@Rawketgrl thanks for the link!!

Don't buy new. Choose a colour palette and hunt second hand stores. When you're constantly replacing dishes because you have a smasher in the family this is the best, most cost effective way of keeping yourself in plates. Sometimes you can get full settings of four for a few dollars.

Your colour palette could be all white (pretty hard to find) or monochrome (ex my palette is various shades of green from celadon to forest) or analogous (ex shades ranging from yellow-green to blue-green) or contrasting (ex the varied brights of fiestaware).

It's better for the environment too since everything gets a second (or third, or fourth) life before it is thrown out, and then it's thrown out because it is no good rather than because it is out of style.

Plus an eclectic, mix and match aesthetic is more up-to-date than matchymatchypoopoo.

Oh goodness folks, everyone has quirks that are completely beyond their control.

My Husband breaks chairs. He's broken at least ten chairs during our marriage, simply by sitting on them. I mean he's big but not big beyond the capacity of your everyday dining chair. He doesn't rock on them or lean back. They just fall to pieces under him.

My son is a dish breaker. One week he broke his dinner plate four days running. If he is carrying something breakable there is a good chance it will end up in pieces. Yes, stoneware is the easiest to clean up!

I drop things when I'm in PMS. Stuff just launches out of my hands and goes flying. It's like nothing you've ever seen, unless you've experienced it.

I have nothing but sympathy for our OP and her BF :-D

I just buy plain white porcelain (Williams Sonoma Apilco is my current set, but I’m not sure I’d splurge next time) and replace it if needed. It’s not been terrible with a bumbling husband and two kids. It looks good with everything. I prefer plain serving pieces, though. We do use bone china for coffee and tea because it’s so nice to hold. No issues with staining.

Go to a restaurant supply place and pick up some white Melamine dishware. Just remember you can't microwave in it.

@lindsey (still misses Sophie) think I'm joking take a look at this christmas present that didn't make it to the cabinet, sheeesh. lol

@MizLizzie Thank you! I think I'm going to select a Corelle set. I love the designs, I get the white that I want and the reviews are pretty good regarding durability.

I have so much fine china, I could have a sit down State dinner. On our recent downsize, I decided to wait to unpack some of it….2 years later, every piece is still in the packing containers.

So, MizLizzie, for me, Corelle was the answer. It is tough as nails and there are some great new styles (a favorite is the square shape…very Asian inspired.). Now I have an assortment of placemats, napkins and rings and they dress up the table so beautifully, I doubt I ever will unpack the china.

One example on Pinterest:

I have Corelle white and Crate and Barrell in white (that is so much more attractive) in the same cabinet. Bought the Crate and Barrell stuff when my sister made fun of my Corelle, lol.

Guess what I still reach for every single time. Love my Corelle. And it’s easy to replace pieces in open stock...just about anywhere.

Another option is Pier One white dishes. They're basic, classic, sturdy, inexpensive, and they always have them in stock so you can easily replace pieces. I think they're the best deal out there for everyday white dishes. No point spending a lot of $$$ on dishes that are unlikely to see their first anniversary.

I love Corelle--it feels nice and it stacks well and it's slim and lightweight--but in my experience with it, when it breaks, it shatters into a zillion pieces. Tiny specks of deadly splinters!

But that's the old stuff from the 70s. Maybe the new Corelle has a different break pattern. :) You know how you can walk barefoot on broken auto glass and not get hurt? They need to do that to Corelle!

I second the warning about how Corelle breaks.

Buy china or porcelain for the adults and melamine for your boyfriend.

Try Arcoroc glass dinnerware, too. I had a set of the Aspen leaf pattern for well over 20 years that I gave to my niece when she graduated from college for exactly the same reason: she’s very tough on things. I can also vouch for Duralex-brand glassware, specifically the Picardie tumbler which, despite my best efforts, just would not break!! (I guess throwing glasses is a condition of being French since both of these brands are made in France..) They also make dishware. ;)

You cannot go wrong with Apilco via Williams Sonoma. I've had mine 18 years and it is still as good as new. I've banged it on my quartz counter while loading my dishwasher and haven't chipped or nicked them. Not to say they don't break but they are so much better than the crap you buy at Macy's etc. They are an investment but you won't be buying a new set every couple of years. Buy sets when they are on special or ask the manager if there are any going on while in the store. You can also call and ask. I've acquired 5 sets over time since we use them for entertaining as well as everyday. The china only comes out when we would need more than 20 place settings.

