I want to replace "everyday" dishes

[HollyDay]

I need to replace my "everyday" plates and many of my salad type bowls.  I'm not sure what to get.  I don't want to spend a fortune, but I also don't want something cheap that won't last. 

It needs to be dishwasher and microwave safe.  I know that probably goes without saying, but the last plates and bowls I got "cheap" that clearly states microwave safe, get way too hot in the micro. 

I'm hesitant to get Corelle because I've had those shatter into sharp splinters.  I'd rather have something that would break cleanly than shatter. 

What suggestions????

[JIN MOUSA]

I like Pottery Barn's Caterer's sets. They only come in white, and I think the classic shape is nice. The dishes are reasonably priced, and PB's been producing them for ages, so they should be easy to replace, if needed. 

https://www.potterybarn.com/shop/dinnerware-entertaining/dinnerware-collections/caterers-box-dinnerware/?cm_type=lnav

[Baseball mom]

Corelle is my favorite.   I have a couple different sets but when pieces broke or I felt we needed more of a particular piece (plates, bowls etcl.)  I pick up pieces at goodwill and yard sales.  I am weird and don't care if they match. 

[Katy]

I bought Williams Sonoma Pantryware line at the suggestion of someone here who's had it since the early 70's.  I wouldn't do it again.  It's made in China and two of the bowls chipped on the bottom rim from the dishwasher.

If I had it to do over again I would have gone with Fiestaware or another line made by the same company.  My understanding is that it's the only dishware company still made in the USA and they are still just as durable as ever.

If budget is a concern I see a ton of full sets of pretty dishware for practically nothing at estate sales. Of course lead might be a concern there though.

[tammyw]

I bought a large set of Pottery Barn dishes and worst mistake we ever made. They are destroyed! Like every rim has a chip. They started chipping immediately too. Opposed to our crate and barrel dishes that lasted forever and no chips.

[gardenmom5]

I would get plain white or cream dishes.  then if you want to be festive-  you can easily add something.

 

I'm old enough to remember the commercials on tv when corelle first came out, showing how it could be dropped and not break....  when corelle gets old, the molecular structure does become more fragile.  so no, it doesn't break (though I've had a few pieces break or chip in a more traditional way) - it shatters into a gazillion sharp shards.  but - it does last longer than most.  

I have two who have it, and another who wants it in his own house.  I grew up with the avocado green corelle.  dh had the blue stuff when we got married.  I replaced it, just for the memories.  now - I'd do a cheaper crockery than with what I replaced it.   

and you want to make sure it's something easy to get in pieces - so when the inevitable piece breaks, you can replace it.

[Andromeda]

Do you have an IKEA within a reasonable driving distance?

We've had their Dinera dishes for at least 10 years. The colors get updated every couple of years - right now they have a grey/blue, grey, and a pale pink. Mine are storm blue and pale green, but the shapes are the same. I think sometimes they change the shape of the bowl a little - if you go, make sure you can stack them nicely. One year I wanted to add a new color, but the bowls didn't stack. I don't know if this year's colors stack well or not. The dishes have a good feel and weight and definitely go into the microwave. I can't tell you about dishwasher because I don't have one of those, but they probably go into the dishwasher, too. 

Reasonably priced, too. You can get a mix of colors like we did or just pick one color.

 

[kristin0713]

I replaced all my dishes a few years ago with white Fiestaware.  I have been so happy with it!  It's extremely durable and I love that it's made in the USA.  

[AK_Mom4]

I had IKEA dishes for years and they held up great. But I live a million miles from IKEA so when I needed to replace them, I bought Fiestaware on sale at Kohl’s.  Excellent in the microwave and dishwasher and my family of Hard Users have only chipped one bowl in many years of daily use. 

[PeterPan]

Well I got my Mikasa dishes on clearance, but who knows what you'd find that way. If you want a whimsically different idea from what you've already gotten in the thread, you could go to a thrift store and buy old sets of china. Or do like my mother and just go to Target and buy something and toss when your mood changes.

[Rockhopper]

I have Mikasa white china and I love, love, love it. It's heavier than special occasion bone china only-at-Thanksgiving kind of dishes but way way way lighter weight and sturdier than stoneware. I hate heavy plates! And I hate the look and feel of Corelle. The noise your fork makes on a Corelle plate! EEGH! 

