Can we talk dishes? How many? Favorites? (M)

[one l michele]

I would like to replace our Pfaltzcraft service for 8. They are about 10 years old with small chips and lots of silverware marks.

We are a family of 5 who eats all meals at home, how many dishes would you suggest?

We don't have other dishes for entertaining, so these must fit that need to.

Our kids are still pretty young (almost 8, 6, and 4), so I'd like something light, yet "kid proof" - LOL.

Where did you purchase yours? I've wondered about restraunt supply stores and piecing together instead of buying sets?

Any advice?

[*anj*]

I have these:
http://www.lnt.com/sm-mikasa-italian-countryside-dinnerware--pi-1439249.html and I love them. I have service for 13 (bought an extra place setting from Janna!), and this works for us. We usually use the bread plates for breakfast and lunch, and I have some extra fruit bowls and cereal bowls too.

[momofkhm]

While the kids are young, I'm using Correll. My mom used Correll when I was growing up and I remember dropping dishes out of the cabinet and them not breaking. The bad thing about Correll is when they do break, they shatter. So it's like cleaning up glass, sometimes worse. We've had these for 2 years and no chips or breaks.

We are a family of 5 - 13, 10, and 7 - and we have enough place settings for 12 - 12 dinner plates, 12 lunch plates, 12 bowls, 12 dessert plates. We use paper for breakfast and lunch. The reason I have 12 is that we have another family over every other week for dinner.

I just googled Correll dishes and it came up that Amazon has them. I bought them at our local Walmart. There are a lot of patterns so chances are really good that you'll find something you like.

[Sharon in SC]

I just (well, that's a relative term) did this. :-} When we realized we would be moving back in the summer of 2006, I decided my then 17yo Pfalztgraff had served its duty and set out to identify a good replacement plan. Long story short and after doing some homework, I opted to go for a very attractive almost white set from Walmart. I paid $15 for 4 place settings. At that price, I could afford to get 3 boxes (4 piece serving for 12 total) for a grand total of $45. Of course, they're still sitting in the boxes 'cause my new kitchen is not yet fully operational BUT....I so look forward to the day when I can use them! I figure no matter how long they last me I'll have gotten my money's worth and they'll go with EVERYTHING. :-)

[GLOWAcademy]

I had 2 sets of dishes, but since it is just us 3 i got rid one one set and kept the set I bought at cabelas with deer on them, it is a serving of 4 ,I bought them onsale and payed 20.00$ for them :)

[Peek a Boo]

Corelle dishes are GREAT!!

I have 5 kids. We break all kinds of stuff. If things are going to last in my house, they need to be virtually indestructible. Corelle dishes and Mountain ocarinas make the cut, lol.

They are strong, lightweight, and slim so they take up less room. I don't care about patterns so i picked up a set at the thrift store :-)

You can get all kinds of patterns tho --walMart carries them, so go check them out, then find a better price online or elsewhere. The all-white tends to be a favorite.

caveat: when they DO break, they shatter. but it takes a LOT to break them. there is practically no chipping: it's usually all or nothing. My guys do all the dishes and set the table. These get knocked about and dropped a lot. We lose about one dish every 2-3 years.

Corelle: Real Dishes for Real life.

can i get that slogan copyrighted? hee hee.

[Ellie]

I would just try to get them somewhere so that you don't have to buy a whole set. You will most likely not use the coffee cups and saucers that come with a set, KWIM? So if there's an outlet or an on-line source, buy only as many plates and bowls as you need; buy the small plates only if you actually use them (I do). I'm thinking if there are 5 of you, 10 plates and bowls would be good. And then, *I* would have to buy serving bowls and platters, 'cuz I don't like always serving out of the pans the food was cooked in...too ghetto, lol. I think it's good for our children to know about putting food in actual serving bowls, which are put on the actual table to be served from :D

[Mekanamom]

Corelle dishes are GREAT!!
I have 5 kids. We break all kinds of stuff. If things are going to last in my house, they need to be virtually indestructible. Corelle dishes and Mountain ocarinas make the cut, lol.



LOL! I, too, love our Corelle dishes and our Mountain Ocarinas.

