" I've never cared for plates with print anything where the food goes. ". Reminds me of a flan dish I was once given. It had a recipe printed on the bottom, inside. The first instruction was to line the dish with pastry. 🤦‍♂️

Well right on cue, Corelle must have seen me posting, sent me a 40% off discount code, and successfully squeezed 86 bucks outta me. i’m not mad, it really is super convenient stuff, esp for casual dining, outdoors, etc.

The code is winter40 if anyone needs anything.

There are no absolutes! I have a lot of dishes. I have a huge lot of family, though the elders have all passed and the youngsters seem to blow around wherever the wind takes them, so it's been probably 10 years since we had to put the sofa on the porch to make table space.

There are no absolutes in what makes the food look good! It's what you're used to. My meals tend to be very colorful and look good on any plate. Meat and potatoes can look drab on a lot of different kinds of plates.

My old kitchen dishes are botanical, with each dish different, or some different, in three sets of four settings, full color, black "ink" drawings on white and black and white with colored flowers to tie them together. My current kitchen dishes are "better", hand thrown Iberian, the Euro version of wabi-sabi (i.e., wavy), white, incised with a honeycomb pattern. My casual company dishes are a set of 12 deep colors which look a bit like a varied collection of Fiesta, but less pastel. My outdoor dishes are melamine with a lacy blue and orange Italianate pattern on white with golden yellow backs.

I also have some open stock white Corelle for use in the microwave. I've never had the sound sensation others describe (or not enough reaction to notice it). I don't like the thinness and lightness for proper tableware, but that's a very personal thing. I also have a few odd Pier 1 type colorful dishes from college, and just bought some busy blue on white printed bowls and trays (like for pickles, etc.) of heavy porcelain for specific purposes. They look okay with the honeycomb dishes. And some of my mother's old gold rimmed white buffet plates and other odd things that get pressed into use now and then.

For formal sit down, I have dirt cheap porcelain, 24 settings of white with gold trim of stylized little gold flowers, and 16 settings, plus b&b plates, compotes, serving set, coffee set, and S&P, porcelain, white with gold trim and a kind of radiant chunky textured look stripe beaming outward on the rims. The latter was merely cheap (i.e., not on closeout), and makes for a more elegant table than using the kitchen dishes. I have matching stems for three dozen, (also on super sale), and bought the extras to deal with breakage for the first 24, so while they last the matching glasses help tie the two patterns together. Once I had more people than glasses, so gave tumblers to the kids.

I have all these different styles and colors (but all round other than some odd serving pieces), and food looks good on all of them. The solid colors are the most challenging because once in awhile the food clashes. But I'm usually not seating a whole dozen casually, so I pull the most likely to clash while setting the table. But, again, colorful food. Lots of veggies.

Really, i think it's contrast that's most important. You need to be able to distinguish the food from the plate. Food styling and lighting are as important as color and pattern. At first glance, however, what you're used to is going to make a bigger difference than design theory. If the dishes look weird to you, you won't enjoy them as much. Once you're used to them, you may find the same bold dishes delightful rather than not so good looking. It also helps, so far as company is concerned, to have a beautifully set table, no matter what the dishes are, and back it up with really good food. Good food tastes good on any dishes, from paper to princely, and there's only so much beautiful dishes can do with meh food.

I have Spode Blue Room dishes. They are blue and white. All the plates and bowls have different scenes, but the colors match, so it's mix and match without having any responsibility. My "good" dishes are Royal Worcester Evesham. Same deal--they coordinate.

This made me laugh: " Reminds me of a flan dish I was once given. It had a recipe printed on the bottom, inside. The first instruction was to line the dish with pastry "

We used to love our very black, very heavy crockery, but when it got to the point that unloading the dishwasher became a strength-building event, we swapped for Corelle. They are white with the red and gray swirls, probably like blfenton but we like round ones.. I can't think of many colors that would put me off food, maybe pink (sorry Amylou) or mustard yellow. Being turned off by food on a dish would likely be good for me :-)

I used white Cornell plates when first married decades ago, until I found a blue and white pottery I really liked some years later, buying every piece known to mankind.

Seems I hit a nerve with some folks with my hate for Corelle. Trust me when I say I dont care one whit if you like Corelle or if you hate stoneware.

I was stating my preference and apparently some of y’all took it personally. lol

My husband has similar distain for Correlle. i wanted to get a stack for large parties to replace the thick glass catering plates i have and it was a strong no. He will be overuled.

