These are great picks and I love white china too -- it's timeless. Curious if you think everyday white china is good for special occasions like Thanksgiving too? It's all we have (we opted not to get fancy schmancy china for our wedding) and are hosting Turkey Day for the first time this year. I'm wondering if it's enough?

I don't love white china. It's sort of blah and a cliche. Drabware would be my ideal, but it's out of production and expensive. But since Shopgoodwill.com, and the HousingWorks, and every thrift store in town sells dishes, I say "why buy new?". Add some color for cheap, and skip the matchy-matchy.

I just got married and actually requested a pattern from C&B for its simplicity, color, shape, cost and the fact that a 100 year old Eva Zeisel ceramicist, designed the collection. I am very happy with my new set of dishes.

I really like Pottery Barn's Great White line (http://www.potterybarn.com/products_r/great-white-traditional-dinnerware/?pkey=e|great%2Bwhite|31|best|0|1|24||1&cm_src=PRODUCTSEARCH||NoFacet-_-NoFacet-_-NoMerchRules-_-). Simple but nice quality, and food looks great on them.

Our everyday is vintage Heath collected over the years on eBay.
Paler foods (like broiled fish and steamed rice) disappear on plain white china.

Ikea has really great sets that are extremely affordable. They offer some good colors too, if you wanted to mix and match. I love their shade of green, while my husband prefers the clean look of white, so we have some of each and they pair really well together! I typically stay away from Ikea, but for every day dishware it works, its easily replaceable and very versatile.

I love the Sophie Conran for Portmeiron dinnerware in white. Classy with a slight handmade vibe. Saw it in a certain Michelin star restaurant in London and felt like my choice was justified. :)

I would reject the Ovale-Alessi collection because I like rims on my plates. Makes the food look nicer and I read that you eat less if you have less usable surface area to fill. :)

Kaj Franck would be my choice!

We have a set of "Great White" from Pottery Barn that we use every single day. They are heavy, virtually unbreakable (we haven't broken a single plate or bowl and we hand wash every day) and the proportions are pleasing.It's like eating on restaurant plates every day. All our pieces - for eight place settings - soup bowls, cups/saucers, large lunch plates and large dinner plates - cost $200.
http://www.potterybarn.com/products/great-white-dinnerware/

I just purchased a set of "Essential" white plates from the Crate and Barrel outlet store this weekend http://www.crateandbarrel.com/dining-and-entertaining/dinnerware-sets/essential-dinnerware/f10931

I specifically chose these plates because they don't have a defined "well" in the center and I thought that made them look very modern.

I plan to mix-and-match them with some hand-made dinnerware that I bought in Italy.

I love my fiesta ware.

I have been using an Ikea version of plain white square dishes ("365+", I think they are called) for many many years and they are perfect. They were $4 a plate then, and still are, and I've filled in by buying extras for big family dinners of up to 24. They are stylish and cheap and long lasting and food looks great on them. They look just like the CB version, as far as I can tell by your pix.

Are chargers declasse? I went with (off-) white china all around- so as not to worry about having "good" and "everyday"-because there's not room or $$$ for "good" AND "everyday". I thought it would be a good solution.

I'm not sure I would consider the Alessi prices "not more than C&B and WS" It's a little pricey for me for everyday when you have kids around.

For some reason I just can't handle plain white. I need patterns and design. All of my every day dishes are actually vintage Mikasa. I love the Ben Seibel designed dishes. I have slowly collected his dishes and now have around 45 plates all in different patterns but same style so they somewhat match in their unmatchedness.

Ditto the vintage Heath stoneware via eBay!

Not everything has to come from brand new a store - there's mountains of interesting vintage dinnerware and china out there just waiting for someone to appreciate and collect.
I even collect my "Good China" via eBay - my lovely and extensive collection of Wedgwood Flying Cloud was begun from a few pieces given to me by my mother and added to over the years via eBay - the only trouble with collecting this way is knowing when to stop!

