Do you use China?

[Ali in OR]

I am from a time and place where one registered for china when getting married, so yes, I have a set. If I were of today's generation, I would be a. no-china person. But we pull it out for Thanksgiving and it makes a pretty table. I also have a small set that I think is an inexpensive set my grandmother had (she had several) that I always loved. And there are multiple sets in the extended family that are up for grabs if any of my kids' generation wants them.

[itsheresomewhere]

4 hours ago, MEmama said:

Same. I prefer lightweight, plain white plates and bowls. And I never have to worry about chips because it's inexpensive to replace.

I own china that I inherited from my grandmother. We never use it; it's one of those things in the basement I'd like to get rid of but forget about. If it has lead I'd rather throw it away than donate it though. That possibility wasn't on my radar before this thread, when I get motivated I'll bag it all up and toss it guilt free.

Please don’t throw it out.  Put it on freecycle/market place.  They are used to make some wonderful bird feeders/garden art.  There are people who make a really side job doing these kinds of art with it. 

[Faith-manor]

I do not use actual china. I inherited my grandmother's collectible, King's Crown Ruby Thumbprint glassware. There is enough of it to set the table for 30, as well ad an ample number of service pieces. I use it for Smorrebrod on Christmas Eve, Valentine's Day for dh and I (used to be for the kids too but we are empty nesters now), and Thanksgiving when I host. Our Easter meal isn't religious, but merely our kick off to spring grilling season so we eat veggies and chicken grilled out, and on casual dinnerware. Since dh and I will be traveling for our anniversary, I won't be getting it out for that either.

I have sentimental attachment to the glassware. Grandma served every Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, and Easter meal at her house on that glassware until I turned 10 when she and grandpa started snow birding to Florida at the beginning of November because he couldn't handle the cold. Many fond memories of those family get togethers and how gorgeous her table was.

I threw a party for my parents and my dear aunt and uncle who had their 40th anniversary the same year and three weeks apart. I decorated with floral centerpieces and floating candles using the glassware, and since lilacs were in bloom, I made lilac Garland for each table. It was so beautiful. 

If I didn't have it, I doubt I would invest in china. Glassware is so versatile, so I would go that route. You can make a table look amazing even with the dollar store cheap stuff.

[Hilltopmom]

Nope. I’m team  “Plain white Corelle”.

 

 

[MEmama]

47 minutes ago, itsheresomewhere said:

Please don’t throw it out.  Put it on freecycle/market place.  They are used to make some wonderful bird feeders/garden art.  There are people who make a really side job doing these kinds of art with it. 

But if the glaze has lead, feeding the birds from it doesn't sound like any better an idea than feeding people (worse for the birds actually) and the glaze is more likely to decay quicker outdoors. Breaking up leaded china just exposes the artist to lead dust. I couldn't live comfortably with either of those options.

[Myra]

after years of wedding china sitting in the original box, I decided to use it for everyday.  And I am glad as it makes me happy thinking of my now deceased parents -

I put it in the dishwasher and if a piece breaks now and then so-be-it

[Hannah]

Cultural divide, but I don't know what the difference is?

We registered for Noritake Arctic White 25 years ago and still use it every day. The pattern is popular, so broken pieces have been easy to replace. 

[Amy in NH]

My only experience of china was the set my mother had when I was a kid which lived in the hutch and only got used sometimes on Thanksgiving or Christmas.  It couldn't be microwaved or put in the dishwasher due to a silver decoration, which is a deal-breaker for me.  When getting married, we registered for Pfaltzgraff which we use everyday, but I don't know what the composition is.  I think it's stoneware?  It has held up quite well, but it shows gray marks from the flatware. 

Now I'm curious about the durability & ease-of-use of finer china.  Can it be used everyday?  Microwaved?  Dishwashed?

