people here!

Edited September 1, 2016 by Arctic Mama

[goldberry]

3 sets in 30 years.  Typically coinciding with a move.  My first set had ducks on them, since I was really into ducks at the time.  Of course I got totally sick of them!  Second set was black, and I loved those!  But they got scratched and beat up looking really quick.  We moved two years ago and I bought some blue ones from Target, and as someone else mentioned, I didn't go for a whole boxed set because there are so many things you don't use!  Just bought what we needed.

 

I absolutely think new dishes are worth it. You look at them every day for heaven's sake!  I also just bought a new cookie dish and lasagna pan.