If your BF keeps dropping dinnerware what are the causes? Is he young or old? Frankly, this is more important than buying the dinnerware.

• Could he have a muscle or bone malady? I know that now that I am older, objects sometimes fly out of my hands but that is due to age and some arthritis.
• Don't discount checking out neurological issues like MS especially if his walking pattern has changed in some way or Parkinson's Disease. Men are sometimes not in touch with changes in their bodies like women are.
• Is he not a good guy and doing this to upset you? It's possible passive aggressive behavior..

If you find out the cause, it's possible you can get any dinnerware you like.

All of your listed choices will break. Porcelain, Stoneware, Bone China, Ceramic.......they all break.

As mentioned, Arcoroc will minimize breaking, (bit it's not impossible) but Corelle is likely the best option short of melamine, (which cannot be used in a microwave)

Corelle can be purchased at Walmart, Target, OnLine etc.

https://www.corelle.com/

https://www.target.com/s/corelle+dinnerware

Something I learned on this site. If you acquire black marks on your porcelain dishes from metal utensils, they can be removed using BarKeepers Friend and scrubbing with a sponge.

Everything can break and chip. Porcelain is probably the most cost effective and durable. White is the most versatile and pieces can be replaced easily without having to match precisely. Whatever you get, buy open stock and get 12 of each.

I never thought I’d go there, but I switched to Corelle for everyday use. Every piece nests perfectly into my Bosch dishwasher so there’s no wasted space, and they’re very durable. They are also space savers in the cabinets. The only drawback is that being a type of glass, they don’t retain heat from the warming drawer well.

I have Corelle from 70s. Only one dish broke, and only in 2 pcs...

But, maybe u should use paper dishes with this guy. Lol.

Forget all your choices and the Corelle (if it breaks, it is a catastrophe!).

Instead, buy Melamine dishes from Le Cadeaux

http://lecadeaux.com/collections/melamine

These plates are pretty much unbreakable (as tested by clumsy SIL, and two boys, not teens - ie my DD's family). The only downside is they CANNOT go in the microwave, so buy a BIG stack of paper plates for boyfriend so he won't ruin the dishes. They do go into the dishwasher quite nicely - no problems at all.

These dishes are so attractive! I bought a set to us on my brick terrace. My everyday dishes are long discontinued and very costly to replace and when grandchildren are visiting (only time I use the terrace as it's down a flight of concrete stairs), the Le Cadeaux means I do not need to obsess about a grandchild dropping and breaking an expensive plate.

There are a lot of designs from which to choose and many work well mix 'n match. They really are the only answer to a clumsy person in the kitchen.

The only downside is they CANNOT go in the microwave,

I don’t know, Anglo, that’s a pretty big downside in my book. ;) Have you never owned any of the French-made glass I mentioned above? It’s really good stuff!

I have Corelle from 70s. Only one dish broke, and only in 2 pcs...

I have my grandparents’ set—also from that era or before—in storage. And I swear there must be at least 100 pieces so I can attest to its sturdiness. I don’t use it (I’m a dish snob who has a dish problem), but I can’t bear the thought of not having it!

It’s better he breaks dishes rather than hearts !

Corelle. My mother has had hers for 40 years. One bowl has broken. Many others have survived drops and dings of all sorts. Dad even caught one on the way back up, once. The patterns with the fluted structure seem to be particularly resilient. Sort of like corrugated cardboard.

Lindsey's idea also has merit. I'm working on collecting mismatched dishes that I can sort and reassort for whatever the occasion. I find green transferware goes with my Wisteria Corelle very nicely. But I may need some red, blue, and brown as well. :-)

I break wine, martini, iced tea glasses, I’m just a klutz around stemware & glassware, idk why ... luckily my Crate & Barrel bone china that is used everyday has yet to break after several years.

I’d stay away from Corelle. People who say they’ve had a set for years don’t realize that the Corelle formula changed around 2012. It is very dangerous now, because when it breaks—and it will—it breaks into thousands of shards and slivers that are beyond razor-sharp. I don’t know how this stuff is still sold and not recalled. I’ve had personal experience with one salad dish breaking after I dropped it. Not only was I barefoot, but my 3 pets came in to see what happened. I had to scream at them to get them not to come in the kitchen which would have torn up their paws. It was horrendous, And I promptly threw away the whole set.