I recently went to C&B to register for dishes and found it really hard to find something good...so I was excited to read this post. Really disappointed though -- all boring, basic white. I want something with a little bit of style too.

I use my vintage plates from the 50's and 60's all from Goodwill...Over the years I have collected enough of each pattern to almost have a complete set...i don't understand buying china...seems like a waste of money.

Not quite so plain but my china is excellent everyday restaurant china - made in the USA.

Another great option for white everyday stuff is a restaurant supply store. They have good, durable cheap china.

We registered for Lenox "Aspen Ridge" at Macy's and LOVE it. It's porcelain (microwave, dishwasher & oven safe), dinner plates are $22 (but almost always on sale), and it's a soft white color. It feels like fine china, but it's affordable and good for everyday use.

I, too, love Fiesta ware. I DON'T love Ikea-while it's good-looking and affordable, it's quite delicate, which negates the affordability. We just replaced some old china (including many chipped/broken Ikea pieces) with the Fishs Eddy set pictured above, and I love how rustic, hearty they are.

Williams-Sonoma Brasserie all teh way

If you're going to use vintage china make sure the glaze doesn't contain lead. Even with new stuff, I wouldn't consider anything made outside the US, European Community or Japan.

I like having more than one set of dishes when I have white because I tend to get bored with all white and like to switch out with another set that has some pattern and designs.

I have C+B's essential dinnerware. I insist on white dishes ("patterns and colors confuse the food," I've been known to say), or white with a simple band. I really like these dishes, they are inexpensive, sturdy, and simple. My "good" china is pretty boring too, except for the salad plates. Vera Wang gold lace.

A long time ago I started buying two of a kind plates in yellow and blue from places like Marshalls & TJ Maxx. I never know which one I'm going to grab when I set the table, but I am never bored with the plates, as I was when I had a "set." If you break one, you just replace it with a new pattern.

I used green Pier One dishes for 10 years and just replaced them with Rosenthal Thomas Loft dishes which I LOVE! The white is so refreshing and they have a subtle ringed patten which makes them really interesting, in my opinion.

Williams-Sonoma Everyday Dinnerware. I've had mine for six years and only one bowl (that I dropped on the driveway) is slightly chipped. I have six kids and a husband so these dishes have taken a beating. Good size (i.e. not too big - i hate huge dishes), classic design and affordable too.
The drawback - if you don't like white - then keep looking.

I'm happy with my CB Aspen set for everyday usage.

It's on sale now. $47.50 for a 20-piece dinnerware set: http://www.crateandbarrel.com/dining-and-entertaining/dinnerware-sets/aspen-20-piece-dinnerware-set/s568651

I bought 3 sets of Corelle bright white china. I got the plate, the cereal bowl with plastic lids, the saucer and mug. With 3 small children, I wanted something that could fall on the floor and not break. I loved it. Well, I bought it when I lived in a house with hardwoods; we now have tile. Those things shatter like nobodies business. We are still finding shards in odd nooks and crannies of the kitchen area.

I use vintage Fireking anniversary edition whites with a swirl pattern and gold band around the top. For color, I collect their mugs which I can sit on my woodburning stove in the winter. Glasbake also made these square mugs that I use daily for everything from leftover casserole to french onion soup.

I've included a link to a set that I adore! This set has a great weight to it.. Looks wonderful on the shelf and is affordable. Great product. Washes well, and should be a lot more expensive! Check it out!
http://milo.com/colorado-white-16-pc-dinnerware-set

Wedgewood "Windsor" for everyday. Coffee cups, aka "breakfast cups", rock. They're huge!

We opted to not do white, and very very occasionally I regret that, but overall I'm really happy with our choice: Villeroy & Bach's Switch 3 Cordoba (along with some standard Switch 3 pieces). It was on sale when we registered for our wedding and appears to be still/again. It's a good value, I think.

http://www.villeroy-boch.com/en/us/home/products/tischkultur/dinnerware.html?artikel=1026672610

They've also got some interesting all-white lines if you're more into that.

