if you DON'T have fiestaware...

[ProudGrandma]

What dishes do you have and what do you like and not like about them???

[regentrude]

I have:

a white set of dinner dishes (large and small plates, 2 serving bowls, sauceiere)  I bought when I moved out on my own, 23 years ago.

a set of breakfast dishes (small plates, cups, saucers, cereal bowls, sugar bowl and milk jar)  in  my favorite buttercup color my DH gave me for my birthday 15 years ago. (Waechtersbach)

two large dark red ceramic serving bowls (Waechtersbach)

two large orange serving platters (Italian handmade)

a few dishes in traditional blue ceramic with white dots common in an area back home (mugs, desert bowls) (Buergel http://www.echt-buergel.de/)

 

I love everything, it combines well, and I do not need anything else.

[G5052]

We have a combination of three sets of Corell dishes.  DH and I both had small sets before marriage, and we inherited his great aunt's set six years ago which was almost complete with 12 place settings and all of the extras.  None of them are available any more, and by now it is mix-and-match.

 

I'm thinking that someday we'll say goodbye to the whole lot and start over, but it works for us and teens that tend to bang dishes.

 

We also own four sets of china from various relatives.  I'll probably sell some of that at some point.

[Liz CA]

After a couple of moves and kids, the first set of dishes has only a few pieces left.

 

I now have a white set by IKEA 365 series. Love it. I can buy additional pieces anytime.

I have 6 dinner plates, 6 smaller plates, 6 bowls that can be cereal bowls or soup bowls and 6 coffee/tea mugs.

I also have an assortment of serving platters inherited from family - since the dinner dishes are white, I can match anything with it.

[Sparkle]

I have 2 sets of dishes. One is Pfaltzgraff, which is very pretty, but scratches and chips easily. My sister bought this set for me, which is why I have it. I don't recommend it, just because it's not sturdy enough.

 

The other set I have is Corelle. I am really happy with it. I like that it's thin and doesn't take up a whole lot of cupboard/dishwasher space. It's also extremely durable. If you have tile floors, I wouldn't necessarily recommend it as it can shatter if dropped just right, but we have never had a piece get broken. I think there is a newer Corelle stoneware-type of dishes...I don't think those are as good. The tempered glass is the way to go, from what I've heard.

[Erin]

We got a double set of Corelle when we first got married.  That's still all we use. 

 

I inherited my grandmother's vintage FiestaWare when she passed away a few years ago, but I think it's horrendously ugly.  lol  Consequently, I have it in my china cupboard for purely sentimental reasons.   :)

 

[Occasionally]

We have Mikasa Antique White. It's classy but not frou-frou and goes with everything. I love it.

[Faline]

I have Corelle. I like that it's thin, light, very durable, doesn't chip easily, doesn't take up much space. It's great for hard

everyday use. The pattern on some of mine has really faded though due to the years I put it in the dishwasher, so it doesn't look

the greatest anymore.

[Whereneverever]

We have Corelle. I love it. It's so durable with the kids and all the washing.

[ProudGrandma]

I have a set of corelle now too...I like how thin it is and doesn't take up space, but I think it is horribly ugly (mine is a ivy print)...I just would like something more classy....not so "this is kitchen ware"....I don't know...but I don't think corelle has anything like that...do they? I guess I haven't really looked.

 

We don't have tile..it is linolium right now...and we might change over to a vinyl wood like floor at somepoint...but not tile...can't afford that.

[Jennifer3141]

I don't like Fiesta. Number one, too many people have it. Number two, it's too think and clunky for me. I like more delicate stuff. I have 17 place settings of Cortland by Noritake. It's a discontinued pattern from my first marriage that DH #2 liked too so I just keep replacing stuff as it breaks. :D

 

I made the investment into good dishes with DH number one and with DH number two, I did china. :laugh:

 

If I ever get a third DH, I'm going to finish my crystal. :lol:  :lol:

[Pegasus]

More Corelle here.  It is close to perfect for everyday use.  The in laws have given us stoneware dishes a few times in the past but they are thick, heavy, and end up chipped and/or broken over time.  The Corelle seem to last forever, athough we have managed to shatter a few pieces (don't drop a plate on edge onto another plate sitting in the sink, is my advice).