If you break dishes frequently, I recommend Ikea 365+ feldspar porcelain dinnerware. They are incredibly cheap, yet made quite well and are sturdy. A set of 6 place settings is like $36, and you also can buy individual dishes. If you break one, shrug.

Video showing aftermath of ONE CORELLE DISH breaking

That Corelle video is frightening. I love my Corelle but this makes me question my love.

i have the LeTable Picardie glasses that I keep in a drawer. These are tempered glass. A tiny chip had come off of the rim of one glass but I didn’t realize that’s what it was when I picked it up from the bottom of the drawer. This was Thanksgiving Day. I have been trying to get this tiny piece of glass out of my finger since then. Needless to say I threw the glass away.

can‘t imagine the damage the Corelle could do.

are any of the dishes upthread as thin and lightweight as the Corelle? I also love how they fit perfectly in my dishwasher.

Apilico from Williams and Sonoma is the best!

I love Apilco Tradition porcelain and it's on sale now. The dinner plates are substantial and beautiful and we haven't broken any yet. They're also available at the WS outlet stores for a better price.

Bone china is probably the most fragile of all, so I'd stay away from that for everyday use. Select a stoneware or ironstone material in a very heavy weight. The thinner the dishes, the more likely it will be to break or chip.

So much info in this thread! Thank you all, I’m going to look into melamine for “him”.

Failed to mention that that he probably breaks a lot because he’s in the kitchen cooking more lol. And not on purpose but because he’s just doing too much and is a klutz. He loves to cook.

Pottery Barn Great White. Always available.

I had pfaltzgraff and it could break

My everyday wedding china (now 28 years old) is Pfaltzgraff, and I have broken quite a few cereal bowls (but my rim soup dishes are still completely intact) ... I think the cereal bowls are more prone to breaking, but I still have every single plate. Well, no ... my small platter did develop a crack, and it broke; does that count as a broken plate?

Do note that their stoneware is HEAVY. The plates are also BIG.

We use fiestaware for our day to day plates and they do very well.

I have a Fiestaware set that we use often too; I have the smaller "buffet plates", which are only sold at Kohls ... sometimes the smaller plates are nice. I have whopped bowls against the side of the dishwasher (accidentally), then dropped them on the linoleum floor, and they still haven't broken. They are tough. Negative: They're heavy, and my bowls (medium, straight-sided) require two "spikes" in the dishwasher and are space hogs in the cabinet too because they don't "nest" as they stack.

A note on both Pfaltzgraff and Fiestaware: Both can go into the oven. I have a vegetarian, so relatively often I make individual casseroles in what I call my "Fiestaware boats".

Of course, you have to like color if you want fiestaware.

It does come in an ivory.

Not 1 chip, but they show silverware scratches a little more, and they are much heavier dishes.

My Pfaltzgraff does have a few chips ... only on bowls. None on plates or platters. Yes to the silverware scratches.I saw some reviews of Pfaltzgraff from a different post and it seems as though the older sets are of better quality than the new sets being sold. :(

That's disappointing, but I'll back it up by saying this: something like 15 years into my marriage, I realized we'd lost too many of our Pfaltzgraff bowls, so I ordered a couple more ... and I can definitely tell which are originals vs. which are replacements. The replacement bowls are thinner, though I don't know that they've broken at a faster rate.

And don't be too hard on BF. Some people just drop stuff. They often can't help it. (I'm assuming he cleans the mess!)

Agreed. Unless he's doing it on purpose, be forgiving. We all have our faults, and -- in the grand scheme of things -- I could live with this one.

New thoughts:

I have a set of Johnson Brothers china, and it wears like iron. Nothing hurts it.

I have a set of Longaberger soup-and-sandwich plates, which we use when we're having "dinner theater", which means eating on the sofa watching a movie. Heavier than the Pfaltzgraff, and the bowls are space-hogs in the dishwasher. Love them though.

I have had Corelle from 1975 through my newest from 2016 & while all of it shatters, I have broken 2 bowls in 40 years. The first was my Mom's when I was holding a bowl of soup & she launched a spoon that hit it just right! I would not be afraid of Corelle & it stacks & washes great & doesn't take up much room.

Melamine will definitely break. A few years ago WS sold a set of three mixing bowls in gorgeous colors. Within a few months my set was gone due to chipping and breaking. Nothing is forever.