We merged my thrift store stoneware and hubby's C&B blue striped plates on marrying; later phased out the stoneware and added W-S Brasserie plates & soup bowls; introduced some Russell Wright serving pieces and a Main Street by Harmony House dessert set; then phased out the C&B and bought a bunch of new and vintage Fiesta ware plates and bowls. Very happy with the color; the white W-S plates are for overflow guest use.

I go to Japantown or Chinatown in SF to buy simple porcelain and stoneware. Clement Street is great, too.

Vintage pieces clean up well with Barkeeper's Friend.

Apilco white china, from France, is carried by Williams-Sonoma, and you can buy a la carte. Serving platters of different sizes, soup terrines, even little porcelain cows in which to serve cream. The price adds up, but it is microwave and oven safe and lasts a lifetime. That said, I use my red, orange and yellow Fiestaware every day! Wish the bowls fit a little more easily into my dishwasher racks . . . .

A word on Aspen from C&B: can't keep replacing them as fast as I'm breaking and chipping them. I am giving up! No little kids at home. Just me and my 20-something son. Admittedly, I'm a bit of a klutz at times, have tile floors and granite countertops, but had a set of restaurant-type plates for years that I left behind in my last cross country move. The Aspen plates are lovely to look at but I am no longer going to even try to replace them any more. Sorry -- love C&B otherwise.

I recently bought my first set of "adult" dishes beyond my mismatched hand-me-downs from college, and wanted white so it would match any kitchen I have (because I'm still renting and my move frequently). I bought the Canopy Square White Porcelain 16-Piece Dinnerware Set from Walmart (of all places!) simply because it was cheap at $50 for the set, and you can buy singles of whatever piece you might chip or break. Plus it came with small plates and big plates, and the small places are big enough to use for dinner plates, so now I have 8 plates for guests even though I only bought a 4-serving set. I LOVE them!!

I agree with the article in that food always looks better on white plates, but I will add that food looks even better on SQUARE white plates!

Another good place for nice, unique, classy white china is Pearl River Mart in SoHo.

I love a lot of Denby's whiteware, which I believe is on sale right now!

i lucked out and bought wedgwood colosseum platinum as it was going out of stock a few years ago. $1 a piece! i got 24 place settings! bone china is best as it SUPER STRONG!

I LOVE our Thomas for Rosenthal "Loft" dinnerware, sold at Bloomies, Macy's, etc. Looks fantastic dressed up or down, and doesn't remind me of catering hall dinnerware like so many other plain white sets do.

I love love love my Fishs Eddy dishware. Though, given some of the fantastic patterns they have, it's really hard for me to buy the white. Definitely a heftier, sturdy everyday type of dishware.

We've been using our cobalt-blue Fiestaware for the last 15 years and still love it. I also have a collection of blue and white plates and platters (some classic china, others more mod) that complement it nicely.

We have a Corelle-type set of BLACK dishes, rounded square plates, that I still like, that never break, but that are starting to show their wear. It seems that after many years, the coating that makes this material break-resistant also can scar, making the plates (at least in black) seem scuffed and dirty looking when they are clean. So I need to replace them with something. Black again would be great -- food looks at least as good on black as on white! I'm watching.
(I did get some black stoneware dishes at Target, but the dinner plates are more like flat bowls, not at all nice to eat from. So they aren't the final solution.)

I've had C & B Aspen for 10 years and had very few problems with chipping. It is an attractive, cheap basic white set. I just got some white serving pieces from C & B's Madison line that i really like.
I like white, but I'm a chef and look at white plates all day long. I just got married and definitely wanted fine china that was not plain white. We will use the fine china fairly often, but not everyday.

There are a lot of comments here about white vs. colorful or pattered dishware. I think the decision should in part be determined by your "plating" ability. If you look at any of the seemingly inummerable chef shows color and texture are always brought to the table by the artistry of the food presentation. White seems to be the choice if you have that ability. On the otherhand simply plated foods can get lost or look unimpressive on white and color and pattern can add life to the presentation. Buy dishes that work with your food presentation ability and compositional eye...