 

My very favorite bowls are a set of 10-oz Pyrex bowls that are sold for making custard.  They are smaller and lend themselves well to small servings of dessert and/or using for side dishes at dinner.  These bowls are tough and stack nicely.  I have a larger set of glass bowls that are much newer but I'm about to toss them because of all the chips that have formed on the edge.

[Mergath]

We use a set of vintage china from Japan.

 

It's this set: http://www.etsy.com/listing/150040104/vintage-creative-fine-china-1014-japan?utm_source=google&utm_medium=product_listing_promoted&utm_campaign=vintage_mid&gclid=COm_5JyahbkCFa87MgodbTEAzQ

 

We don't have the bowls, so we use some Pfaltzgraff bowls instead (the patio garden pattern) but I really like the china.  It's good and sturdy, but not clunky, and the pattern is attractive, but neutral enough so that it doesn't clash with anything.  And the teacups are delicate and adorable.

[JustEm]

I have Emile Henry dishes and LOVE them!  The are very durable and after over 2 years of regular use don't have a scratch or chip on them.   The is nothing I don't like about them.  If I had bought them at full price I might not have liked the price but I bought them at their annual warehouse sale for $1/dish

[Jen in PA]

One set of Corelle for everyday use, and Mikasa stoneware (French Countryside) for holidays. We used the Mikasa as our regular dishes for years, but they really are heavy and take up much more space than the Corelle.

[T'smom]

I have a set called English Garden by Farberware and I LOVE it. I bought a 4 setting set when I was in college and was subletting an apartment for the summer. I didn't need them (I had hand me down stuff from my mom) but I just loved it so much! I bought it at Walmart. I figured I'd buy more when I had a "real" place. Well, it was discontinued by then. My mom had a friend that had the same set though and when she was having a garage sale, my mom got her set for me. It's been awhile though and a few pieces have broken. It's really just so pretty. It makes me happy just to look at it! I actually have another set that we use when we need extra. It's okay too, just not as nice to look at. I don't remember what it is called.

[KungFuPanda]

I have Corelle. I replaced my stoneware with it about 7-8 years ago because I could fit more dishes in the same space. We love it. It's light and easy to use. It washes up great in the dishwasher which is importand because I hate to hamdwash anything. We're not hard on dishes though, and don't have tile floors.

[LaCEmom]

Corelle here too. I like that it's cheap, durable and doesn't take up much space. We have 16 place settings and everything except for 1/2 the mugs are kept in our average to small sized kitchen.

[Erica in OR]

Another Corelle user. It can stand up to our daily use. It's also so easy to pull out multiple plates one-handed from the dishwasher for an instant stack without worrying about scratches, etc. I've found our bowls do eventually get chipped on the edges. I also like that you can buy it "a la carte" by the piece if you don't need an entire new set. We don't like the mugs (too small) and so don't want to buy a whole set.

 

Erica in OR

[Happy]

Bought a great set at Costco a couple of months ago. I have no idea of the brand. They are bright and colorful with a southwestern flair. Love 'em.....they were not expensive so when I get tired of them, I'll donate them and get new ones.  

[plansrme]

Wedgwood Nantucket Basket.  It is pricey, but in 17 years of marriage and 3 kids, we have broken only one piece, a dinner plate, and that was broken by a baby-sitter, not one of the kids.  

 

I grew up with Corelle and can't stand the way it sounds and feels.  I know, shallow.  But that's the benefit of being the mom!

[Freckles]

I had an entire serving for 10 and bake ware set of Polish Pottery. I mixed and matched three different patterns. I bought it on a fun weekend trip to Poland when we live in Germany. I loved that stoneware. Alas, when we moved to Hawaii 3/4 of it was broken during shipping. I cried and cried. Now I have plain white dishes from Ikea. They are fine. I'm very reluctant to become so attached to my dishes ever again.

[Jan in SC]

We have Mikasa French Countryside in white. I also have various William Sonoma bowls and small plates. A few have chips, but I just grab new ones when I think about it!

[kathkath]

Denby. Love that you can bake in them too. Have lasted since we were married 11 years ago. Have only broken a few.

[Danestress]

I have white dishes. Originally I had a set of William Sonoma white. As things have broken or chipped (20 years into marriage) we have added odds and ends, so for example. I have white Crate and Barrel coffee mugs. I like using a lot of white.

[Ellie]

For daily use, Lennox "Poppies on Blue." They're my colors--blue and read design on white. I have two sizes of bowls that are not Lennox but that match (smaller bowls in red, larger bowls that are cobalt blue on the inside, black on the outside). I can't think of anything I don't like about them.

