I have previously discussed my desire for a fresh set of dinner plates here: I’ve been eating off of my current ones since receiving them as a wedding registry gift, well over two decades ago. For a long time it’s slightly bothered me to still rely on these relics of my brief bummer marriage, but I couldn’t quite justify the purchase of a new set for that reason alone. By now, however, literally every one of those plates is chipped, and it feels like time for an upgrade. My picks here are a bit all over the map, style-wise, starting with this classic and graphic Marimekko print.
I go back and forth between wanting something statement-y—like that Marimekko plate above—to desiring a very, very minimal vibe, like on these red-rimmed ones.
The biggest reason I’m tempted by these Le Creuset plates is that they appear sturdy enough to survive in my kitchen. They also, like most all Le Creuset items, come in a variety of good colors.
I like that these look slightly imperfect.
Of course I want these mustard yellow plates bad.
Here is a deeply budget-friendly option that I like in this gray, but that also comes in a few other good hues.
I’m going a bit afield by showing this bowl and plate set from fancy Italian brand La Double J, but it is just so bright and happy.
The braided texture here is quite elegant.
OK, so a whole set of this skull plate might be a bit on the extra (and expensive) side, but I’m considering just going for one and employing it as a serving dish.
I really dig the faint tie-dye vibe here, and think it looks pricier than it is.
I like the red-rimmed ones. The merimekko are cool but if it were me, I think I’d tire of them.
I’d find a nearby woman potter and shop local. They need the business more than any big company. 💙
I like the ones with the braided edge. I’m a fan of having the food look good and I’ve learned the hard way that it is better to get something that you can get open stock. That way you can easily get replacements.
Marimekko ( I would get the blue rim, or the black because I don’t enjoy the color red). Now, that I think about it, I could use some more plates, so maybe I will get a set.
You should also go with 2 pink plates with skulls, to make you happy!
I love the Marrimekko. I have the white imperfect ones and I love them.
Check plate sizes before you buy. Last time I replaced dinnerware (80s plain glass out, plain white with a rim in) I found that not all contemporary plates, including from places like West Elm and Crate & Barrel, fit into my typical-nyc kitchen cabinets.
I ended up at Pearl River, fwiw.
I stumbled on these and have been drooling over them ever since. I love that a plate can be used as a lid for a bowl!! https://fromourplace.com/collections/dinnerware
I just want to note — I’ve had plates with high rims like that before — a very attractive set called Bauhaus from Crate and Barrel (I think CB2 sold a similar set later) many years ago . The high rims can be tough to maintain, esp. if you use a dishwasher. You have to be careful, stacking and washing them. The edges stand out and are easy to ding. Just my 2 cents. I’m now 100% solidly on low-maintenance, but still minimalist and light-weight but strong Corelle Winter Frost vitrelle dishware. Minimalist and modern enough to be sold by Unison Housewares (drool) for several years. I’ve also bought some vintage pieces on etsy/ebay.
I have the white ones and absolutely love them. They make a funky base for the table and you can then easily throw all sorts of mismatched, colorful pieces around them. So much flexibility.
Finally replaced my decades-old wedding dishes a couple years ago with East Fork pottery after yearning after it quite a while. Love, love, love it. They have beautiful neutrals and more colorful seasonal glazes. If you contribute to their spotlight charity you get access to “seconds” for a lower price. Have bought both regular and seconds pieces and love, love, love them all.
http://www.eastfork.com
I second East Fork (firsts or seconds), so beautiful and they are a fantastic company that takes their diversity and politics really seriously.
No one mentioned https://bauerpottery.com/bauer/dinnerware so I will. It is earthenware, however, which many commenters are against in favor of china or porcelain.
If you’re uncertain, why not try a dupe from IKEA? There are a number of rimmed plates, for example, that could inform your choice.
I’ve been eyeing that West Elm set, since we are renovating our kitchen and the old Mikasa “Pure Red” set we got nearly 20 years ago has had its day. The new kitchen design is very sleek and modern so I feel like simple white with some little unusual detail is the way to go. I wonder whether 1) their stuff is durable and 2) that design will be available for replacements years down the road.
I love this comments section and will return to it for all the good ideas contained therein!