I lucked into some pure-white second-hand Noritake in the "Angela" pattern. It's so old, it says "Detergent Proof" on the underside---meaning it was safe to wash it in automatic dishwashers! I love it, and constantly search to buy more.

I also have a large collection of restaurant service---all white---which I bought in second-hand stores. I adore those little 4 oz. serving bowls---the perfect size for so many things.

Maxwell & Williams has very affordable and modern bone china. I have the square coupe set and love it:

http://www.white-porcelain.co.uk/cashmere-coupe-square-bc20.php

Not sure about US availability but I got mine at The Bay in Canada.

I only use vintage Russel Wright. Oh, except for my Colorflyte melmac for everyday. As several before me have said, there's lots of grat vintage stuff to be had.

Pottery Barn Great White Traditional-durable enough for everyday, but graceful enough for fine dining!

I love my mismatched black-and-white dinnerware from everywhere (four plates each of five or six patterns, some vintage, some modern), but if I was going to stick to one neutral pattern it would be the Classic Century by Eva Zeisel from C&B. It seems plenty special to me.

I have had Block Spal's Lisboa White for the last 20 years and love them. I know a few people that have these for their formal china, but I love that I can use them everyday and dress them up for holidays and dinner parties. You made no mention of the real difference between stoneware and porcelain but it is worth noting. Porcelain you can put in a warm oven to warm the plates, stoneware will crack. Porcelain has a finer look and feel which makes it nice for formal occasions, stoneware is heavier and therefore more casual. Porcelain can look more cold, stoneware has a warmer feel and tone.

I just bought a huge buffet service from Neiman Marcus for a super price for the holidays. Less than $90 with free shipping, service for twelve. My china seems more formal as time goes by and needed something simple with plenty of dinner plates.

I vote for Muji, which is what we use for our every day. Very affordable and well proportioned (deep soup bowls!), but the aesthetic is a little more sophisticated than lines at a similar price point. To make things interesting, I pick up rice bowls and small serving dishes in singles from the japanese store when a pattern strikes my fancy.

My aspirational everyday ware would be Adonde stoneware. Higher price point, but durable, stackable, and goes anywhere (dishwasher, microwave, oven...)

I agree...it about showing off you food not your china...white or less typically black...does this best..I like white plates but then mix and match patterned pieces "salad plates/dessert plates" to create a design flair....for my money best white dinner ware is from the french company Revol

I have Wedgwood Edme for my everyday china. It is off white, and I liked a breakfast mug first. I also have HUGE breakfast cups and saucers that are fun. It is very similar to Windsor Wedgwood, mentioned above. In fact, I have the Windsor Teapot because I like it better than the Edme Teapot.

Edme is practically free on Ebay. I have been collecting for years, and have six different plates, including two sizes of crescents, square plates, and several different size bowls, footed and not, and way too many platters. They also have a companion stoneware line with ramekins, dutch ovens, and many other pieces.

It's a very old pattern that was first make in 1905 or 1906 I believe, and I understand it was retired on it's 100th birthday.

In a restaurant, I think it should be about showing off the food. But when entertaining at home, I think food is only a part of it. White is convenient for everyday, but for more special meals, I prefer beautiful china and table linens with some pattern or color. It just seems to make the occasion, and your guests, feel more special.

I just got the Villeroy & Bosch white "New Wave"--the handles on the cups are lovely! They are not bulky and do have a flowing effect.

We have the Maison dinnerware from C&B too. I love it. It is our only set of dishes. We have some patterned and colorful serving pieces.

I love having white dinner plates and I like to introduce color with my linens, serving pieces, flowers, etc.

Collect my Heath for the beautiful colors. I think green beans look wonderful in a green bowl and pasta with tomato sauce looks great on an orange platter and a big hunk of chocolate cake looks like heaven on a brown plate.

We use vintage Fire King Turquoise dishes from the '50s as everyday dishes. Just like the more popular Jadeite (green) color, but a soft blue that's surprisingly neutral. Great thing is that the dish sizes are much smaller than today's standard sizes, so it's much easier to control portion sizes. We also have a set of Ikea 365 white dishes. As commented above, they're basically identical to the CB dishes pictured, at even cheaper prices.