It's a simple but pretty design. I got it at Costco a few years ago to replace my white octagonal ironware (can you tell I like white plates? easy to dress up or down, work for any occasion). It has a bit of an octagonal design which for some reason delights me and is the main reason I collected ironware for year. But ironware crazes like crazy, and chips easily too.

There was a deep contented inward sigh of "finally" when I found my Mikasa. I bought enough to last my lifetime so I never have to dish shop again. I have what I need in my cupboards and approximately 2 sets packed away to account for inevitable breakage (although I think I've only lost one dessert saucer so far).

 

[mmasc]

I like my white Fiestaware dishes. I recently saw an email with some very pretty (and cheap!) light blue dishes from ikea that I really like, but I’ve never had dishes from there. I think they are stoneware. 

[Lori D.]

We have Fiestaware of all sizes/shapes and in multiple colors (great for mix and match entertaining AND for everyday), and plain clear glass Anchor plates/salad plates. Both are heavy, so not good for the very young or frail elderly people or if you have weak wrists. But both are microwave and dishwasher safe, and the Fiestaware can even sit in a warm oven with no problems. Both are made in the U.S., so no lead in the mix. Both do get hot if microwaved for awhile -- it seems like the dish gets hot before the food in it does, so you do have to stop and stir, and use a towel or hot pad for taking it out of the microwave.

As far as breakage...

A shelf gave way in my cupboard and dropped a stack of 10 Fiestaware bowls -- they hit the counter and then 8 hit the floor. 😫  The two that hit the counter survived (so sturdy they put a small gouge in the formica counter top!) -- in fact, no chipping, cracking, or any sign that they had undergone such trauma! The 8 that hit the floor all broke into pieces, the way ceramic does -- several larger pieces, and a number of smaller shards of various sizes for each bowl. Yes, they were sharp, but not a zillion pieces, and not microscopic pieces, and easily swept up. Otherwise, I have had NO problems with chipping, cracking, breaking of Fiestaware -- it is heavy and durable.

So far, only one of the Anchor glass plates broke, and it was because I was stupid and used it as a weight to hold down grape leaves while they were steaming. It snapped across cleanly in 2 pieces. I don't want to test out dropping one on the floor to see if it shatters or not, LOL!

Edited April 16, 2019 by Lori D.

[May]

I went with Corelle when I replaced our everyday dishes. They take up less space in my kitchen cabinets and they are light. DH and I are older and the weight of our older dishes was one of the reasons I replaced them.

[TABmom]

I've been considering replacing mine with some of the Pioneer Woman ones at WalMart. I think they are really pretty! I have no idea of durability though. But they are cheap enough that if they don't last, it's not a huge deal.

[Lady Marmalade]

Do you have any restaurant supply places near you?  I have dozens of different sets of dishes, but my most used everyday dishes are a bunch that I bought on clearance from a restaurant supply store. I paid just 50 cents a piece for the plates and we've had them for at least 12 years and they seem to be unbreakable.  I've never broken or chipped one.

My second most favorite set of dishes are my Polish Pottery pieces.  The handles on the coffee mugs don't see to hold up well, but every other piece that I have looks as new as the day I got them. 

[Pen]

 

 

1 hour ago, Lady Marmalade said:

but my most used everyday dishes are a bunch that I bought on clearance from a restaurant supply store. I paid just 50 cents a piece for the plates and we've had them for at least 12 years and they seem to be unbreakable.  I've never broken or chipped one.

 

Made of what material? 

 

[KidsHappen]

I also have and love Mikasa. I have the French Countryside pattern. It is an off white/cream color. I have had them for about ten years now and they have held up well. No chips or cracks, no changing of color or crackling. They are a little more on the expensive side but so worth it and it is an open stock pattern so you can easily replace pieces if they break. The are medium weight so easy to use. I also have quite a bit of clear Anchor wear pieces as well. The mix well and looks quite classy mixed together for holiday tables. Sometimes I wish I had some colors that matched my decor but I have not been able to find anything I like. Fiesta wear is to heavy for me but id I could find something like that that was lighter that would be great. 

[Lady Marmalade]

3 hours ago, Pen said:

 

 

 

Made of what material? 

 

I think they are porcelain, but some kind of China for sure!

[Pen]

We don’t microwave, but this might be of interest:

https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/cooking-tools/a19184/microwave-safe-investigation/

 

[Kidlit]

I love my Fiestaware!