I bought Mikasa stoneware in 1980 and used it every day until a few years ago. I still like it--it has a delicate floral pattern. But when we bought a Miele dishwasher, the fluted edges didn't fit well on the rack. I looked around and didn't see anything I liked to replace it. I considered Denby but $$$$. We had a few pieces of old Corelle and I ended up buying a set. It's really great stuff. It is lightweight and tough as nails. I have banged it and expected it to shatter but I haven't broken a piece. It fits in European dishwashers and doesn't take up much room on a cabinet shelf. I don't find anything weird about it but I don't have sensory issues.

We now use a cheap white porcelain for every day use which are quite light to handle and yes I like my food on white or nearly white plates.

For guests I have Royal Doulton Melissa from the Romance range which is nice with silver rim and a small design inside the rim and I do love the design from this same range that blfenton mentioned Michelle.

We used to have a beige glazed light terracotta hand made in Italy which I loved but being terracotta it broke easily although I do still have a large platter and bowl which are nice to use.

I have various pieces that seem to come home with me when I visit IKEA and I have 4 Spanish glazed terracotta bowls that I like to use for stews and soups which are quite dark in colour yet set off the food with a autumn like influence. For Asian type food I have the ubiquitous Chinese blue rice inlay bowls and plates

No corelle or similar here.

For photography....shiny white makes food look the best.

My new salad plates & coffee mugs, salad bowls = off the pottery wheel off white, flat glaze with swirls in it. Linden Street Stoneware: It has an Earthy feel to it....

And I've had it over a year now...NO chips!

Edited to add: ALL those home make over shows, many use Linden Street to stage the home with.

I still use the Corelle with the dark blue trim I bought in 1976. A square plate sounds interesting though.

I've never had Corelle. I have white porcelain every day but have historical Pfaltzgraff plates, a limited series of quilt patterns on a yellowish color with a blue spongeware pattern on the rim. M.A.F.A. mark on the bottom. This was decades ago, and I've had people wanting to buy them. I use them and put them in the dishwasher with no issues.

As a young woman I was housesitting and broke a corelle plate to smithereens, it was a bit of trauma for me, haha, so I've avoided it after that.

Funny, my first set of dishes was pfalzgraff in black ! We had lost parts of that small set, so ditched it when we moved a long time ago, but now replaced it with a set of black Dansk, only to be pulled out for certain dishes, e.g. pan-seared tuna with red pepper sauce and spinach on the side. I like the way that looks on black. When a knife is used on it, it screeches in a bad way so that might mean it's stoneware?

Other than that, we have Bill Campbell pottery that we indulged in from our now closed 'Artique Gallery' through the years- those are for our holiday and other special dinners, a beautiful swirly blue and brown. I also have 3 Denby patterns ('fire' , 'patch of green' and an off-white one with a butterfly) that I collected on sale and used (too expensive for me retail). These are not full sets, but 10 plates of each set and a mishmash of other dishes - we always make it work and nobody complains . So, I guess I'm into chaos and color.

I also have a cheap pile of white plates that I use for larger gatherings like cooking club and potlucks - Very fun to see what everybody's varied preferences are and best of luck finding some you love!

My next search will be for great stainless steel cutlery, I'm very bad at finding any that I like and am definitely on a budget, but that's another thread.

I still have my prior set of white Pfaltzgraff in the garage, I replaced it with the Fiesta Ware because the white was just so darned boring, LOL.

I've never had Corelle, but my oldest daughter had a set for years with a green border of ivy and it was OK and outlasted my grandson, which I consider quite a feat. Now she uses various pieces of mismatched transferware in blue and pink, but the pink is her favorite.

Everyone likes what they like. Good thing or this world would sure be boring.

Annie

I bought all vintage mid-century dishwasher-safe dishes, white with an obviously 1950s-60s pattern (somewhat similar to Franciscan Starburst). As it was never considered high-end, it was fairly easy to pull together a full set for 12, with little worry about finding a replacement should I break something. My everyday glassware is a similarly lowbrow set of Hazel Atlas glasses.

I understand why folks love Corelle and Pfaltzgraff, but neither was ever my style. At one point, I seriously considered Fiestaware, and also Heath. For a while, dreaming big, I yearned for Raymond Loewy Rosenthal. And then I considered Stangl - which couldn’t be more different from the Rosenthal.

Being able to replace pieces easily was the chief factor that helping me to narrow down my choices. That and being able to wash safely in a dishwasher, even though I mostly wash by hand.