There is so much retro, vintage and collectable china about, I have 4 "everyday" dinner sets. My favourite is "Camelot" (Chevron UK) from 1962 by Denby, although I love the one pictured above "Teema" by Kaj Franck.

Williams-Sonoma Brasserie. I love them. Nicely prepared food always looks best against white.

While there is a part of me that just lusts after Iittala's Origo patterns, I know that all white plates tend allow the food to be the flare. So I just got Sasaki's Beechwood White, which has a white on white wood grain pattern around the rim. Also at the price I got it at, I can feel okay about using it everyday.

I have chocolate coloured stoneware with a slight lip and cream stoneware regular dinner plates. Depending on what I am serving, I will use the one with best contrast for plating and sit that plate on the other colour.

"...white...makes all foods look good." My mother put that notion in my head years ago and I've not been able to take patterned dishware seriously since! As with wearing classic clothing, you just have to know how to accessorize.
.

I've been using the C&B Aspen white set for years and haven't chipped a single dish. One thing to watch for is that some of the newer pieces are slightly different color. (greyish white vs. bright white).

I like the set because the plates aren't huge and there are low wide bowls that work well for pasta dishes.

My everyday dishes are Fiestaware. They are affordable, durable, timeless, U.S. made and the mixing and matching combinations are endless. My mom and sister will often buy pieces to add which is great b/c they are now buying things I like and will actually use. I have enough white pieces that I can have an all-white table as well. I also add vintage and other unique pieces to the fiesta and it usually works great.

P.S. Fishs Eddy is a great place for everyday china. I enjoyed shopping there years ago. I came home so inspired I bought bisqueware pasta dishes and glazed my own patterns on the rims.

I also have Rosenthal Loft and I love it. I have been buying pieces a la carte. It is white but the lines makes it interesting.

Who would want white. With all the great styles and colors out there, even the re-emergence of melamine, white is ho-hum.

Yes! Thankyou, Lisa Hunter. We only have 'good china,' and we use it everyday.

My mom was about to buy new dishes and I gave her heck for it. She has a beautiful set of Noritake china (very simple & classic) that has only ever been used two or three times a year, which her and my dad are about to start using as their day-to-day.

Although it would be nice to have an all white set occassionally, I still prefer some color on the table especially if that color is cobalt blue! I've had my Arabia of Finland dishes for 40 years! They were modern then and still are. At the 25 year mark I thought about replacing them...but couldn't find any I liked better! They were a little pricey when I bought them, but 40 years longevity makes them very affordable!!

I second the Sophie Conran for Portmeirion. I have six place settings in three different colors and mix and match or use just one color depending on the meal. Keeps it fun, but also allows me an all white option.

I love my Fiestaware. Enough that I showed my folks mine and got them some when they just moved into their new house. Two of their new colors overlap with mine.

My everyday dishes are a cheap matte black set that I adore. I bought them at Walmart a more than a decade ago, but I recently discovered that Bed Bath & Beyond still carries them as open stock.

I have heavy duty white like the ones from Fishes Eddy. Love them. Durable and, so far, unbreakable. I bought them years ago at a Christmas Tree Store out on Cape Cod. When I want to fancy it up a bit I use another white set -- from my mom's estate -- also simple but with a thin silver band.

The only other color I like is black which provides a dramatic contrast with certain foods (salmon, soft shell crab or yellow rice or (surprisingly) black squid ink pasta, strawberries, etc.).

Black or white never clashes with or detracts from the food on the plate.

