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On the hunt for the perfect dinnerware set? We’ve got you covered whether you’re feathering a new nest and need all manner of dishes, or just looking to add some special pieces to your collection. your perfect place setting will depend largely on your unique lifestyle.
If you’ve started shopping for the best dinnerware sets then you quickly may have become overwhelmed with just how many choices there are. There is literally a pattern, color, and material to fit almost anyone’s taste and budget. While this means you have more choices than you ever thought possible, it can also be overwhelming. We reviewed and rounded up our favorite picks for best dinnerware sets to give you a headstart on finding your favorite.
What to consider when choosing the best dinnerware set
With so many options, how do you start the selection process? We turned to a design expert for advice. “When shopping for dinnerware, you need to consider where it will be used, how durable you need it to be and your budget,” explained Emma Beryl, the New York-based founder of Emma Beryl Interiors.
And then, of course, you have to like how it looks. But whether you’re the mix-and-match sort who prefers a carefully curated and colorful tablescape or gravitate toward a classic, coordinates-with-everything 18-piece set in a neutral hue, “there are so many options,” stressed Beryl. “You won’t have an issue finding what you like in your budget if you know where to look.”
You can start shopping by focusing on the main aspects of the dinnerware:
Material
All dinnerware serves the same basic function: To showcase your fare, whether that’s the four-course feast you’re serving up at a dinner party or the chicken nuggets you just pulled out of the oven for dinner. But this is an area where how you’ll use it matters. “If you want something fancier that isn’t used all the time, many people choose a porcelain or bone china,” notes Beryl. Made of a combo of bone ash and porcelain, it has a translucent look and a light, delicate feel.
If you’re selecting an everyday set, however, she says that “means there will be more risk of chipping, breaking and staining,” says Beryl, which is why she recommends leaning toward a more durable material like stoneware or ceramic.
Another option is melamine, a virtually unbreakable plastic that’s gotten a glow-up in recent years. While it’s inexpensive and perfect for clumsier fingers, one downside is that it can’t be used for microwaving.
Style
Your dinnerware is something you’re going to be looking at literally from morning to night, so select something that suits your style. Consider whether you’d prefer more neutral pieces to showcase the food (and can be dressed up with pretty, patterned serving pieces) or something bright and colorful. There are also sets that look straight from a fantastic flea market to sleek and modern or wholly appropriate to serve the queen.
Care
Pieces that are handwash-only aren’t a no-no, but you’ll definitely want to consider if you’ll want to, say, spend hours at the sink after Thanksgiving dinner. For an everyday set, Beryl advised it’s best to opt for something that is both microwave- and dishwasher-safe.
Our top dinnerware set picks
Here are our top picks for the best dinnerware sets, from budget-friendly to entertaining in high style and everything in-between.
Best dinnerware set for everyday use: Material Kitchen’s The Full Table
With a nice heft and a solid durability, Material Kitchen’s The Full Table set, made from natural Korean clay, is the sort of high-quality collection you’ll want to keep for generations. Equal parts casual and elegant, they’re versatile enough to work for grilled cheese night or dressed up with fun glasses and napkins for a dinner party. And since they’re hand-finished, each piece is truly one-of-a-kind.
Specifications:
- Price: $585
- Material: Ceramic, made using a clay blend derived from natural Korean soils
- What’s included: Four each of the 11-inch full plate, the 8-inch half plate, the 8.5-inch open bowl, the 5-inch breakfast bowl and the 4-inch bap bowl
- Care instructions: Dishwasher- and microwave-safe
What we like:
- Very sturdy and durable with a nice weight
- Two bowl options for a variety of dishes
- Each piece is hand-finished
What we don’t like:
- Only two color options
- Definitely an investment purchase
Material Kitchen’s The Full Table
Best classic dinnerware set: Open Kitchen by Williams Sonoma 16-Piece Dinnerware Set
Truly, it’s hard to go wrong with an all-white classic look. The Open Kitchen by Williams Sonoma 16-Piece Dinnerware Set provides the perfect base layer for creative types to play around with or a clean, fresh look for the minimalist set. Made from sturdy, high-fired porcelain, it’s designed not to stain or scratch.
Specifications:
- Price: $160
- Material: High-fired porcelain.
- What’s included: Four each of 10.5-inch dinner plates, 9-inch salad plates, 5.5-inch cereal bowls and 13-ounce mugs
- Care instructions: Dishwasher- and microwave-safe
What we like:
- Made with durable high-fired porcelain
- Will coordinate with any serveware pieces
- Resistant to stains and scratches
What we don’t like:
- No color or design options
Open Kitchen by Williams Sonoma 16-Piece Dinnerware Set
Best high-end dinnerware set: Portmeirion’s Botanic Garden Harmony 16-Piece Set
The best of both worlds, Portmeirion’s Botanic Garden Harmony Set features textured, white coordinates-with-anything plates and butterfly motif pieces that inject a complementary dose of fun. Special enough for an upscale dinner party and worth of any Instagram post, the durable earthenware material ensures they can grace your table every day.