 

Before that I had a set of vintage Homer Laughlin "Theme" dishes, that I had collected at antique stores and on e-bay. They were very charming and sweet, but alas, they were made before dishwashers were common, and their decals had begun to fade. :-( I'm not going to give up my dishwasher for Homer or anyone else, lol. I think Fiestaware is now owned by Homer Laughlin.

 

For special occasions, I have Noritake china "Glenwood." China is surprisingly strong; I could see myself using these all the time :-) I also have a set of Christmas dishes, Charter Club "Winter

Garland."

[OnTheBrink]

I have both Corelle and Fiestaware. I use the Corelle for every day. It doesn't take up much room and it's white. My Fiestaware is now sitting in my china cabinet being pretty. I kept only 2 colors (turquoise and scarlet) and gave the rest to my son for his apartment. I did sell my Corelle mugs at a garage sale and got java mugs from the Fiestaware outlet. 

[Parrothead]

I actually have a set of fiesta and a set of Pfaltzgraff. The Pfaltzgraff pattern is filigree. I like it just fine. After 13 years of white I wanted some color. Now I have both

[Incognito]

Our everyday dishes are Pfaltzgraff Yorktowne. 

 

We also have 6 place settings of Denby (a blue one, I don't remember the name).  I love the Denby, but everything is so BIG, we were eating too much when we would use them, so they tend to just come out on special occassions.  Part of me toys with the idea of getting more of the salad plates and making them our dinner plates.

[Serenade]

Denby. Love that you can bake in them too. Have lasted since we were married 11 years ago. Have only broken a few.

 

 

We have the Denby Harlequin.  It was our everyday china on our registry.  We have a few chipped plates after 18 years, but it's pretty tough stuff.  I will say my mom often comments about some of the marks from cutlery on the cobalt part of the plates, but I don't even notice it, and I think it's typical of these kind of plates.

[Halftime Hope]

We got 5 boxes ($20/each box) of 4 place settings of Carolina, a discontinued blue and white stonewear set at the Mikasa outlet when we got married 27 years ago.  They did tend to crack and then break.

 

Over the years we've broken the vast majority of them, so I got Denby Blue Jetty just shortly after it had been discontinued, buying it up for a song on Ebay and from Shepherd of the Hills.  Any Denby fans: SOTH is the outlet for Denby, and they carry seconds which have slight imperfections, but still very, very useable. 

 

I love my Denby even though it's heavy.  When I break it all and/or i'm 85, I'll buy Corelle.

[Hannah]

Noritake Arctic White that we've been using for the last 15 years.

[craftyerin]

I looooove my dishes! They're Crate and Barrel Staccato. We registered for them 8 years ago when we got married and they have held up amazingly well.  We have one chip in one bowl.  Otherwise, they are PERFECT.  White, with a little bit of texture for interest, but perfectly neutral and go with everything.  

 

http://www.crateandbarrel.com/staccato-dinnerware/f11019

[Guest inoubliable]

Two sets of china that I inherited from my grandmothers. Neither set is complete, though. We use them daily. 

 

http://www.replacements.com/webquote/N__MARGA.htm

That's from my maternal grandmother. A brother of hers brought it back to the States after serving in the military and being stationed in Japan? Korea? Sometime in the 60's, I believe. That's all I can remember about that story.

 

http://www.replacements.com/webquote/JB_FRV.htm#3429277

And this one from my paternal grandmother. It's so ugly that it's amazing. I have the pieces made in England, which are apparently hard to get these days. The ones made elsewhere don't quite match. 

 

 

Oh! I just remembered! I actually do have a few pieces of a Corelle set that my maternal grandmother had. My mom gave me what was left of that after she discovered that I was using china for everyday use.  :001_rolleyes: It's this one, you know the one that I think *everyone's* grandma had? LOL. 

http://www.corellecorner.com/corelle-pattern-profiles/60-spring-blossom-green-1970.html

It seems to be everywhere and I have bought a few pieces from local thrift shops when I see them/have the extra cash. 

 

 

 

 

[Allearia]

I just replaced mine. I had a big set with lots of extras, but they got very hot in the microwave and after only ten years the glaze had all sorts of cracks and chips.