Maxwell and Williams ARE wonderful and have SO many varieties. Their serving platters, teapots etc are gorgeous. They are an Australian company with no distributor here that I know of but if you can get them in Canada, all the better. Check out http://www.maxwellandwilliams.com.au/info.asp?brand=mw
Their standard white china and is priced in the same (or maybe lower) price range than C&B and better quality, doesn't chip and isn't bulky like Fishers Eddy. They are a huge hit in Australia and really should have a distributor here.
I love my all white everyday Wedgewood but HATE the silly little bowls that came with the set - and as much as I love the shape of the cups and saucers, I have NEVER used them.
Would have been better buying individual pieces than the entire place setting.
Need some large Asian soup bowls - any suggestions?
Also have vintage china I inherited that I like to mix and match and some odd pieces of colored crockery (eg.lime green cereal bowls from Ikea $1 each) which I mix with the Wedgewood for a bit of pop - a bit like that great handbag or those fantastic cushion covers that you can change with the seasons, the occasion, or your mood!) Sometimes I need a little color to start my day and the peace of the white when I return. Or maybe I just need to make cereal look more interesting...

There's a lot of suggestions and kudos etc. above, but of Maxwell's recommendations, which plates are NOT made in China, is what I'd like to know.

Some Ikea dinnerware is made in China. Furthermore, I find their plates scratch up really easily - grey marks show up within a few months of use.

I'm concerned about heavy metals in the glaze, like lead. Further, once plates have scratch marks in them, they shouldn't be used. When I took a pottery class, the teacher said never to use plates with scratches in them, due to exposure to the chemicals/metals in the glaze.

So, what can one purchase at a reasonable price made in North America?

As I mentioned about, Wedgwood Edme is very inexpensive, and made in England.

I would be very, very concerned about buying a lot of china at a low price from an expensive store. It must come from China, and who knows what is in it. I certainly wouldn't want to eat off of it.

If I had to start from scratch, I'd get the Eva Steisel design from C & B.

I bought a set of high quality Italian pottery on sale at a local store in Park Slope. It features fanciful hand-painted ducks. My daughter grew up with it and loved it at every age.

My sister inherited a set of Haviland bone china that was our grandmother's. It is exquisite and we use it at Thanksgiving.

Because each set feels so special, we haven't broken much of either.

I use my grandmother's Franciscan Red Tonquin, some super heavy Japanese Blue Willow grill plates, a ham fisted India Tree pattern stamped "Japan," and some American Airlines first class china casseroles with a silver edge. In addition, I have a set of Homer Laughlin dessert plates with a mustard greek key pattern on the edge which work with everything. All of these patterns are sturdy enough for every day yet seem "fancy" and make meals feel special. Even when it is an omelette with some greens.

Why no love for Corelle? I hate their bowls and cups but I love the plates (the smaller ones). I found that I was eating too much out of my old, larger stoneware plates. Also, it's much easier to handwash a smaller, lighter plate. My only problem is that my wife and I can't stand the fugly color and pattern. (We've got the country stenciled hearts shtick... but the ones at Walmart are no better.)

The bit about scratches eventually showing on Corelle is true, but it's less noticeable on lighter colors.

I'm rather shocked that "heavy" is considered a virtue on anything other than a Chinese tea service. Actually, I just got rid of a bunch of stoneware. Too big for my apt and a pain in the neck to care for and store. PLUS that lovely risk of burning yourself Freddy Kreuger when used in the oven.

Seriously, though, restaurant ware? You realize it's like that for a reason, right?

Sasaki Colorstone Black - Vignelli Design - Sadly - not made anymore....

We love our Fiesta ware. Versatile, sturdy, fun and funky, mixy or match-y. Dress it up or dress it down with service pieces from the thrift store or inheritances from the family. One caution about vintage Fiesta or other dinnerware. Be sure to test for lead in the glaze.

I have a set of white Mikasa china that I have used for 25 years and it still looks as white and pretty as ever. I just add some colorful or patterned salad plates or chargers when I want a change. Everyday I use lazy daisy by crate and barrel which is no longer in stock but I love the white background with the black pencil line drawings of a 1960's daisy. Satisfies this old flower child! Fun post and check out our post on china at www.onlinefabricstore.com/blog since I think table settings are every bit a part of decorating a home.