[Corraleno]

I registered for Mikasa English Countryside (all white, but has an embossed pattern) when I got married and ended up with full settings for 12; we used those everyday for 20+ years, and they went in the dishwasher and microwave with no problem. I think there's only 3 or 4 teacups left (handles broke), but I still have all the plates and bowls. I also have 4 place settings of an inexpensive porcelain in a black & white toile pattern that I sometimes use at Christmas, and I have a mixed set of plates, large and small bowls, and mugs from Emma Bridgewater in the UK. I use to use the Bridgewater china all the time, but I've switched to insulated travel cups now for hot or cold drinks, which aren't nearly as pretty as cups or mugs, but they're definitely more practical. I also hardly ever use plates anymore, because my meals are almost always some variation of stirfry, curry, grain bowl, or salad, so I use a set of large bowls from Anthropologie that are deeper and wider than the Mikasa bowls. 

[Zinnia2]

For everyday, I have a set of Fiesta and a set of "everyday wear" that we got for our wedding.  It is nicer than Walmart, but it's not delicate china, either.  I like that they are sturdy and have weight to them.  That works for me for everyday.  I do like my good china, but I feel myself being artificially careful with it, and I wouldn't like to live my life like that everyday.  That's why I don't like Corelle--i busted a piece as a teenager (disaster), and I've thought of it as super fragile ever since.  People say it isn't, but that plate was traumatic.

For special occasions, I use my wedding china, and I have a set of Christmas china that we use in December.  I actually love my pretty dishes.  They bring me joy.   And they all go in the dishwasher.  LOL

 

Edited February 20, 2023 by Zinnia2

[Carol in Cal.]

Here is my Osborne pattern—it is simple enough with enough colors to go with many other pieces.  I think it is elegant, non-fussy, and beautiful:

https://www.google.com/search?q=wedgwood+osborne+image&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&hl=en-us&client=safari#imgrc=iJTK9QVOlYDTrM

[marbel]

1 hour ago, Amy in NH said:

Now I'm curious about the durability & ease-of-use of finer china.  Can it be used everyday?  Microwaved?  Dishwashed?

In general I think that older china, and china with ornamentation, such as the gold rim on my "good" china, cannot go in the D/W. My old Wedgwood and new Mikasa were/are everyday dishes and go in the D/W.  But I am not an expert. I don't generally put them in the microwave but the Mikasa says they can go in.

I do find that washing plates is not burdensome though, if the dishwasher is too full of other things. Please don't make me wash glasses or coffee mugs by hand! Plates, no big deal to me. Easy to wash and stick in the drainer. 

Edited February 20, 2023 by marbel

[Amy in NH]

Just now, marbel said:

In general I think that older china, and china with ornamentation, such as the gold rim on my "good" china, cannot go in the D/W. My old Wedgwood and new Mikasa go in.  But I am not expert. 

I do find that washing plates is not burdensome though, if the dishwasher is too full of other things. Please don't make me wash glasses or coffee mugs by hand! Plates, no big deal to me. Easy to wash and stick in the drainer. 

Thanks for the response!  My prior experience with my Mom's set made me avoid china, but maybe I'll give it another look. 

And truly, I despise handwashing of any sort to the degree that won't buy anything that can't go through either the dishwasher or clothes-washer.

[itsheresomewhere]

4 hours ago, MEmama said:

But if the glaze has lead, feeding the birds from it doesn't sound like any better an idea than feeding people (worse for the birds actually) and the glaze is more likely to decay quicker outdoors. Breaking up leaded china just exposes the artist to lead dust. I couldn't live comfortably with either of those options.

I take it you haven’t seen what I am talking about.  The artists do know what they are working with and most take very good safety precautions.  They don’t usually break up the china.  It is done really neat and then they apply a uv clear coat that seals it in.  You can swap dishes with this stuff that have previously tested for lead and now they don’t. This is done for both the garden statues and bird feeders.  And now they are making wreaths out of it.  No breaking it up and honestly, some of these projects are really neat.  

Edited February 20, 2023 by itsheresomewhere

[popmom]

8 hours ago, MercyA said:

No, I much prefer dishes I can put in the dishwasher. Corelle takes up so little space in the cupboard and dishwasher and is very durable. I have a set from the 1980's that my mom purchased at a garage sale and some other random pieces I've gathered from here and there. I also have a Corelle Christmas set that is very pretty. I have no qualms about storing it because it only takes up half of one top shelf!  

My wedgwood goes in the dishwasher everyday and has for 30 years! I do hand wash my Lenox because of the gold on it. 