[Carol in Cal.]

I'm not crazy about anything with the weight and size of stoneware, so that leaves out Fiestaware and Pfaltzgraff for me.

Hate Corolle (sorry, it's just me.)

So if I were looking for everyday plates and bowls, and tilting toward white ones, I would look at Ikea and at Cost Plus World Market.  They both have inexpensive, decent quality white dishes that kind of go with everything.  But first I would check my Buy Nothing and neighborhood garage sale sites, just in case.  I did that the last time I needed plates, and ended up with some ridiculous number of them (35-40 dinner plates) for $.50 each.  Can't beat that!  (Although I ended up with so many because I misinterpreted the photo in the posting--I thought I was getting half dinner size and half salad size, which would have been much better.)  

[Stacia]

A little more than 25 years ago, I found an Arzberg porcelain dinner service for 12 at Tuesday Morning for $50. (I lucked out on a massively great deal.) The set didn't have bowls with it, but otherwise, I got dinner plates, salad plates, dessert plates, & coffee/tea cups w/ saucers. That's the only china we bought & made it our set of daily dishes; we have used it every day for over 25 years now, including with our dc when they were young. We stick the dishes in the oven, the microwave, the dishwasher, etc., all the time. I think we've broken one plate through the years & chipped one (on the underside edge). It is incredible. (Heck, I don't even like using chopping boards so I end up cutting up stuff on the dinner-sized plates. Just last night, I used a plate to cut up two cantaloupes as well as two small watermelons. These dishes just keep going & going & going.)

So, I would suggest looking for a good porcelain set (any brand of good porcelain, I know some have mentioned Mikasa too), maybe at Tuesday Morning or some other place that might carry it. Ebay. Local resale or antique stores. (Just don't get anything with gold or silver edging if you want dishwasher/microwave use.) Estate sales. Call & look around.

Since my set didn't have bowls, I eventually bought some plain white bowls from Ikea. I did not like those at all. (I think it was something similar to this, which is stoneware, not porcelain.) Without much use, they looked like they had gray-ish scratches from our silverware (mostly spoons as the bowls were primarily used for soups or cereal). They weren't scratches, per se, but massive discoloration that looked unappetizing & also made me wonder about the safety of the glaze. Eventually, I bought white porcelain bowls from Crate & Barrel. Those were expensive, but still look nice & have held up fairly well. (They do chip easier on the edge than my Arzberg porcelain. A couple of our bowls have chipped on the edges but we still use them.)

(I'm not a fan of Corelle. My aunt had those when I was growing up & I remember some shattering accidents. Perhaps they quality has improved over the years, though?)

Edited April 17, 2019 by Stacia

[StephanieZ]

I'm a huge fan of Corelle for numerous reasons. My every day dishes for about 8-10 years have been a set of 12 (2 sets of 4) Corelle.

+ They are indestructible. We use them VERY heavily. They look perfect. So good that I have been wondering if I'll ever have the fun of getting a new set of every day dishes. 

+ They are super safe in microwave/dishwasher/etc. 

+ They are thin and light, making storage, dishwasher loading, etc. easy and handling for dishwashing/etc very easy. Carrying a stack of 4 plates with 4 bowls on top of it is so easy you can do it with one hand and have a load of flatware in your other hand. 

So far as them splintering if they broke, I'm sure that could happen, possibly, but we haven't broken them. Ever. Just like pyrex bakeware, etc, it's a sort of glass, so it could splinter. I've broken tons of things in the last decade, including plenty of glassware. Haven't managed to break the Corelle yet. It does NOT break easily. I mean, we've broken probably 40 or so glasses and jars over the decade we've had the Corelle, and not ONE piece of the Corelle. It's TOUGH.

[Pen]

On 4/16/2019 at 7:48 AM, HollyDay said:

I need to replace my "everyday" plates and many of my salad type bowls.  I'm not sure what to get.  I don't want to spend a fortune, but I also don't want something cheap that won't last. 

It needs to be dishwasher and microwave safe.  I know that probably goes without saying, but the last plates and bowls I got "cheap" that clearly states microwave safe, get way too hot in the micro. 

I'm hesitant to get Corelle because I've had those shatter into sharp splinters.  I'd rather have something that would break cleanly than shatter. 

What suggestions????