I tried Le Crueset plates and they chipped badly. I switched back to Fiestaware, they are great. I have had some of my fiestaware for 25+ years and not a single chip. Also made in the USA.
Not to add another option but we love these : https://www.heathceramics.com/pages/dinnerware?utm_campaign={campaign}&adgroup={adgroup}&utm_content=591284936522&utm_term=heath%20ceramics&gclid=Cj0KCQiAgribBhDkARIsAASA5bstt7tmvjyAoFiCEsO14OTMIpdvd6KVnv4A5b3n88CG955Vd004N8QaAk6SEALw_wcB
Whatever you decide, can you make sure to let us know and take photos please?!
Kim, after cycling through several *misguided* dinnerware ideas over the years I have ultimately landed at luxe minimalism. I bought an indestructible set of simple diner white dinnerware from Fish’s Eddy about 10 years ago and — not kidding — not a single chip/crack/break. Ever. They dress up, they dress down. I save the funky and colorful for the placemats, vases, that type of thing. Like my wardrobe! Lots of simple and well-made tops and footwear and crazy pants to express myself!
Nothing beats plain, white dinnerware for me. It also shows off the food well.
Was just going to add my vote for Fishes Eddy /diner china is pretty and pretty indestructible. And food looks great on plain dishes too
Me too!
Love Fish’s Eddy. Great stuff. The founder’s graphic not-a-novel memoir is a fun read, too: https://communitybookstore.net/item/3w5NF3kptRBeCx7xRQGKdg
I have a set of dishes from LL Bean, white with blueberries, that my children, now 30 are 32, grew up with. Compared to anything else I own, they have remained virtually unchanged, and I still like them. So Le Creuset gets my vote. And I would go on Wayfair and look for something more decorative, if you want another set for company. I have one from my first marriage ;-).
>>For a long time it’s slightly bothered me to still rely on these relics of my brief bummer marriage.
LOL. My ex kept our dishes after our brief bummer marriage.
Your plate choices are beautiful — I’m purposely not reading comments so as to offer my own take. I’ve found Le Creuset pottery chips badly and is heavy. The Marimekko, while gorgeous, might look crazy with food piled on. In fact, can you photoshop some of your favorite food onto these plates and then place them in your eating area — I’ve found that everything looks gorgeous when just sitting there in its plain website glory! The LADOUBLEJ rainbow set is OUT because they have to be hand-washed and the gold rim means you can’t microwave — way too fussy for dinner plates. That leaves some of your plainer, absolutely gorgeous, and reasonably priced options.
I have another dishes/previous marriage story — I kept the dish set acquired during my very brief first marriage. They were from Denby, the “Juice” design, and I would state in all sincerity those dishes were absolutely the best thing to come out of that union. I loved them and used them for years! LOL
As for your dilemma, Kim, I love the white ones with the textured edge. They are simple and elegant, and they look great in the other photo layered with different colors. Good luck!
I was also going to say no to the ones that can’t be microwaved and must be hand washed. Some dinner plates have a weird shape, also, that makes them not fit in a dishwasher, so something to think about as well.
Personally, I love more plain dinnerware that doesn’t distract from the food and also, that’s not so expensive that you’re going to cry if you break a plate. Something fun like the Marimekko could be nice for accent plates or bowls.
I am going through a divorce and left the Heath dishes we got after I decided I didn’t like my 90s Barney’s Jars dishes. I have no idea where I even put those. I have a cheap set of Costco white dishes. I recently bought one salad bowl of a pattern I like, and I have various shapes of bowls and colors of egg cups from Mud, which is 💯 what I want a set of. Now to decide on the color(s)!!
i got 90s Barney’s Jars dishes and they have slowly broken one by one over the past 25 years, so i too am in the market for new dishes!
in addition to voting for the plainest set (to show off the food better), i think it’s also wise to consider the bowl – since that’s what i use more often the plate.
Agreed! I came here to argue that you should go for one of the plainer options because heavily patterned dinnerware can look weird with food on it. The La Double J is a nice compromise: enough color and pattern to keep you happy, but a nice neutral food surface so that nothing will clash with your salmon. If it were me, I’d go for the Crate and Barrel tie dye, but all your choices are good!
I’ve had the Le Creuset set in blue for years. I love it and it’s lasted so well!
