Do you ever feel like you have too many plates and bowls, but not enough places to put them? Well, never fear! This ultimate guide is here to help you choose the perfect set of dishes for your home. Whether you need something sturdy for everyday use or something elegant for special occasions, we’ve got you covered. So sit back, relax, and let us help you find the best set of plates and bowls for your needs.
A dinnerware set is an essential thing in the cuisine. We use pieces from the morning cereal bowl to evening tea until our night meal.
The dinnerware sets are not only a dining ancillary. It also portrays your personality to the guest. There is both regular and occasional purposes dinnerware. So, you need to know how to choose a dinnerware set.
Depending on your setting plans, the number of items could vary. Here I am, to help you, friends. Today, I will discuss the ins and outs of the buying guide for choosing a dinnerware set.
How to Choose Dinnerware Sets
You can find many types of dinnerware sets in the market. It varies with colors, designs, durability, and so on. If you find out necessary and specific points, then it will be easy to fulfill your requirement. For helping you, I am discussing some valuable features here. I hope this will help you to choose the plates and bowls set.
- Materials
- Design & Design
- Color & Texture
- Durability
- Weight
- Purpose of Use
- Washing Process
- Brand
- Price
Materials
The making material of dinnerware is the primary issue. It hints durability, weight, and washing process of your plates and bowls set. There are many materials made of dining sets in the market. I will tell you the most standard and conventional items.
- Porcelain:
Porcelain is the most common, popular, and demandable material for dinnerware sets. The principal material is Kaolin or china clay. It is the strongest and most translucent ceramic used for making dishes and potteries. Porcelain has properties of whiteness along with high thermal shock and chemical attack. The platters of porcelain are glossy. You cannot put porcelain dishes into the microwave if it has metallic lines. It is perfect for formal use
- Bone China:
Bone china is one kind of porcelain. It combines with bone ash and feldspathic material. Depending on the manufacturer, the amount of bone ash is 30% to 50%. Like porcelain, bone china is stronger, translucent, white, and glossy. You can use it for ceremonious purposes. It is compatible with a microwave oven and dishwasher. If you are a pure vegetarian, then you may avoid the products prepared with bone china.
- Stoneware:
Stoneware is a non-refractory fire clay that can be semi-vitreous or vitreous ceramic. After chinaware, it is a more durable material to produce dinnerware. It is not white-colored but has both glazed and unglazed tableware. Stoneware is excellent for both casual and formal use. Using it at a very high or freezing temperature is not a good idea.
- Earthenware:
Earthenware is the oldest material for producing dinnerware. Comparing to the above materials, it is less stable. It is perfect for casual use as it is light weighted than other materials. It is not wise to use it in the microwave oven. Earthenware is not glossy as chinaware, bone china, or stoneware.
- Others:
Apart from these four types of materials, there are more tableware materials. These include glassware, melamine, steel, copper, wood, plastic, and so on. Some of this tableware is breakable, while some are not. But, these types of material made dinnerware are not suitable for a formal occasion. It may be fit for casual use only if you like.
Shape & Design
The design of the dinnerware set is a powerful part of interest. It sets your first impression while you are going to eat. The round white-colored porcelain is the most common dinnerware in the world. But, you can create a variation in the table by placing other shapes. As Japanese table settings, you can use different shaped plates and bowls to serve foods.
Wide rim plates have a small room for food, where narrow rim provides large room. The center profound plates are best for foods with sauce and liquids.
Color & Texture
Color and texture are related to each other. There are plain-colored plates and bowls. Sometimes same patterned rims with different colors bring variation to your dining.
The texture of the dinnerware can set the eating environment at another level. There are many textures available in any shape of tableware. You can find traditional Chinese compositions to modern designs. Pick the one which suits well with your table and taste.
Durability
If your dishes do not last for a good time, then what is the value to buy them. I am also sure that you do not like to purchase dinnerware every few months. Porcelain, bone china, and stoneware are the strongest and last longer. As this tableware makes with high fire-temperature, it suitable for microwave and refrigerator. But you need to handle these carefully if you do not want to break them.
Weight
You may think weight is not a vital matter while it comes to dinnerware. But after every use, you have to clean, dry, and store these in the cabinet. Can you imagine how much tiresome it will be? It will not be easy if it is a heavy one. The light weighted tableware are more suitable for everyday use. You may use bulky dishes rarely.
Purpose of Use
Of course, the first purpose of the dinnerware set is holding foods in dining. But I am talking about why you need to buy it. Are you going to use dinnerware daily or occasionally?