Edited to add: I forgot about my mental flirtation with Russel Wright, and with Eva Zeisel! Considering that I mainly cook for myself, I guess I went more than a bit mad, but I enjoyed all my imaginary dining sets while they lasted.

IKEA white for everyday. Each piece is less than a dollar.

“Seems I hit a nerve with some folks with my hate for Corelle.”

@Offie Myffy - I just read through all the comments again and have no idea what you’re seeing. I think we’re all just stating our preferences, as you did. It’s all good!

I use plain white, but have recently purchased some East Fork pottery, which i love. i have a gazillion pieces of Stangl pottery but stopped using it as it alllegedly contains lead.

I wouldn't find black appealing, nor overly busy. But the one thing I don't really like is dishes with insects on them (butterflies, ladybugs).

@Janet, I hadn't realized about lead in Stangl pottery! I guess it's a good thing I chose something else for daily use. It sure is gorgeous, though.

@lat62 just a plug to set up a search on Facebook Marketplace for stainless steel flatware - i just got a huge set (18 place settings) for $79

“Everyone likes what they like. Good thing or this world would sure be boring.”

Agree!

You want the 18/10 stainless.

I usually use old Corelle I have, but I also have Pfalzgraff stoneware, white dishes with blue and gold trim from my SIL, a holiday set from my daughter, and various other pieces.

@socks, too many got broken in a move, but my all time favorite kitchen glasses, in three sizes, are recycled green, craftsman blown, etched with dragonflies and bees. And they looked so great with the botanical dishes!

@plllog

Oh yes, that would be pretty.

“Everyone likes what they like. Good thing or this world would sure be boring.”

And we wouldn’t have as many patterns! I love looking at china, especially at estate sales, any resale/antique etc shops.

I’m with lat on a search for flatware. Mine was a gift from my parents about the time I graduated, around 1980. I liked it then and now, but it is starting to show its age, and certainly the style is not current. It’s 18/8, by Towle. A spoon or two and a knife have gone missing, and two rogue knives and a spoon have joined the drawer, but with just the two of us at home it’s not a big deal. I have plenty of other flatware, but it’s sterling or sterling plate, and I know it can be used regularly but I don’t trust the co-dishwasher loader with it.

The FEEL of flatware matters to me, the heft, the balance, how it fits the hand, does the end of handle cut into my hand. I see some really nice-looking flatware, but then I pick it up. (kind of like dating!) And the stores where you can really pick up flatware are fewer and fewer.

I'm a dishaholic. Have stopped collecting in self-defense. I love dishes and table ware. Sharing an article the like-minded amongst us might enjoy.

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2024/12/31/realestate/fine-china-dumulong-family.html?smid=url-share

I shared a free article from the NYT's so everyone should be able to have access.

@seagrass_gw Cape Cod, thank you for sharing that lovely article. I, too, am a dishaholic. I know no one will want my dishes when I'm gone, but that doesn't stop me from enjoying setting a table with pretty china. I only wish there was a way to match up those who treasure certain possessions with others who would treasure them after the original owner dies. I know that both of us would treasure Laura Jane's Limoges.

I got a subscriber wall, but you reminded me of something which I think was posted in Kitchens nearly a score ago. A woman who was into tablescaping. Only setting for six, I think, but the whole deal with linens and napkin rings, etc. Her husband built her a long narrow warehouse for them, all bits packaged together. Well, more like library stacks. Dozens of sets. It was beautifully organized and impressive.

I, recently, have bought inexpensive holiday cloths for the banquet tables, a set for each holiday, and felt profligate. :) All my various dishes have a reason for taking up space. including flatware and glasses. Though, when I remodeled my kitchen, I did spend extra on storage for glasses and small things--but that makes me happy, daily, so worth it.

Re flatware, I agree so much about the feel! But I got cheap chests of gold flashed stainless to go with my gold trimmed 40 settings of dinner dishes and 36 sets of stems. The flatware came with serving pieces, and with the chests are dead easy to store. All this grandeur comes at the acceptence that they're small, thin, light and handwash only. With one dishwasher, dinner for three dozen closest relatives is easier handwashed anyway. I have basins that fit the sink perfectly and transform it to 2 bowl.