I have a Corning-Revere outlet near my house, so if we ever do need to add to or replace any of the Corelle, I can do it a piece at a time instead of buying a whole new set. Well, as long as they keep my pattern in stock. I suppose it's possible to go online and order them if needed, too.

I like the Corelle a whole lot more than I thought I would at first. It was always the plan to switch to something else once the kids got older, but I don't think I will!

[dragons in the flower bed]

Mountain ocarinas make the cut, lol.

Really? When my partner's eldest (now on his own) was at home, we had to replace his ocarina once a month thanks to the chaos of the younger brothers. Eventually we told him he'd have to learn another instrument, and bought him his last new one as a leaving home present.

[Mekanamom]

Really? When my partner's eldest (now on his own) was at home, we had to replace his ocarina once a month thanks to the chaos of the younger brothers. Eventually we told him he'd have to learn another instrument, and bought him his last new one as a leaving home present.

Wow! Ours have held up very, very well!

[Beth in Central TX]

I have been pleased with the set I purchased at IKEA last November. The price was great, and the quality is really good too. The plates are fairly light, but they don't chip very easy. They've help up well in the dishwasher too. It was also easy to mix and match complimentary colors for entertaining purposes and still maintain a reasonable price for the whole set.

[Margaret in CO]

Well, as a dyed-in-the-wool Pfatlzgraff lover, I'd say replace the chipped pieces of Pfaltzgraff! We have Yorktowne, one dd has Naturewood and the other, Tea Rose. I just replace pieces as they get chipped. For silverware marks, use good old fashioned Comet cleanser and they'll come right off. I have service for 20 and have used it through all 5 children. So, there are some chipped plates... The newer pieces do not chip as easily as the older, heavier ones.

[RoughCollie]

I replaced our Pfaltzgraff with Corelle because I needed more dishes and I was tired of Pfaltzgraff. If you want to check out Corelle or Pfaltzgraff, here are some links.

http://www.corelle.com/

http://www.pfaltzgraff.com/

I bought 2 8-place setting sets, figuring 6 people x 3 meals = 18 place settings. The kids eat many times a day, so that is not enough. I like Corelle better than Pfaltzgraff. The dishes are lightweight and they stack easily and don't take up as much space as Pfaltzgraff does. They don't break easily, unless you have hard flooring like concrete or tile -- then they shatter when dropped. Our Corelle did not break when it was dropped onto vinyl sheet flooring or on Pergo.

I don't use the mugs that came with it. If you need to buy individual pieces of Corelle, you can do so here, for example:

http://www.shopworldkitchen.com/index.asp?pageid=240&b=7

When my kids were younger, I used Tupperware plates and bowls for their breakfasts and lunches. Tupperware plates show knife marks, and I was not happy about that.

RC

[Peek a Boo]

Really? When my partner's eldest (now on his own) was at home, we had to replace his ocarina once a month thanks to the chaos of the younger brothers. Eventually we told him he'd have to learn another instrument, and bought him his last new one as a leaving home present.


wow! did you get the actual *brand* of Mountain Ocarinas, or just the basic round wooden/ceramic ones that are sold everywhere else? The cool thing about Mountain Ocarinas is they come w/ a lifetime guarantee --if you break it, they replace it for free. I do have one student that had his ocarina split in two --but i figured that was a fluke :-) I get mine swinging 'round and round and whack it real hard on the pavement just to show how durable it is :eek: Of course, the guarantee covers *accidental* breakage, so me whacking it deliberately probably wouldn't count, lol, altho Karl did say he'd probably replace it for free anyway just because he believes so strongly in the durability of his instrument.


Oh --I forgot to answer the "how many" question.
For us --family of seven that sometimes invites other families over for dinner--, I agree to ONLY get the pieces you will actually use. If you can get a great 'set" price, snag it and let the kids use the cups for target practice. Or not, lol. I have about twenty bowls and dinner plates. We have about ten medium and small plates, and about 6 small dessert bowls. Three serving bowls. But I always pick up pieces here and there as I see them at thrift stores --again, pattern doesn't matter to me, and we DO break things every once in awhile.

ghetto?!?! ok- I guess that's me, lol. I tend to think of it as "Not wanting to wash more dishes than absolutely necesassary" hee hee. Everyone remind me that if i ever have Ellie over for dinner, to pull out the serving bowls :D

[Peek a Boo]

replacements.com is another great place to pick up individual pieces, esp if you become attached to a specific pattern that isn't carried widely.

