Dinnerware

Set your table in style

An elegantly laid dining room table is the perfect dressing to your room and can set the tone for a sophisticated dinner party. These days, dinnerware sets are so affordable and are available in so many designs, you’ll have no trouble reconciling your style and your budget. But before you head out to find your perfect pieces, brush up on the following dinnerware basics.

Editorial Review

Corelle Dinnerware

Chances are that you’ve seen one of Corelle’s famous commercials depicting people casually dropping their dishes without breaking them. Are these ads an example of false advertising? No.

Pros: It may be hard to believe, but it seems to be true that Corelle dinnerware simply will not break. While we haven’t taken out our hammers and saws, we can say with confidence that you can drop your Corelle plates and they will not break. You can even bang them together and they will remain intact (though we don’t recommend doing this on purpose). If you have a child (or even a spouse) who’s careless with his or her dinnerware, this can really put your mind at ease. Corelle dinnerware is also scratch resistant and quite reasonably priced.

The Dinnerware Set… and Beyond!

Ordinarily, a dinnerware set consists of dinner plates and sandwich plates, soup bowls or salad bowls, and either coffee cups or tea cups, all in the same or a complementary pattern. Beyond this, the pieces you choose to complement your dinnerware (and your choice in the set itself) will likely be dictated by the type of entertaining you do.

Casual Dinnerware

If you’re not that into dinner parties and the only people you entertain at your dining room table are your kids, casual dinnerware is probably all you’ll need. A basic china dinnerware or stoneware dinnerware set that is dishwasher safe and break resistant will probably suit your purposes. Microwave safe dinnerware is also a must if your family tends to dine at different times.

With patterns ranging from traditional floral to modern geometric, you don’t have to compromise style for functionality in your casual dinnerware. Throw in some quirky cups or complementary drinking glasses and no one will be able to tell your table was designed with kids in mind!

Formal Dinnerware

If you feel like stepping it up a notch and you live for lavish dinner parties, consider thinking outside the box with your dinner dishes. Porcelain dinnerware is a classic choice, with antique patterns or delicate designs adding a traditional elegance. If your look is more contemporary, Asian-inspired colors or bold geometrics give your table a look straight out of a magazine. Experiment with shapes as well – square and rectangular pieces are replacing round plates and cups.

You can also spruce up your dinner party with appropriate and elegant beverage options. Wine glasses, champagne glasses and even martini glasses (depending on what you’re drinking) all add a touch of class to your table. Cap your entire set off with the right choice in table covers and the dinner conversation will be all about your great design taste.

The Price of a Beautiful Table

It may seem like setting a lavish table has to cost you an arm and a leg, but discount dinnerware is everywhere these days. You can find dinnerware sets at a great bargain or opt for affordable individual dinner dishes that allow you to build your own set. With prices so low, you can afford Christmas dinnerware or other holiday dinnerware, or you can change your dishes with the season. Just make sure your kitchen cabinet can hold it all!

Cons: There isn’t much that one can say about Corelle dinnerware that would be considered negative. Perhaps its main weakness is that it’s not the classiest dinnerware out there. While Corelle’s products are great for the average family on the go, it’s not the type of stuff you want to put on your table if you’re hosting a posh dinner party. That said, Corelle has a few lines that are quite pleasant to look at, including the Forever Yours series (which has a Pennsylvania Dutch toll design) and the chic Simple Lines series.

Overall: Corelle’s unbreakable dinnerware is actually cheaper than much of the breakable dinnerware that’s in stores today. It usually sells for between $25 and $50, depending on the number of pieces in the set and the design. We highly recommend this product.