Specifications:
- Price: $420
- Material: Earthenware
- What’s included: Four each of the 10.5-inch dinner plate, 8.5-inch salad plate, 6.5-inch cereal bowl and 16-ounce mugs
- Care instructions: Dishwasher- and microwave-safe
What we like:
- Earthenware pieces feel especially durable
- Garden print adds a bit of fun to your table
What we don’t like:
- It’s a high cost for pieces you might not want to use everyday
Portmeirion’s Botanic Garden Harmony 16-Piece Set
Best budget dinnerware set: Sango Stoneware Resona Dinnerware 16-Piece Set
The jeans-and-a-tee of the tabletop world, Sango Resona Stoneware Dinnerware Set offers a simple sophistication with its classic shape and clean look—plus the solid durability that stoneware provides. Topped with a moss green glaze for a slight rustic edge, “it’s versatile enough that it can be used every day,” said Beryl, “or for a more formal dinner.”
Specifications:
- Price: $62
- Material: Stoneware
- What’s included: Four each of 11.5-inch dinner plates, 8.25-inch salad plates, 7-inch soup bowls and 4.25-inch small bowls
- Care instructions: Dishwasher- and microwave-safe
What we like:
- Versatile enough for everyday use and more formal affairs
- Beautiful, clean look
What we don’t like:
- Some purchasers complained the dinner plates were too large for the dishwasher
Sango Stoneware Resona Dinnerware 16-Piece Set
Most stylish stoneware dinnerware set: Crate & Barrel Ora Stoneware Dinnerware 16-Piece Set
A stoneware set, Crate & Barrel’s Ora Dinnerware offers the durability you desire (it’s even oven-safe up to 250 degrees) but the reason it tops Beryl’s list is the hand-applied glaze that gives each dish a unique, subtle wash of color akin to waves crashing against the beach. “It is elegant and pretty,” she said, “and a nice way to add some color to the dinner table!”
Specifications:
- Price: $225
- Material: Glazed stoneware
- What’s included: Four each of 11.4-inch dinner plates, 8.27-inch salad plates, 5.9-inch bowls and 12-ounce mugs
- Care instructions: Dishwasher-, microwave- and oven-safe to 250 degrees
What we like:
- Oven-safe up to 250 degrees
- Pretty design dresses up a nice dinner, but is sleek enough for every day
What we don’t like:
- Price is on the higher end for dinnerware sets
- Some customers complained their dishes chipped easily
Crate & Barrel Ora Stoneware Dinnerware 16-Piece Set
Best Corelle dinnerware set: Corelle® Veranda 16-piece Dinnerware Set, Service for 4
The deep blue and aqua floral motif of the Corelle® Veranda 16-piece Dinnerware Set—inspired by seaside tiles—makes Beryl “want to throw a garden party.” But what’s really worth celebrating is the signature vitrified glass construction—three layers of glass that makes the plates virtually shatterproof and nearly impossible to chip or crack.
Specifications:
- Price: $110
- Material: Vitrified glass.
- What’s included: Four each of 10.25-inch dinner plates, 6.75-inch appetizer plates, 5.75-inch soup and cereal bowls and 5.5-inch dip and condiment bowls
- Care instructions: Dishwasher- and microwave-safe
What we like:
- Plates are pretty much shatterproof and difficult to chip
- Stack compactly to save space
- Beautiful design
What we don’t like:
- Only one bowl option
Veranda 16-piece Dinnerware Set, Service for 4
Best sustainable dinnerware set: Fable New York Colorful Bamboo Dinnerware
Crafted from a mix of bamboo fiber and non-GMO cornstarch, Fable’s Colorful Bamboo 16-Piece Set is earth-friendly and is finished with a touch of BPA-free melamine for extra durability. And did we mention that it’s cute? Available in seven bold, matte shades, there’s a mix-and-match option that will lend a party vibe to your table.
Specifications:
- Price: $148
- Material: Bamboo fiber and melamine
- What’s included: Four each of 10-inch dinner plates, 8-inch salad plates, 7-inch low bowls and 5.5-inch cereal bowls.
- Care instructions: Dishwasher-safe on the top rack, not microwave-safe
What we like:
- Made from sustainable bamboo
- Available in several shades that can be mixed and matched
- Melamine makes each piece extra-durable
What we don’t like:
- Not microwave safe
- The low bowls are on the smaller side
Fable New York Colorful Bamboo Dinnerware
Best modern dinnerware set: Jono Pandolfi Dinnerware, 4-Piece Place Setting
The choice of many chefs, the stoneware in the Jono Pandolfi Dinnerware set—handmade by a team of 10 artisans—is durable enough to withstand the wear and tear of high-volume commercial kitchens while looking sleek and contemporary. In addition to a chic gray glaze and a modern coupe shape, there’s also a large bowl for your pasta-eating needs.