The feel of the gold flatware isn't much different from high quality plastic, but they're fully functional and look pretty! I'm not trying to impress anybody (the mark on the first 24 gold trimmed porcelain dishes is Lillian Vernon--I kid you not!) The chargers are half black plastic brush painted gold, and half thin stamped metal with a gold finish. Functional and look pretty. On any color solid tablecloth (rented with the tables and chairs, so color is always changing) they all look fantastic. My everyday and casual flatware are Napoleon with the colored acrylic handles. They aren't as durable as solid stainless, but so nice to hold and use!

@murraysmom Zone 6a OH that is a gorgeous plate!! I thought you were going to say you went on ebay and bought yourself more of that pattern!

“Look it up if you want a laugh.”

I couldn’t resist! It’s definitely not for me but fun. Of your descriptors, I’d choose whimsical over tacky. Enjoy them!

I remembered when starting to put away holiday items: I used to have a couple dozen sets of Christmas dishes, passed down from my mom. My nephew and his wife really liked them, and I happily passed them along when I downsized.

I also have some pink depression glassware (plates and stemware) from a great aunt. It's very pretty, but also fairly delicate. I've only used the stemware a few times and some got broken - I was fine with it but the guests felt awful. So now those sit in cabinets too. This thread inspired me to take them out and use them sometime. If more get broken, it's ok! I'm sure my kids won't fret about not getting them.

Some of the depression glass stemware below; pictures don't do the color justice. The plate with the pansies in the 2nd picture was given to me by my mom. She and my dad got it for a wedding present in the late 1950s.

Olychick, unfortunately there is very little pottery from this maker in existence anymore. I loved researching the company. C. C. Thompson Pottery operated in East Liverpool, OH from 1868 until 1938. There is a museum there that had been the home of Mr. Thompson and they were asking if anyone had any of the dishes anymore that they could use but got little response. I'm not sure the eBay seller really knew what they had. And it is in perfect condition so I can only guess it was just handed down over the generations and never actually used.

I, too, love pottery, dishes and the like. I had an elderly friend who has passed. She had no family left. We had been friends for over 25 years. She said she knew we would be great friends when she came into my house and saw my teapot collection! Anyway, she passed at age 89 just a couple of years ago. She had her grandmother's china and she made me take it knowing I would treasure it as she had. Her grandmother was Irish and had a set of Belleek dishes including a serving platter and a soup tureen, sugar and creamer and gravy boat. So beautiful. I have it in a china closet that has been in my family for over 75 years. I treasure things that have a history to them and have been loved for many years.

We’ve had several sets of china / dinnerware over the years but have gotten rid of almost all of them ( donation to charity or gifting to others ). For the past dozen or so years we’ve used nothing but Crate & Barrel’s white ”Pearl” china. I do have fond memories of drinking tea from my MIL’s Correlle cups, for some reason it tasted better but maybe it was her incredibly delicious lemon scones. Unfortunately the recipe ( never written ) passed with her. The only thing I know is that she didn’t use butter to make them.

PS ….. if anyone is familiar with a similar recipe please let me know.

" It’s definitely not for me but fun. Of your descriptors, I’d choose whimsical over tacky. "

Maybe, that's a kind comment.

I look at it now and wonder "What were we thinking?". We got them pre-kids. When our kids visit now, we're often asked to break out that tableware for a meal because the sight of those goofy patterns recalls childhood memories. I guess that's not a bad thing. Starting with our oldest, each picked their favorite dinner plate pattern (I think there are 8?) and those became the one each chose to use forever after. Now as then.

We have, without trying to, accumulated mostly colored dishware for everyday use. Deep green handmade plates, deep blue storebought plates and bowls, multicolored plates that started as glaze test grids, etc. They all seem fine, none noticeably elevate the cuisine or put anyone off their feed.

For fancy dinners we use white china, sometimes decorated and sometimes plain. The effect is more formal, special-occasion, but no evident consequence to the meal.

If I were buying dishware from scratch, I think I’d simplify with all white and optimize storage volume with square dishes.

Several years ago I finally wised up and wanted to get rid of the heavy stoneware we had. I researched a lot about dinnerware and came up with Wedgwood bone china in plain white. Sadly they have discontinued what I have after around 50 years, so I’m really happy I bought a lot of it when it was on sale at various times. I have 12 plates, salad plates and dessert plates plus some small bowls and soup bowls. I love it and it still looks like new. If you want longevity, look at bone china as it is very tough and resilient.

I also have some fancy Wedgwood in which with a pattern on the rim. We use it only occasionally. Prior to the heavy stonewear I had Dansk white dishes. They were pretty good & nice to use, but chipped easily and began to show crazing and wear.