Plastic

I am super happy with my Roscher 'Kelsey' set. It's Bone China, but chip resistant. We are kind of klutzy but haven't dropped one yet! I found mine at Winners here in Canada, but you can probably get them online :)

i reccomend IKEA. They have a good variety of styles, and their dishes are durable, and inexpensive. We purchased two extra sets, just in case...After two years, just one breakage.

You will need a new boyfriend or unbreakable dishes like melamine. I use corell and bone china both for everyday. Bone china is meant to be used and washed it actually helps keep the dishware from getting brittle. Mine go in the DW all the time. I do agree Ikea is very affordable and just buy lots of the same ones.

I've dropped Corelle on a tile floor and no breakage.

Fiesta Ware. It's sturdy, beautiful, colorful, and made in the USA!

@Dowagercountess - I agree with you, but Fiestaware is also heavy and thick. I just have a few pieces and I end up hand washing them because they take up so much room in my DW otherwise.

Corelle not for me, not just for the reasons stated here, which make me not want to even take the chance on one Corelle dish, but also the look reminds me of my grandmother's older dinnerware, and is not current enough for me. Sorry, just MHO. I also don't like plates that don't have rims so that sauces and gravies have more of a chance to slosh out.

I like Apilco and Pottery Barn porcelain (not stoneware, too chippy). They have rims, they are sturdy (though they will break if you drop them hard enough), and load in the DW fine. If I break one, I can always find a replacement dish that matches, so I don't have to worry about replacement with a non-matching dish. Pottery Barn often has sales, coupons, holiday deals.

There is the unfortunate trade off that typically, sturdier pieces are thicker and heavier. Which also starts to be an issue as you get a bit older and have more trouble picking them up, especially more than one at a time. Or have children who help set the table and can't carry more than a couple at a time.

Luckily, dinnerware is something that isn't such an enormous investment that you couldn't change it at need. You might want to go out and do a little shopping - hit Pottery Barn, Crate and Barrel, World Market, Pier 1, etc. Oooh, and HomeGoods sometimes has some very nice pieces (Mikasa, Red Vanilla) for excellent prices. Pick them up, feel them, and see if they would suit you. If you stick with all white, you could even mix and match.

For several years I have been enjoying Fitz and Floyd Neveah from Bed Bath and Beyond. It's their budget bone chine. It feels heavenly to me and has been durable, but no droppers here. No chips to date. There are a number of styles including two rimmed (Rim and Grand Rim), a coupe, and a soft square. I chose rimmed dinner plates and soft square salad and soup plates as well as plain round cereal bowls. Lots of open stock pieces. BBB Fitz Floyd Nevaeh

I have plain white porcelain 'Bistro' from Sur la Table the last 6 years. It goes from everyday to a more formal table, kitchen eating and outside to the patio. I haven't had a chip, scratch, break in any piece (service for 18). But then my back up set is Lenox chinastone and I haven't broken any of those either. With the number of people in and out of this house, often eating, if I had one person regularly breaking things I'd want to know why. Would be more concerned with that than the quality of my dishes.

I am a big fan of bone china. Much lighter in weight than porcelain and very durable. I have had one set for 20+ years and have only had 1 break. That's with 4 kids, 3 son-in-laws and 4 grandchildren.

my corelle scratched from cutting steaks, I use china now but thinking about Fiesta

If you have a Costco membership, you could check out the 12-piece set (4 plates, salad bowls, and cereal bowls) of Denmark Tools for Cooks dinnerware. It's on sale for $14.99 for the set, which is a great deal. It's similar to the Hotel Collection you're looking at except that it comes with salad bowls instead of salad plates. We purchased a set and were thinking of purchasing a couple more, but I think it's too modern for me, even though it really is a great bargain for a new set.

We're looking to replace the hand-me-down set of dinnerware I've had for over 20 years that has lost a lot of pieces over the years, both before and during my time with it. With kids (and being a little clumsy myself) I don't want to stress out about the occasional breakage, but I want to love what we choose, and I'm just not loving the the super plain, modern dish sets. So far, I love the look of the Pottery Barn "Emma" dinnerware, but I thought I wanted porcelain instead of ceramic for the durability. The Apilco from Williams Sonoma is beautiful too, but at that price I wonder if I'll resent when things break. So I can't seem to decide what to prioritize... I think I might take the advice to look for second hand sets that work together, though my husband is less keen on that idea and just wants to find something and be done with it :-/

Corellware is very durable www.correlle.com