[OnTheBrink]

We have used Fiestaware for years. It's pretty sturdy. I initially bought individual place settings (when they were on sale, of course!) and we have lost a few pieces here and there. I just replace them when I find them on sale.

As for how many? I dunno! When I divorced, I had 18 place settings! LOL, the 3 of us don't need that, of course, so I gave half to the EX (in the colors I didn't care for as much) and kept 12. Four of those are my red ones that I bring out for December and Christmas. The rest are cobalt blue and cinnabar (burgundy).

[LaMere Academy]

I love my fiestaware, I have a place setting for 12 (I need more) in all different colors.

[Remudamom]

I love dishes. We've got china my grandmother gave me that grandpa gave her when they were first married. We use these daily.
The Moonspun pattern by Lenox for Thanksgiving. Cuthbertson for Christmas. Lots of Polish pottery for Sundays, all in a different pattern.

Corelle is great, if you want something along those lines but a bit fancier, check out Temper-Ware by Lenox.

[Colleen]

My every day dishes are Waechtersbach http://waechtersbachusa.com/SolidDinner.aspx. They are similar to Fiestaware, but German. I have them in three different colors ~ cherry, kiwi, and buttercup. I love them, and I have no issues using them with my children. I buy mine from a local shop, but I know they can be purchased online. There are seven in our family and I have twelve of each place setting.

I am fine using my other set, Villeroy & Boch Botanika (http://www.villeroy-boch.com/en/us/home/products/tischkultur/dinnerware.html?kollektion=2334&page=0) with my children, too. I have had them for 13 years and have yet to break a dish. I own ten place settings of this but would like to add two more. I bought most of this at shops in Switzerland and Canada, but again, I imagine you can buy it from many sources including online.

[mcconnellboys]

I have two coordinating sets of Pfaltzgraff that I've had for about 10-12 years. While there's been minimal breakage, I do notice some grazing of the surface glaze now, particularly on the dinner plates, which are the most heavily used items of the set.

I just added a new service for 8 to my collection about 3-4 years ago. It's also Pfaltzgraff, but very different from the other things I have. I love the design, its heavy weight, the shape and size of the plates, bowls, cups. I've had no problems with it whatsoever. I picked it up packaged in settings for 4 from Tuesday Morning.

Regena

[*anj*]

My every day dishes are Waechtersbach http://waechtersbachusa.com/SolidDinner.aspx. They are similar to Fiestaware, but German. I have them in three different colors ~ cherry, kiwi, and buttercup.

Colleen, I'm loving those dishes! Do you have the rimmed or unrimmed?

I am fine using my other set, Villeroy & Boch Botanika (http://www.villeroy-boch.com/en/us/home/products/tischkultur/dinnerware.html?kollektion=2334&page=0) with my children, too. I have had them for 13 years and have yet to break a dish. I own ten place settings of this but would like to add two more. I bought most of this at shops in Switzerland and Canada, but again, I imagine you can buy it from many sources including online.

I just read that they're stopping production in July, so you might want to get your place settings soon. You'll pay through the nose once they're discontinued. I love those too.

[imeverywoman]

Fiestaware, which I am LOVING!!! When company comes, I set out the china that my mother purchased when I was born, but the problem is that the rim of the dish is so large, that there is little space for food.

We also invested in some Polish pottery which I adore... :)

Now that we are purchasing new stuff, I'm looking to acquire at least enough for twenty, as often, when I have company, I haven't enough for everyone to eat from the same setting, and that bugs me.

Have fun shopping!! :)

[Lisa at Home]

They cought my eye so I had to pick them up and look them over. I was so excited to see "Colleen's" dishes with the funny name!:)

~Lisa

[Colleen]

My plates are rimmed. I love the variety of colors available from Waechtersbach and have to resist adding to my collection.:)

Re Villeroy & Boch Botanika, I saw, too, that they're stopping production. Yes, I need to get those two additional settings soon if I want them!

[Janie]

Bed, Bath, and Beyond carries something very similar to the Botanica that I love. If I were choosing a pattern now like I did when I got married 31 years ago, I would probably choose it. I just love it!