[Starr]

I've heard it takes a long time for the gold to wear off the edges of china in the dishwasher. As it's likely to last as long as we do. So I say pop those plates in the few times a year we use them.

[popmom]

3 hours ago, Amy in NH said:

My only experience of china was the set my mother had when I was a kid which lived in the hutch and only got used sometimes on Thanksgiving or Christmas.  It couldn't be microwaved or put in the dishwasher due to a silver decoration, which is a deal-breaker for me.  When getting married, we registered for Pfaltzgraff which we use everyday, but I don't know what the composition is.  I think it's stoneware?  It has held up quite well, but it shows gray marks from the flatware. 

Now I'm curious about the durability & ease-of-use of finer china.  Can it be used everyday?  Microwaved?  Dishwashed?

I've noticed the newer formal (with gold/platinum) patterns say they are dishwasher safe. I think that's interesting. 

I have not had any issues putting my Wedgwood plain (no gold or platinum) in the microwave on high. I did break one plate heating something on medium. Assuming the cycling on and off caused it. 

 

[popmom]

6 minutes ago, Starr said:

I've heard it takes a long time for the gold to wear off the edges of china in the dishwasher. As it's likely to last as long as we do. So I say pop those plates in the few times a year we use them.

I've been considering this. We got a new Bosch dishwasher this year that has a delicate setting. 

[knitgrl]

My father gave me a set of glass carnivalware from the 1970's. It looks fancy AND can go in the dishwasher!

[popmom]

Regarding lead...

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/is-it-safe-to-eat-off-vintage-plates-66089830/#:~:text=We do not recommend not,lead to leach into food.

 

"We do not recommend not using old ware unless it shows signs of deterioration such as cracking or pitting of the glaze. This could be a sign that the glaze is disintegrating and could allow lead to leach into food."

So I ((think))it's not the glaze that is the problem. If the glaze is intact, the lead shouldn't leach out. At least this article agrees with what I have been told in the past. This is why my mother threw out her Royal Doultan. Because we ate on it everyday, it got scratched and gray marks. The glaze was probably compromised.

Anyway, I will continue to use my antique china since I don't use it more than twice a year.

Edited February 20, 2023 by popmom

[popmom]

2 minutes ago, knitgrl said:

My father gave me a set of glass carnivalware from the 1970's. It looks fancy AND can go in the dishwasher!

I love vintage glass! I just bought a set of Indiana glass salad plates to serve cake on after my dd's wedding. It's so pretty! It's teal blue. 

[popmom]

5 hours ago, Hannah said:

Cultural divide, but I don't know what the difference is?

We registered for Noritake Arctic White 25 years ago and still use it every day. The pattern is popular, so broken pieces have been easy to replace. 

Fine bone china is translucent if you hold it up to a light. You should be able to see the shadow of your hand through it. Stoneware is opaque, bulkier, not quite as durable. It's less expensive to make, so it's much more affordable than fine china. Porcelain is somewhere in between. 

I believe this article to be accurate:

https://www.williamedwardshome.co.uk/blog/so-what-is-the-difference-between-fine-bone-china-bone-china-and-porcelain-en/

Edited February 20, 2023 by popmom

[DeainUSA]

We were gifted china for our wedding by dh's "rich aunt". It's never been removed from the boxes.  25 years married. Went from one attic to the next when we moved. I don't know what to do with it and don't have a place to put it. 

[popmom]

I have to retract my statement that Lenox isn't bone china. I just looked it up. I am confused as to why it isn't as white. The article said that currently they sell mostly white china and very little ivory china. That's a reversal from when I got married.

[Garga]

I would use it, but only if it didn’t have gold that would spark in the microwave. Otherwise, I’d use it and pop it in the microwave and dishwasher. Unless it had lead in it. I’d test it for lead, or get rid of it the second there’s a crack in a piece.

[marbel]

4 hours ago, Amy in NH said:

And truly, I despise handwashing of any sort to the degree that won't buy anything that can't go through either the dishwasher or clothes-washer.

I get you. My thing is drying dishes. If I have to handwash, OK, but it's going in the drainer and sitting there till it's dry. If someone wants to come behind me and dry, fine. But I'm not doing it!