Fiestaware has expanded their offerings—the same company has a different site, usadinnerwaredirect.com that has variations that are a little more expensive than fiestaware but would coordinate beautifully with the traditional line. I left my cobalt blue fiestaware with my ex husband. I miss it, and am scoping out new colors for my new life.
We got Fiestaware years ago and it has really held up. Not fussy, microwave safe and fine in the dishwasher. And we decided to rainbow it out–not just one color, but one or two of each color that we liked. We have two of the dark purple and for whatever reason those are my least favorite (what a weirdo?!). But my absolute favorite plates are the Denby white pasta bowls–I love the shape and the raised edge. But they are a little more delicate and more expensive.
I love that skull as a charger with the marimekko! Pick what makes you happy!!
I have the braided Juliska La Panier. They are really beautiful, extremely tough and can go formal with just some special linens. Juliska has so many patterns and colors that all mix and match together seamlessly. I have red salad plates in this pattern and use plaid linens for Christmas.
Anything white – I really like the West Elm choice – because I don’t want the food to compete visually with the plate. Too bad the skull plate doesn’t come in a dessert or bread & butter size though; it’d be an great side plate.
I agree. I have a few small decorative plates for salads or desserts that coordinate with my regular white dishes, but I only use them when I know food will coordinate.
They grey could work too, but I’ve used colored plates in the past, and they often add an unappetizing cast to food.
I totally agree with white for plates. I inherited my parents white Arzburg china, and it is perfect. White really is visually pleasing and food plates so well on it, anything looks good. Dishwasher safe is the best too. I have some beautiful handwash only china but I never use it.
Yup, white! I don’t want to eat off a coloured plate at all. A nice white-on-white pattern around the outside is fine, and I like that tie dye option because it’s not distracting.
I really like the red -rimmed plates. Minimal, but chic. Second place for the slightly irregular ones.
I vote for either the Made In rimmed plate or the Le Crueset. I have white plates now and I love being able to mix things up with colorful bowls or fun salad plates. But honestly, I enjoy the peace and serenity my white plates bring to my everyday, as crazy as that sounds.
While I ADORE all of them (especially the Marimekko), over my very long life with dinnerware, I have found that plates with pattern, or in an unusual color, begin to feel like they are not quite my style anymore after a few years. I have happily continued to use my white porcelain Mikasa for many many years and have never regretted the purchase, while the others have gone to Goodwill or clutter the top shelves.
Forgot to add…I vote for the Juliska
Le Creuset!
I second Le Creuset. We upgraded our dinnerware a in the last couple of years and went with the Minimalist style in the Meringue colour. I’m also a fan of Dansk and was dismayed that they discontinued the plain white Kobenstyle range. However, it looks like they have lots of other delightful options. I tend to only like white or neutral coloured dinnerware as I feel like I would get tired of any strong colours.
Tie-dye! And get matchy-clashy napkins!
I love the tie dye! And agree with the idea of matchy clashy napkins. I didn’t know that La double J made housewares. I know that GOACAS don’t really go for florals, and that Kim especially doesn’t, but I love this coat of theirs, I mostly wear floral coats because I feel like it cheers things up in the winter: https://www.harrods.com/en-us/shopping/la-doublej-boxy-floral-coat-15481373.
The Marimekko is so badass, I definitely vote for that one, and I further say, choose two or three. The mustard yellow would be great with the Marimekko, as would the skull, as would most of your picks, really. My dishes don’t all match, but I believe they coordinate, and that’s a vibe I like, plus it allows me to buy more than one pattern, even without going The Way of the Charger. (Fun post! Going to moon over La Double J!)
I love the Marimekko too! And the idea of mismatched plates. I like the mustard plates but I also like the Target plates in Navy. They would look cool with the Marimekko.
I always mix and match dishes. Always.
I love the Made plates for their simplicity. I can’t do a busy patterned plate for food. Just bought a set of plates & bowls from Fable and I love them. They are a nice weight and look as my teen put it “elegant” even if you are using them for takeout pizza.
I think color is a great idea, but not gray. For some reason I’ve found it is not an appetizing color for food.
The skull plate – if you pile up food in the center – will perhaps not have the hoped-for impact.