Every food look amazing on my cobalt blue dishes, bought years ago from Pier One Imports. White dishes are fine, but the blue makes everything look prettier.

I LOOOOVE my Fiestaware! I have one in every color! So much fun!

I have 6 vintage Buffalo china salad plates that have nary a chip or hairline fracture after 8 years of daily use, so when I replaced my everyday tableware earlier this year, I bought the Buffalo China at Williams Sonoma:
http://www.williams-sonoma.com/products/buffalo-china-dinnerware-collection/ Sturdy, clean-lined, and at WS, always a generous return policy. We love our tableware!

I've used our Denby Greenwich for almost 10 years now - it still looks great (no scratches or chips), and I still love the green color in the rim. With the white plate and green rim it meets both the "plating" and need for color criteria! Denby has lots of different colors, ranging from more neutral to more colorful, depending on what you are looking for.

I have Noritake colorwave stoneware which is a nice soft cream on the inside and comes in tons of different colors on the outside. I have them in four different colors and I love it.

For our daily dishes, we go with service from restaurant supply. It's incredibly durable, well-priced (for the quality), and easy to build on or replace. Plus, it makes the food look so good!

Our china is from Homer Loughlin, which is made in the USA. They have great modern and traditional styles. This is ours: http://www.hlchina.com/catalogs/Altra/index.html

Our formal china is Wedgewood. While I love our plain plates for everyday, it's so much fun to bring out the ornate stuff for holidays and special meals.

I'm so happy to see other comments about Fiestaware. I've used my cobalt blue Fiestaware for about 13+ years and NEVER broken or chipped one piece -- except for the bowl I threw at my (now ex) husband....

I'm prone to clumsiness in the kitchen, so one of my best purchases has been the Pottery Barn Suppertime set made of thick porcelian. 6 years of everyday use without a single nick or crack!

To 34newbdwy: You can find replacement pieces of the Sasaki Colorstone-Black. Just Google it or go to www.replacements.com (Replacements, Ltd.). I actually saw that many pieces are available in quantity.

I love my simple, square, white Corelle dishes. They're light so you can carry several easily, they fit in the dishwasher much better than the heavy porcelain plates I used to have, and they don't have edges on the bottom that can scratch the table.

The best thing about white china - allows us to splurge on fun linens, pottery bowls, etc to make the table different at any time. I love my Aplico from WS.

white china stain if you use spaces; ikea china is bad quality unfortunately - will chip sooner than later; our everyday china are plates/bowls we bought in Target 13 years ago on cheap - cobalt blue glass made in France.

How about a "Best Fine China" post? I would love to see what AT would come up with! I am a china junkie.

I LOVE my Fiesta ware. My two year old has never used the stupid plastic baby bowls - she uses my fiesta stuff and has yet to break or chip anything. And, my favorite part, if one should break, I can get a new color and no one will be the wiser. Why get something that you worry about replacing pieces when this is durable and easily replaceable? Plus, it's fun. We have a set in every color... but then, I am guessing that we are not as formal as many of you. Everyday china? Fine china? China? Really? We have dishes that we love and use. If guests are offended by simples tastes, they are obviously in the wrong house.

I bought yellow Teema dinner plates and Paratiisi cups and plates for my everyday china. Love the colors and happy patterns. They have lasted pretty well, though dishwasher will eventually break the glazing. I thought that they were pretty expensive but comparing to the prices of the white china featured here, they were pretty cheap. About C&B, their china usually is pretty durable except the earthen ware patterns. With kids, do not buy earthen ware, it chips and breaks easily.

I have a very simple, white porcelain collection I purchased from Kitchen Stuff Plus in Toronto. Canadian company, similar to Crate & Barrel but waaay better prices.

http://www.kitchenstuffplus.com/search/index.php?searchstring=luminite&imageField.x=0&imageField.y=0

I dress it up and give it a new look by buying interesting side plates or bowls and an assortment of serving pieces. Sometimes I am tempted to get a new set of colored or patterned stuff but I know I will get bored eventually and revert back to white.

