Lightweight, thin, whimsical everyday dinnerware?

[Kim N]

We have such mismatched everyday dinnerware that I'm looking to replace it all. I'm looking for something thin and lightweight like Corelle, but in a whimsical design, and serves 4-6 for under $120. Anyone have suggestions?

 

[yssie]

I LOVE my Corelle stuff. Been using it for decades. It's just so EASY to deal with. Unbreakable. Doesn't chip, doesn't scratch. Super light and easy to manhandle in the sink - I get so annoyed washing big, heavy, awkard pots and pans and dishes, having them slip from soapy hands and slosh everywhere and either break or break whatever they land on... Never stains, never absorbs smells, microwave and dishwasher safe, oven safe up to 350F (and doesn't do that weird staining-yellow-from-oven-use thing that my enamel always does). Unbeatable pricing!!

The prints are... Mostly either blah or trying too hard, IMO, and they fade within a couple of years. I replaced our old Corelle with plain white Winter Frost over the summer and I'm really happy with it - it's bland but inoffensive. I'm boring when it comes to tableware! Our never-used wedding china is also a very boring pattern, now that I think about it

The one usability downside is that it does transfer temperature (I know that isn't the right terminology) quickly... I normally prewarm plates for things like tacos and pasta, and prewarming the Corelle would have no effect - it'd be back to room temperature in a few heartbeats. I wouldn't use it to serve hot steaks or hot soup or ice cream, because your hands would burn/freeze and the food would cool/melt right away. We use (yup, mismatched ) earthenware for those meals.

 

[Kim N]

@yssie, thanks for the enthusiastic recommendation of Corelle! Any thoughts on their square-with-rounded-corners sets compared to regular round sets? I'm eyeing Jacaranda—but it's square, and I've never used square dinnerware before—and Key West—but it doesn't seem to be available for sale as an 18-piece, service for 6 (we never use the mugs so prefer the plates and bowls only).

 

[Arcadian]

I would suggest calamityware but its not cheap but very well made. Not as lightweight as corelle unfortunately. On the other end, will not bulk up your forearms like Fiestaware will.

 

[Elizabeth35]

The majority of people love Corelle due the weight and durability.
Just to be devil's advocate---as Yssie pointed out, the temperature transfer. So bowls can't be used for hot things like soup, or cold things (ice cream). This alone would push me to something else because that means I couldn't really use their serving pieces since the food would not stay hot/cold.
That on top of your food cooling/warming quickly on the dinner plates.
I'm assuming that is due to it being glass as opposed to stoneware or porcelain?

My mom and sister had Corelle and loved it. I have never had any because I don't like the sound and feel of it, but I know I am in the minority.

 

[SallyBrown]

This is what we love and use:

Corelle plates and bowls
Fiestaware mugs for coffee, tea, and sometimes soup
Ball canning jars for cold drinks

Casual chic IMO. And (I think) all nontoxic and made in the USA.

 

[lyra]

I'd search for fine bone china in white. It can be found at places like Homegoods, and you buy open stock. I found that over time, I would just get really sick of patterns. Plain white is really versatile. Bone china is light weight, but also strong. Just a consideration.

 

[Kim N]

Thanks, everyone! I will look into these suggestions.

 

[kenny]

+1 on the Corelle.

Their patterns/styles/colors change with the times, so I bought the plain white.
The white "pattern" never disappears, so replacements pieces will always be available.

Corelle is chip and break resistant, but not break-proof.
And when it does break it shatters into many long scalpel-sharp shards.
I'm not kidding ... scalpel-sharp! MUCH sharper than regular china or even glass.
That's why if I had kids I would not have Corelle.

 

[yssie]

My other half detests square dishes of any sort, so everything we’ve got is round. I actually like non-round shapes but he feels so much more strongly about it than I do - we just go his way!

I do love Corelle but I agree that it’s not a great all-in-one solution... But I don’t know that any one lower-price material is, really. I love the idea of daily bone china or porcelain if it’s possible to find a matched service and spares without paying significantly more!!

@kenny - I didn’t know that about how it breaks... That’s really good to know

 

[canuk-gal]

I'd search for fine bone china in white. It can be found at places like Homegoods, and you buy open stock. I found that over time, I would just get really sick of patterns. Plain white is really versatile. Bone china is light weight, but also strong. Just a consideration.

+1.

So many people are unloading their FBC. Consignment places are rife with GORGEOUS place settings. But many settings are not whimsical and have gold accents or rims, so microwaving is out of the question.