If you need for daily uses purpose, then you should buy some long durable sets. So, select some lightweight, easy to wash, microwave, and freezer-safe dishes. You can use four or six settings for a couple. If you have five members, then use eight or twelve settings.
Choose something gorgeous, attractive, and durable if you need dinnerware for a party. Eight to twelve place settings are suitable for formal use. You may also need a full place setting for your guests.
Washing Process
Nowadays, most people are busy. As a result, they use a dishwasher to clean and washing dishes. Before buying dinnerware, you have to know whether it is dishwasher safe or not. In most cases, porcelain, bone china, stoneware are dishwasher safe. But keep in mind if you have a hand-painted or gold-lined design, then the pattern will fade and discolor. So you need to do hand wash these items if you want to use them for long periods.
Glassware, stainless steel ware, copperware, and woodenware are not dishwasher safe as well. If you wash them, those may get scratched on the surface.
Brand
Brands always influence the price of any product. Along with prices, brands ensure the qualities of the products. They also allow different schemes for product sales. You can emulate that popular brands have long durable quality products. They offer an extensive collection from where you can choose the best-suited dinnerware.
Price
The price always plays a crucial role in buying any products. Low priced tableware may not maintain quality. Even higher-priced plates and bowls may lack its durability. So, make a budget plan for the purchasing and pick your preference. Go for the durable, easy to use, and best material products on a decent budget.
Tips to make dinner plates last longer
We all know that most of the dinner plates and bowls are fragile. It is not easy to maintain dinnerware as well. Careful uses can make your dinnerware durable for a prolonged period. I can give you some secret tips to make your dinner plates last longer. It starts with the buying process.
Pick a well-furnished material
A well-furnished material of dinnerware set means the best product with long durability. Porcelain, bone china, and stoneware are making in the kiln at high temperatures. So, this tableware has a long life as it becomes strong through the making process.
Sometimes, you will notice bubbles on the surface, which indicates low-quality finishing. It will not last for a lengthier period as well. It is your responsibility to pick a faultless dinnerware that has long durability.
Safe usages of dinnerware
For regular usages, you have to put your dinnerware sets into different environments. Some dinnerware sets are not suitable for high or low temperatures. It is a good practice to check the usage ranges of a dinnerware set.
- Microwave safe
Porcelain, bone china, and stoneware are making at high temperatures. So, this tableware is suitable for high temperatures in the micro oven. If you have any hand-painted tableware, then never let those go into the oven or high heat. It discolored the golden and any kinds of painted bowls and plates. High heat makes these designs faded.
- Refrigerator safe
You can put Porcelain and bone china into the refrigerator. Nothing is wrong with behavior. Stoneware also works well. But, remember that never put the cold dishes into the oven directly. This practice may harm your dishware as well as the oven.
- Dishwasher-safe
Every dinnerware materials are not dishwasher safe. Earthenware and glassware are very vulnerable in the dishwasher. It breaks and put scratches marks on the dishes. Similar things happened to stainless steel dishes. But, regular ceramic dishware is dishwasher safe. Bone china and stoneware are also safe in the dishwasher.
Like the microwave oven, never put the golden and hand-paints into the dishwasher.
Washing and drying process
Since you can’t put all types of dinnerware into the dishwasher, you should hand wash them. Most of the dishware is easy to clean with a liquid dishwasher and warm water. After washing accurately, you should wipe away the excess water with a soft cloth. And then, let them dry before storage. This easy process of maintenance keeps your dinnerware color and quality for a long.
Select a better storage place
The dinnerware set only uses during mealtime. So, cleaning, drying, and storing is a regular schedule after every meal consumption. Put your daily purpose dinnerware set in a place that is very much easy to access.
You must have used a corner or upper cabinet to store your formal dinnerware set. Also, you might struggle whenever you take out or put them in. Remember, whatever the purpose is, place your dinnerware set in open sites or easy to access. It helps reduce the risk of break down your dishes. It is another tip to make your dinner plates and bowls last longer. Also, you do not want to cut your hands by the broken pieces.
Wrapping Up
It is a difficult job to choose plates and bowls set without having trouble. While buying dinnerware, you have to keep in mind so many things at a time. The absence of a notable point makes you regret it for the rest of several years.
For this reason, I mentioned the key issues and tricks of usage. I hope all the discussion on the above will help you to choose a dinnerware set. You should always remember the material, durability, and purpose linked with each other. And, it impacts a lot on the dinnerware set.
Happy shopping and have delightful dining!