I invested in a set of Spode Mansard white bone china 10 years ago. Love it, but unfortunately I have broken 3 of the 8 dinner plates in the set, and learned that it was discontinued since my purchase and is now very hard to find and expensive. Does anyone out there have any spare dinner plates??? I would much appreciate any sources as I don't really want to replace the whole set. Thanks.

@SusanneD -

You can find replacements for just about any set of china at www.replacements.com. You might find better deals on eBay, though.

I use red glass dishes, by Arcoroc (French company) which I purchased in 1980. None have broken in all these years!

And I agree with the posters who dislike plain white dishes -- too boring!

I'm on board with those in the C&B Classic Century camp. It's stunning and I love that it's a reissue of some of Eva Zeisel's mid-century work.

Denby! Denby Denby Denby! Any color of denby wins my heart.

And Lenox's Tin Can Alley.

I have the Maison collection as well. I love white dinnerware because it lets the food take centerstage. It's like having white walls in an Art Gallery. The food shines and does not have to compete. It also forces me to add more color with fresh greens and herbs.

We have Wedgwood White bone china. We love the simplicity and the shape and feel of the tea cups and bowls especially. And since it's bone china, it's super strong and durable. A friend's toddler was over and she knocked her plate on the wood floor with no ill effects. Not the cheapest, but we found a great deal on Amazon. Besides, it should last many years!

When I got married a couple months ago, I registered for Pottery Barn's Emma Earthenware collection http://www.potterybarn.com/products/emma-dinnerware-white/?pkey=cdinnerware-white

After chipping multiple pieces, I took everything back and exchanged it for their Great White Traditional Porcelain, which is practically unbreakable, and elegant.
http://www.potterybarn.com/products/great-white-traditional-dinnerware/?pkey=cdinnerware-white

"Everyday" earthenware does not exist.

we mix and match everything. every once in a while i think i ought to have a plain white set of dinner plates, but at the moment i have no room, probably because i keep adding to my gorgeous mismatched collection of handmade pottery bowls, which i do actually use.

our motto: there's no such thing as "good" versus "everyday" china. it's all one. seems silly to put the pretty away and only bring it out once or twice a year. life's too short, as far as i'm concerned!

We have that C&B set and I love it. Personally, I like the way food looks on a crisp, rimmed white plate. It can be dressed up or dressed down depending on what else you put on your table. We mix and match the white with fancy china, colored glassware, bright linens, and pretty much anything else, which I also love. Even if I could spend a gazillion dollars on china, I still wouldn't--this set is so practical and I'm not going to get upset if guests or future children break a plate or two.

I love my Arabia Anemone (grayish white with dark blue trim) as much now as I did when I got married in 1973 and it's funny to think of it as vintage 70s now.

White is OK if that's what you like, but IMHO there are too many wonderful kinds of pottery and china to stick with plain white for everything.

No less than SEVEN set of china here--I was an only child and ended up with it all.

My white Fiestaware is sturdy and goes with everything.

I have a giant set of white Fiesta ware for everyday. Love it except for one thing. How does one remove the "scuff marks" from repeated contact with flatware? The glaze is intact and beautiful, but over time, the scuff marks accumulate and I can't find anything to remove them. Anyone know?

I actually like Dollar Store for this type of thing. You can get a sharp looking service for 16... for $16. They carry Libbey glasswear and modern white dishes/bowls. Can't beat that, really.

Plain white is booooorrrrrrrring! I'm on the prowl for something new and tropical-looking. We live very casually in Florida and just don't do dinner parties like we did up north. Tea lights on the screened porch after margharitas and appetizers are our lifestyle now, and something yummy, fast, and easy for dinner. I'm giving all my good, expensive, and very beautiful china to my newly married son, along with the family silver, and not having to polish a damned thing anymore feels mah-vel-ous, dahlings!

Maison 140 in Chelsea has Revol and Pillivuyt...both made in France. Maison 140 also carries a really cool line from Germany that is white with chalkboards on the front. Airtight! 212.255.0022/www.Maison140nyc.com