Specifications:
- Price: $195
- Material: Stoneware
- What’s included: Four each of 10.5-inch entrée plate, 8.5-inch salad plate, 8.5-inch Alaska bowl and 5.75-inch cereal bowl
- Care instructions: Dishwasher and microwave safe
What we like:
- Each piece is handmade
- Durable enough for high-volume commercial kitchens
- Alaska bowl is great for dinner-size portions of meals like pasta
What we don’t like:
- Limited color options
Jono Pandolfi Dinnerware, 4-Piece Place Setting
Best melamine set: Gibson Home’s Brist 12-Piece Casual Gloss Melamine Outdoor Dinnerware
Serve these up at your next backyard barbecue or family picnic and you’ll thank yourself for making entertaining even easier. Lightweight enough to easily tote around, Gibson Home’s Brist 12-Piece Casual Gloss Melamine Outdoor Dinnerware is durable and chip-resistant. In an assorted mix of blue, green and gray, they’re a cheery choice. As an added bonus the depth of the bowls make them an ideal option for soups and other messy eats.
Specifications:
- Price: $40
- Material: Melamine
- What’s included: Four each of 10.75-inch dinner plates, 8.25-inch dessert plates and 6-inch bowls
- Care instructions: Dishwasher-safe on the top rack, not microwave-safe
What we like:
- The melamine material is break-, chip- and scratch-resistant
- Bright colors make for an attractive place setting
What we don’t like:
- Not microwave-safe
- Only one bowl option
Brist 12-Piece Casual Gloss Melamine Outdoor Dinnerware Set (Service for 4)
Best glass dinnerware set: Luminarc Arty French Glass Dinnerware, 12-Piece Set
Think of these as the pièce de resistance of your tablescape. Made with ever-so-slightly translucent tempered glass, the pretty pieces in the Luminarc Arty French Glass Dinnerware set appear dainty and delicate. But the dishes, crafted in France by a centuries-old, family-owned company are chip-proof and even thermal shock resistant.
Specifications:
- Price: $100
- Material: Tempered glass
- What’s included: Four each of 10-inch dinner plates, 8-inch salad plates and 7.75-inch bowls
- Care instructions: Dishwasher- and microwave-safe
What we like:
- Unique look
- Plates are thermal shock resistant
What we don’t like:
- Some reviewers complained of paint chipping (painted side is underneath each plate and bowl)
Luminarc Arty French Glass Dinnerware, 12-Piece Set
How we tested and selected the best dinnerware sets
When selecting the dishes, we drew upon many years of experience in the home and design realm and researched some of the most popular dinnerware sets on the market (based on reviews, durability, materials, and price). We also consulted with interior designer Beryl who offered tips on choosing the best set.
Frequently asked questions (FAQs)
What is the best material for dinnerware sets?
While options abound from affordable melamine to delicate bone china, Beryl is partial to a glazed ceramic, particularly for everyday use. Lightweight, strong and sealed to prevent water absorption that can lead to breaking, “It is durable and often temperature safe,” she says, “so it can be used to reheat and freeze food.”
What is the most reliable dinnerware?
Key considerations when selecting your perfect set: Pieces that are dishwasher- and microwave-safe, says Beryl, “something that has some weight to it, and something that is chip resistant. You want to be able to use it every day and not have to worry about it.” Of the dinnerware sets in our round-up, Corelle received especially positive reviews for durability.
Why is Corelle so expensive?
Parents of small children, take note! Made of vitrified glass, the well-known brand has earned its hefty price tag, swears Beryl. “It is made of a special three-layer glass that makes it super durable,” she explains. The material is virtually indestructible and it’s “guaranteed to be resistant to cracking, chipping and staining.”
Where is the best place to buy dinnerware sets?
Consider this a variety-is-the-spice-of-life situation. Beryl recommends starting your hunt at department stores like Nordstrom, Macy’s or Bloomingdale’s where options abound. And for those that like to see and hold what they’re buying, “you can go to stores such as Williams Sonoma, Crate & Barrel, Pottery Barn, or West Elm,” she continues, “as they tend to have the most in-stock options.”
If you’re looking to purchase a dinnerware set as a gift, you’ll have plenty of options at the same places couples register online for stylish versions of everything from air fryers to towels to coffee makers: Zola, Food52, and Joy.
How many dinnerware sets should you have?
This comes down largely to personal preference. “If you entertain a lot, it can be fun to have different dinnerware sets for different occasions or for different seasons,” says Beryl, and at least one festive set for holidays. But if you’re the minimalist type or low on cabinet space and/or cash, “then one everyday option and one more formal option is perfect.”
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