La Double J won me over, but red rims, blue Creuset,and mustard would all be grand. You will be so much happier using plates with no chips and no baggage, go for it!
The West Elm Matte Stone slightly irregulars for your everyday. And I love the idea of the bolder graphic-y salad/dessert plate. We’ve used basic white World Market or Crate & Barrel dishes for everything for years and throw in color with linens and other tabletop accessories.
I like the slightly imperfect and the tie dye ones best. I agree that it’s most elegant to do a minimalist dinner plate and then a statement-y salad plate if there’s a need to shake it up. I also think the way a set slots into a dishwasher is a hugely important criteria for selecting dinnerware, if your kitchen has a dishwasher. We have a Dansk set that has these shallow soup bowl-plate things and they are too wide for my dishwasher slots and it’s vastly annoying.
Spoiler opinion: I am to the point that I spurn plates in general and prefer to eat my lunches off of small cutting boards and my dinners all off of wide pasta bowls. It’s like I’m eating at a bistro twice a day every day-! I also have stacks of those steamed banana leaf plates that are analogous to paper plates, just more easily composted. Someday the novelty may wear off.
I just read something about the “entrée bowl”, which I call a pasta bowl, the gist being that anything and everything can be served in one. I agree! Certainly great for anything saucy or dressing-y.
I think food looks best on white or, at the very least, when on plain plates. I use coordinating fun patterns for serving dishes, coffee cups, and dessert plates. Love our lecreuset cast iron cookware but hated the ceramic coffee mugs as they chipped easily. You have some lovely choices btw.
I vote for the Made in plate with a Marimekko salad plate to layer. Second choice would be the La Double J. Different vibes but both so good.
I also think you might like the Abbsses line from Canvas Home (I really miss their stores btw). They are edged like the Made In ones but also irregularly shaped.
https://www.canvashomestore.com/collections/abbesses?page=1
Does anyone here have Heath Ceramics? It’s my dream to someday start over with my dishes and spring for Heath…ideally when I can get to their factory store.
I do and was going to suggest them for Kim. I like her choices but bc they are mostly all bold suspect might get old or feel dated. Heath has held up well for me and they are made well snd have some heft which I like!
I have had my Heath for almost 20 years – love it. We bought seconds at the factory store in Sausalito. Their tiles are beautiful too.
I used to work there and can vouch for how they last – it’s very difficult to break them unless you do something like drop one on another. Not to mention they are stunningly beautiful and frame food perfectly! I have so much from there and it’s like art that makes me happy to see every day. Opaque white is my personal favorite! That said, I bought a new set of dishes made by a local artist when I moved to a different state. But kept the Heath too!
I bought a set of 7 Heath Ceramic Chez Panisse side bowls (one of each color!) during the height of the pandemic. I use them constantly and they are fantastic. I found it a good way to dip into my Heath dreams!
Of the choices you are considering, I like the Le Creuset best. But I also love Fiestaware. In fact, the reason I like the Le Creuset is because it looks like Fiestaware. I have FW in all different colors, and whenever I encounter them on the secondary market (which happens a lot!) I scoop them up. It looks great to have a table set with a rainbow of colors! The coffee cups are great, too.
Yes Emily! I just left that same Fiestaware rainbow comment above–ha ha! So cheerful to have so many colors and they are indestructible!
I love the Marimekko, but I’d go for the red rimmed plates for daily use. They’re elegant but fun, and you could definitely mix in some cool accent pieces. I may actually spring for the entree bowls from that line – the pasta bowls I got years ago are so chipped it’s shameful.
Similar to the West Elm plates, yet seemingly eternal is https://www.crateandbarrel.com/marin-white-dinner-plate/s141383. Very organic, comes in many colors and sturdy. Bowls and serveware are quite attractive. I’ve been using them for about 15 years, replacing one or two every few years.
I think the West Elm “slightly imperfect” are classic with a twist that isn’t boring or that I would get bored with. BUT, I don’t know about durability. Since you have a Juliska pattern–they also have a design that is a little organic and classy–and I’ve found very durable (I have two teenagers!). And if you haunt the Outlet site, often good deals. The pattern is called Quotidien
West Elm white or the white with red rim. Both are lovely. West Elm is a slightly edgier vibe and the white/red rim more classic but still fun!