 

http://www.replacements.com/webquote/ZRIGAB.htm

 

So I kept the large serving plates and some others that were still in good shape and got a set of plates from Target I love. They take up a bit too much space, but I think they are pretty, a nice light blue with no pattern on it. And when they break or I want a change they were inexpensive enough to replace with something new.

 

http://www.target.com/p/threshold-wellsbridge-dining-collection-aqua/-/A-14404658#prodSlot=large_1_14

[Heather in Neverland]

I don't know what fiestaware is so I don't think I have it. We have a set of plastic dishes we bought at Walmart for everyday stuff and a beautiful set of white dishes with a gold rim from Mikasas for the nicer dinners.

[TechWife]

I have a set from Williams-Sonoma. They replaced the set of Johnson Bros. that we got when we married, which lasted 19 years. 

I wanted a neutral appearance and a typical size. The set I have is white with a simple hemstitch pattern on the edge. They fit easily in my cabinets and the dishwasher. They are sturdy as well. 

I looked at many different sets before I purchased those. I ran into an issue that I didn't expect. Many new sets are bigger than the sets I was used to. I actually purchased a set, unwrapped everything and found out the plates wouldn't fit in my dishwasher. I spoke with someone who worked in the appliance section at Lowes & they told me they had several people coming in with this problem. The cabinet department had heard of this issue as well. 

 

Overall, I am pleased with what I chose and expect them to last many more years, just as the first set did. 

[bobbeym]

We have a partial set of plain white Corelle - much of it has been broken.  Our newest set (and still unbroken) is a clear set from Anchor Hocking. DH likes it because he can tell if the kids are watching dishes properly.

 

I also have fine china at my Mom's house. It was my great-grandmother's and will transfer to me once I have somewhere to safely store it.  Since I don't have girls of my own, my oldest granddaughter will get it.

[Eagle]

We have Denby and love it.

[Kareni]

The pattern we chose when we married some (cough, cough) years ago is Dansk Bistro Maribo.  We use it at every meal.

 

I have augmented with some plain white bowls from Crate and Barrel as I prefer more upright bowls to the flat soup bowls that come with the Dansk pattern.  We also have some Dansk CHRISTIANSHAVN BLUE serving pieces that complement the other pieces.

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Kalmia]

I am hoping to buy my next set of dishes from a potter friend who makes them! I love the plates with the deep rim around the edge and they are so hard to find commercially. Also as I age I enjoy having things around my house with personal meaning especially those made by friends and family.

[Berta]

I rec'd a full set of Pfaltzgraf stoneware in the Village pattern as a wedding gift over 20 yrs ago. I wasn't crazy about the pattern, but the quality was great. I had no chips or scratches in the set. When we bought this house 3 yrs ago I wanted a new set of dishes, canisters .. the works. I went back to Pfaltzgraf and found the Napoli pattern that I just loved. I spent a fortune on everything from dishes, glasses, silverware holder, canisters, coffee holder, placemats and even the curtain valance and kitchen mat to match. Not one week after using them they started to chip. I called up Pfaltzgraf and found out that the set I purchased is NOT stoneware, but Earthenware, and it chips easily. I wish I had done some research before spending 1K plus on the set.

 

We also figured out the hard way that if you microwave earthenware, you will get burnt and blistered from touching a plate or coffee cup. It gets incredibly hot. My husband literally had blisters on his hand after taking a mug out of the microwave.

 

So now my beautiful Napoli sits in the china cabinet and comes out for holidays and special occasions. I really want to buy the melamine set in Napoli for my daily use, but right now my everyday set is Corelle. I love that IF it breaks I can go to Walmart and buy a replacement cheaply. I hit a Black Friday sale a few years ago and got 2 sets for $13 EACH.

[Stacia]

A set of Arzberg porcelain china that we've had for 20 years. It is both our everyday & 'nice' china. Constant use (including my dh putting plates in the oven fairly often), goes through the dishwasher daily, minimal breakage over the years (& can still use even if chipped), & they still look great. I got a huge set at Tuesday Morning -- 16pc. place settings of dinner, salad, dessert plates, plus coffee cups & saucers -- for a really cheap price all those years ago.

 

Nice, well-made porcelain china is the way to go, imo.

 

Only thing missing was bowls. These days, we have some white bowls from Ikea, but they do show scratching/wear after use. They're ok, but not even in the same realm as our Arzberg pieces.

 

We also have some smaller white china plates & soup bowls that we sometimes use if we're having a light meal. I think I got them at Pier 1 years ago.