 

 I like the restaurant supply dishes Idea, but we don’t have a restaurant supply in our area.  

I had gone away from Corelle, but as things are breaking and needing to be replaced am in process of returning to it, mainly for the lightweight, inert material, aspects.  Lightweight gets increasingly important with health issues and as I get older.

Mine don’t stack as easily  as some due to not being a single consistent set.   But I get tired of the same look.  (How come people don’t ask what’s your pattern on Corelle like they ask about color on Fiestaware?)  And I can still fit 3 or so Corelle plates in space of one stoneware item, important in our little house. 

I have had them break too, but I’ve cut myself on a sharp edge of a fiestaware item that broke , even though it didn’t shatter, and on a regular china dish.  So clean break can still be a danger.   And many dishes seem to break more often than Corelle—though perhaps that depends on family tendencies and floor materials.  

 

 

[Corraleno]

I received 12 place settings of Mikasa English Countryside as wedding presents, and they're still in perfect condition after 25 years of daily use (including microwave and dishwasher). No cracking, crazing, or discoloration, and the only breakage has been the very thin handles on some of the teacups.  I'd love to get some new dishes, but I can't really justify replacing a full set in perfect condition. Luckily they're white, so I've been able to add some accent pieces, like patterned dessert plates and serving dishes. 

Edited April 20, 2019 by Corraleno

[Liz CA]

On 4/16/2019 at 8:58 AM, RosemaryAndThyme said:

Do you have an IKEA within a reasonable driving distance?

We've had their Dinera dishes for at least 10 years. The colors get updated every couple of years - right now they have a grey/blue, grey, and a pale pink. Mine are storm blue and pale green, but the shapes are the same. I think sometimes they change the shape of the bowl a little - if you go, make sure you can stack them nicely. One year I wanted to add a new color, but the bowls didn't stack. I don't know if this year's colors stack well or not. The dishes have a good feel and weight and definitely go into the microwave. I can't tell you about dishwasher because I don't have one of those, but they probably go into the dishwasher, too. 

Reasonably priced, too. You can get a mix of colors like we did or just pick one color.

 

 

Another vote for IKEA. Mine were the 365 series and made in Turkey. But IKEA rotates their inventory and it's been years I bought those - don't know if they are still available.

I also checked into lead and other undesirable "ingredients" and they supposedly tested at very low levels.

[Pen]

Do any of you know what the source of bone is for bone China? 

[G5052]

Corelle forever.  They're light but sturdy.

I work for a major department store and today had to wrap a Fiestaware set for six that someone wanted to take with them in bubble wrap, brown paper, etc. They were HEAVY.

[Ottakee]

I am simple and boring...plain white corelle dishes for me.  Very durable as we have only ever broken one and that says a lot for my family.  

I can get twice as many in the same dishwasher load as bigger/heavier dishes, and they take up less space in the cupboard.  

I went with white as it is easy to match if I ever need extra place settings and it goes with any table cloth, decor, etc....if I ever get to that point.

[Kareni]

On 4/16/2019 at 9:05 PM, Stacia said:

... I bought white porcelain bowls from Crate & Barrel. 

Like Stacia, we bought white bowls at Crate & Barrel to accompany our china (in our case one of the Dansk Bistro patterns).  We've had our bowls for twenty plus years and have lost only one of twelve due to dropping.

Regards,

Kareni

[Jean in Newcastle]

Three year old zombie thread with a spam link

[livetoread]

On 4/16/2019 at 8:13 PM, KidsHappen said:

I also have and love Mikasa. I have the French Countryside pattern. It is an off white/cream color. I have had them for about ten years now and they have held up well. No chips or cracks, no changing of color or crackling. They are a little more on the expensive side but so worth it and it is an open stock pattern so you can easily replace pieces if they break. The are medium weight so easy to use. I also have quite a bit of clear Anchor wear pieces as well. The mix well and looks quite classy mixed together for holiday tables. Sometimes I wish I had some colors that matched my decor but I have not been able to find anything I like. Fiesta wear is to heavy for me but id I could find something like that that was lighter that would be great. 

I have this pattern too and I really like the pattern but I have tons of crackling and color change. Many of the plates and bowls that I've had for over a few years have spiral and/or webbing type cracks. I found bunches at a consignment store that were still like new and I keep those for when I want a nice table and I use the others for my everyday. I dress it up with crystal on special occasions and it looks lovely.