I have those exact Le Creuset plates. Tough & pretty. Love them.
after having lots of colorful dishes, i’m back to neutral. So i prefer the irregular West Elm ones, or the ‘tie-dye’ Crate and Barrel ones..!
White!! Then everything else can be mixed to suit your mood/the occasion . . . I have very simple white dinner plates (slightly oversized so can serve as a charger with luncheon/smaller antique China plates). Check out the Caterers line at Bed Bath & Beyond. SO good – buy them in boxes of 12.
The white West Elm plates. Plus – they are on sale!
The tie dye plates! I’m tempted and I definitely don’t need dishes
I’m of an era and geographic area where I got a full set of wedding china as gifts (40 years ago last month), and once my kids moved out we started using them daily. While I wouldn’t go that route again gift-wise (though happily, my choice of partner held up, as did my china pattern), I do love the weight and feel of old-school china as dinnerware. So here’s a thought: consider shopping thrift stores and flea markets for sets of old china. Many who held onto our old china are downsizing and our kids aren’t interested in plates that likely sat, barely used, in a sideboard for their whole lives. At least in the midwest, there’s plenty of patterns to choose from, you can pick up the stuff for a song, it’s much lighter and more compact than stoneware, it’s really not as fragile as it seems, and it’s a ecologically sound choice.
Plus the skull serving plate and some embroidered sweary napkins would be so good on the same table.
Ditto on a lot of that. There is a lot to say for china, and I too have come across a lot of it in thrift stores. Your comment reminded me though that I have an oddball tendency to not want to use things I like too much, in case it breaks. Loss aversion as applied to household items. (This may not be healthy.) I am sort of in the throes of helping a friend pick kitchen flooring, and, crazy as it sounds, I am liking some of the linoleums *a bit too much.* (I could go on about it – and I can guess how this sounds.) Like, I am worried about getting attached to the *floor.* Bad idea, I think. Maybe cork then. I can barely stand the look of it. The thing is, once it’s there on the floor, I’ll probably forget all about it. Shorter me, I totally agree about china – unless you really love it, in which case, either buy extra or stash some away.
I feel bad for trashing cork floors – some of them actually look pretty good, depending on what they are next to. I am just cranky about it all.
Love the red rim Made In ones. You get the neutral white for showing off food, and a dash of color that can easily go with a variety of soup bowls or salad plates, as well as napkins and tablecloths. I also like that they’re made in England.
I have lots of thoughts! For dinner plates, get a set of simple, pure white POCELAIN (not stoneware, which chips and breaks so easily) plates. (Btw, those MadeIn plates are not pure white — I bought some, and while I like the quality and they have held up very well, it bums me out that they are not actually white even though that is the color name provided on the website.) Anyway — then, get some fun salad plates, like those Marimekko ones, and you can get multiple sets, mixed sets, whatever you want, and use them when the mood strikes, but you always have a set of clean, classic white plates that you can use as part of a minimal tabletop or pair with other fun dishes, any color napkins, etc.
Have fun!!
I am looking for simple white porcelain. Do you have a brand/style that you recommend?
Muji! It’s incredibly reasonably priced, nicely proportioned, and quietly elegant.
Love Muji’s! And unlike most (Western) dinnerware, it includes great pieces for Chinese/Japanese/Korean cuisines — rice bowls, noodle soup bowls, etc.
All my plates are plain I have stoneware from Heath which I love and porcelain from IKEA of all places which even fooled my fancy friend asking where they were from!
I have been using the white Loft plates from Thomas/Rosenthal for years. They are elegant, minimal, and timeless, with a subtle pattern of concentric lines. I find that they are durable enough to be everyday dishes, and it is easy to get replacements through open stock. I also like that they have two bowls—a “cereal” and a shallow “pasta”—both of which are sensible sizes.
Anything Rosenthal or Pillivuyt is delightful and evergreen.