We had Fiesta ware at the lake and it was fun. I used different colors, primarily the same light aqua, yellow, green and a few red. I love the soup/cereal bowls and the grands loved them. They always picked out ’their’ color of dish when they were there. I boxed up most of it and ran it thru the dishwasher after the fire (the kitchen received the least fire damage but loads of water & smoke damage). I still have it packed away but may sell it or donate since we’re planning to sell when it’s rebuilt.

My everyday dinnerware is Bordallo Pinheiro Cabbage. I have every color available in the USA from white to pink, lavender, blue, red, purple, orange, 3 different greens, yellow, wine and probably missed one. I usually use the luncheon plates for dinner plates. I use the actual dinner plates as chargers/underplates. The chop/charger plates are just collecting dust. Right at the moment I am using the white ones with lime green soup bowls from World Market, several years ago.

Our crockery is also Wedgwood bone china. All plain white. It's light, durable and I prefer the feel of it.

I use very boring luminarc white plates for lightness and durability. I'm chief breaker in this house!

Flora you made me laugh!

I love pottery of all kinds, colours, shapes, but I tend to keep it for bowls, serving dishes.... I don't have the room or the strength in the old hands and wrists to lug a lot of it about. It's something I love buying on holiday so it's holiday souvenirs that I can use.

I'm crazy about glass. I love it. Beautiful glasses. I used to have loads in our old house as I had room but I had to cull the collection when we moved here. Very sad, but it makes it all the more exciting when I need to shop for replacements after I've had a breakage session.......

I love tables laid with mis-matched glass and plates. Oddly, I don't feel the same way about cutlery. That has to match. Is there something wrong with me? LOL

Oh dear, Islay. You'd get sensory deprivation in our kitchen.😂

Former dishaholic here. When we downsized, I had to get rid of almost all of it. I was able to sell some--and that included the one set I would have wanted to keep. I get sick when I go to the local antique stores and see the piles of unwanted china. And I know that neither of my kids will want anything I have.

My everyday flatware was my mother's "good" set. I think it dates from the late 1960's. I love it.

Oh my! My favorite topic. I had a table setting blog years ago. Had and still have too many dishes. It was never about brand name, just what I liked and was a good price.

Getting married in 1974, I wanted Yorktown, Pfalztgraff. Everybody and their dog( pardon the humor) got it at that time. Did not wear well for me. Lots of chips. Next set was Dansk Parisian Blue.

Started collecting sets. Yellow fiesta ware for Easter, The Old Curiosity Shop, which I believe was a grocery store dish of the week, long before my time. Then at a garage sale, I picked up Noritake Ivory China, Ivory and Ebony. That gets used for New Years Eve and Valentines Day. My mom's set of white dishes. I inherited my great great grandmothers dishes, which I gave to my daughter who desperately wanted it. It is on display in her hutch, but doesn't use it, thank God.

Of course I have a set of Christmas dishes. My pantry is full of dishes, no food.

Now reading and seeing all your dishes, I want to get rid of my Dansk everyday, cause it suddenly looks like a blue and white circus tent. So I may be on the hunt for something else. I could be around another 20 years, why not?

ladypat, I like how you think!!

I just buy things I like. I don't entertain so one setting of the pink Fiesta ware satisfied me. I really like my every day and I said above about having my friend's grandmother's Belleek dishes including a gravy boat, sugar and creamer and tureen and a big platter. My friend used to entertain her friends long before I met her and used her grandmother's dishes then. We were kindred spirits.

As for silverware, I have a (mostly) 4 place setting that my dad got as a "gift" for opening an account at a bank back in the 60's when they did that sort of thing. But I also have my parents silverware that they got in 1955 when they had their 25th anniversary. My mom came to live with me after my dad passed and she wanted to bring her silverware which I welcomed not only because it was hers but she had a lot more pieces.

I love glass too and have many unusual glass pieces that are really different. That might be a fun thread to do.

I also have sets of Staffordshire, Liberty Blue from the 70s, mulberry Staffordshire Tonquin and lime green Meakin, Chequers. There are also several holiday pieces I have.

I got rid of all the hundreds of dishes, glassware and all the accoutrements from my days of tablescaping. Just checked eBay to see what BP pieces they have and almost fell out of my chair at the prices they are asking. I have over 300 pieces that I know my daughter will just donate as she is not interested in dishes whatsoever!

Marigene, I really enjoyed your tablescaping pictures from back in the day. Good to see you here now.