Depending on your kitchen situation, I too would argue in favor of a bit of research about dishwashers and microwaves. Will the plates get too hot in the microwave, if you use one? (This has to do with being vitrified, or not, I think. I’m no expert though.) That kind of everyday annoyance can be a bummer. It drives me bananas when ceramics chip. … … … I also agree with those who argue against sets. Unless there is a china pattern you really love, I don’t see the point. To me, once you’ve picked a winner, it would make sense to just get enough plates for the largest number of people you can imagine actually having to dinner, plus extra for breakage. Having said that, I think people should bring back the potluck – bc to me, it’s really not about the food, it’s about having people over. I am not very fancy though! … … … As to the designs, I too favor the calm over the exciting plates. I would think it was odd if someone served me food on a plate with a skull on it (though I would probably not say anything). I already know I am going to die someday, do I really need a reminder? (Sorry but this is my reaction which you did kind of ask for.) Otoh, this person is feeding me, so, that means they don’t want me to die anytime soon. We’re all good! … … … So, I’d just buy a selection of all of these that you like, and start using them now. You’ll find out which ones can go the distance. … … … Happy new plates, Kim!! I am sure that whichever plates end up making the cut, you will have many happy years of meals on them!
I have Caleca Italian ceramic dinnerware in all of the patterns, except the ones which have pink or peach in the design. Love mixing and matching!
That said, the most durable dinnerware is either bone china, or porcelain. They are most resistant to chips.
Check out the Mercer line, from Crate and Barrel. It’s porcelain. It’s very similar to your red rimmed choice. Comes in solids, white with colored rims, and a holiday one right now that is white with a bold red stripe down the middle. Mix and match those choices! I might also add some Marimekko…
We also love plain white pasta bowls. At this point “dinner in a bowl!” Is still exclaimed often in our house.
I have had Le Crueset plates (and bowls) for over two decades. They are very sturdy. And they come in some wonderful colors.
Fiestaware!! Very sturdy and can do simple or multi layered with different colors.
Big fan of Crate and Barrel. So easy to replace broken dishes. They keep items in stock for a long time.
My post first marriage dishes are Revol. They are a nice size and very plain, which doesn’t distract from the food.
Go wild on a table runner or placemats. They are a lot cheaper to switch out.
I have C&B dinnerware and silverware too. Have had no issues and not babied at all.
I also find that white porcelain has served me well for many years. It’s a clean palette that allows your food to take center stage. You can have fun accenting with colorful dessert plates, cups or linens as the mood or season suits you.
I dislike the sound silverware makes on stoneware so I always purchase either inexpensive glass plates from Ikea or Crate and Barrel’s Bennett plain white porcelain. In the past I have gotten joy from setting a table with a mish-mash of vintage plates gleaned from Goodwill––it’s a fun way to entertain a table full of friends and it’s recycling so what could be bedda. And speaking of bedda…I received my grey J.Crew jeans and they are outstanding. They fit like J.Crew used to fit so I’m delighted. I ordered my usual size. Thank you, Kim, for that outstanding grey suggestion!
Will now be trying to figure out what that sounds is. Fascinating!
I’ve been eyeballing the stoneware ones that look hand thrown in natural tones that look great on open shelving. West Elm has sets with clay rims that are nice as do the other usual home type retailers like PB and C&B. I think Jenni Kayne homes has a version. I like mixing up the neutral colors. I just like that whole vibe. I’m sure there are many many options out there from big chains down to local artisans. The mass mfr ones likely more durable and user friendly.
I vote tie-dye because they’re beautiful, but really I think the yellow are my favorite because of the lip on the plate – I love that!
I want to be practical and vote for the creuset. But. The Double J. That’s a whole lotta “yes” right there…
I fall into the classic white dinner plate camp- simple, elegant and you can use fancy colorful table linens to spark things up. One thing to consider: dishes fitting easily in dishwasher. I purchased a set of dishes from crate and barrel that curved- slightly bowl like- and they do not stand upright in dishwasher- they fall over into next slot! Might not be a nuisance for everyone but it bugs me and I don’t use them for this reason. Cheers!
I agree with Betsy P! (Made in dinner size and Marimekko salad size)
Food really does look best and most appetizing on white plates, which is why most restaurants use them. I’ve had my boring sesame bun plain white plates for twenty years now and still don’t regret them. But that said, I like having a jazzier salad plate for breakfast and lunch. Love the La Double J set too, as a way to mix things up. Plus you need bowls for pasta, right?
Oh fun! I like a simple white dinner plate with an interesting salad plate on top. And I’m leaning towards the less expensive choices for a dinner plate. So the Target option, Le Creuset in white, or Marrimeko in white are my picks. Then you could layer on a salad plate to fit your mood – Double J, the pink rimmed skull plate, or the tie dye C&B . At any rate, you can’t go wrong!
Lots of good ones here, but in terms of what will enhance the look of food, I like the West Elm, even in the rustic gray, which has a handmade vibe. And the tie dye is fun. The gray West Elm and tie dye mixed could be good. I LOVE the La Double J, but would worry about using them for every day. The chip factor on expensive plates would stress me out.
Have you thought about Fiestaware? Fiestaware is so indestructible and you can go as colorful or as minimal as you want. I have every color I’ve been able to find in thrift and vintage stores and some pieces from Macy’s, but another friend only uses two colors (pink and deep purple).
I have Fiestaware & love that it is oven & microwave friendly and not sure if this is something you want to add as you consider.
I have white dinner plates and change out the salad plates and bowls with the seasons. All the choices you are considering but would coordinate them in salad plates, bowls and mugs with white dinner plates.
Fiestaware is oven safe? Wow I didn’t know that – that’s pretty exciting. (Though, I do daydream about having all Pyrex dishes.)
I’ve been using the Denby stoneware dishes my parents got in 1971 for over 20 years. One salad plate broke but I was able to get a replacement on replacements.com. These dishes are indestructible and I still get compliments on them all the time. A friend bought Iittala ceramic dishes in three different colors (cream, black and forest green) and she mixes and matches the pieces when setting the table and it looks so Scandinavian chic.
I drool over all IItala stuff. And if I didn’t have 2 klutzier family members and $$$$, I’d also splurge on Royal Copenhagen dinner- and tea-ware. Eternally beautiful.
They are all beautiful, but my 2 cents (as a former Crate & Barrel employee) is that china (like the Made In ones) is the most durable dinnerware, followed by porcelain. Stoneware seems like it should be durable, but it’s not. And Crate sells all of the above, so we were required to sit thru actual (ok, video) training so we could share our knowledge with prospective bridal registry customers.
I agree w previous comments: Get porcelain for durability.
Re: the selection presented:
—Irregular plates will sit unevenly upon one another in the sink= increased chance of breakage.
—Blue plates…Blue is a color associated with poison. I know that sounds odd, but I would not get blue.
—Gray won’t be an appetizing backdrop.
— And the gold-rimmed: Pain in the arse.
Anyway, because stoneware readily chips, I’d go with the red-rimmed white, which is porcelain.
I vote for the Le Crueset because they are so sturdy and with plain dishes you can always add something with a pattern to change it up. The tie dye ones are my fav for looks. I had been using the Corelle set I bought in college until a few years ago when I read that they may be leaching lead. I replaced it with a plain white set and then my mom died and I inherited my own failed wedding china back from her as well as her “good” dishes and the plain white Corelle went to the thrift store and I’m going to use her dishes. I don’t want to pack them away only to be unearthed when I die, I have my grandma’s china that has been packed since 1988 and moved countless times without ever being opened. Maybe I’ll go wild and use it too.
I bought Target plates, and they’ve held up well. I like the Target ones above and the red-rimmed plates. I think a mix of various ones is cool, too. I have a mix after breaking my wedding set to the point where I needed more plates but also kept the wedding ones. 🙂
I like the Marimeko, the red trim, and the gray. These could be mixed and matched.
A three-way tie: (1) Double J Italian; (2) slightly imperfect white;* (3) tie-dye vibe. *
* would look great with some durable but breathtakingly delicate Malfatti glasses. (I own them and they do last longer than you’d think!) https://www.malfattiglass.com/
I LOVE the Marimekko! (I have that pattern as a tablecloth!) Also love Elisabeth’s idea of mixing and matching with it. Le Crueset is a great choice for indestructibility. (I have mismatched Fiesta and I love that it’s nukeable and I don’t have to worry about it chipping in the dishwasher or breaking if I put it down on a stone countertop too hard.) Some of your choices look too fragile for my life, which is hard on plates, and I’d personally hate scrubbing stuck-on food out of the braid on the white plate.