Deja vu?

i have the Aspen from c&b, and i like it.
note that there will slight differences from year to year as the production houses change. i bought 2 sets last year (made in sri lanka i think), and picked up a few replacement pieces this year (made in china?). there was a difference in the heft of the replacement, and they're noticeably heavier/thicker, although they look the same.

Didn't we do this a month ago?

I have Crate and Barrel's Aspen and really like it. It's great how they are sold open stock so you can add on as you need. I've had mine for two years and have been surprised how resistant they are to chipping. The mugs are too small for me, but Crate also sells a larger white latte so now we use those as our mugs with this set.

Thanks for posting this. I am in the process of looking for dinnerware and this really helps!

The great thing about white dinnerware is that it is perfect for mixing with other patterns. Vintage white dinnerware is always a great inexpensive way to start a collection.

While I like patterns and textures on some things, I think the food should be the star attraction! It pops nicely against all white plates.

We bought the Ikea 365 on moving to a new house recently. I liked that it didn't have mugs and the shape of the bowls, but man are those bowls HUGE.

I have all white dinnerware, but since a post last year about mixing and matching dinnerware, I'm obsessed with having a full set of mixed pieces from here there and everywhere. Though I do agree that food looks best on white plates.

For everyday use nothing beats basic white restaurant dinnerware. You can get them at restaurant supplies stores, are super cheap, and made to last.

I personally like the way food looks on my black and grey spatterware Bennington Pottery plates....but I grew up with the Aspen, it's been around forever, like me. With 4 kids, my Mom needed open stock...and I can testify that it showcased her fabulous cooking perfectly ! She also opted for bigger mugs for coffee. Coloured ones, with white interiors. Love you, Mom !

CB2 has great selection too... I always get compliments how beautiful they are..

Sorry to be Debbie Downer (again) but I've give up on Aspen already -- cannot replace them fast enough as they keep breaking and chipping. I will be purchasing something sturdier. I'd had dishes that were restaurant style before that I'd purchased on Amazon that are no longer available -- that's what I'll be buying again. I guess I just have butter fingers (sigh).

If you are in the NYC area, Fishs Eddy carries a great durable line of diner whites:

http://www.fishseddy.com/browse.cfm/2,104.html

Each piece is sold separately, but is quite affordable!

Any observations about the durability of each of these? (I did notice a couple of comments above...) I like how Corelle holds up, but not fond of some of the pieces, and I tend to be a bit klutzy, so I don't want to consider anything too fragile or precious.

I absolutely love my Suppertime white dishes from Pottery Barn. Beautiful design, sturdy and if you buy 6 of one kind (plate, mug, etc.) you get a discount.

There's also Williams-Sonoma Pantry line: the dinner plates are $39 for 6, and other pieces have similar prices. It looks almost as nice as the porcelain french pieces there.

We switched from some clunky white dishes to the Corelle ones above and LOVE them. Not only are they super light weight, the are VERY hard to break, which is fantastic with kids.

I ordered a new all-white dinnerware set from Kahla as I can't wait to get rid of all the mismatching mugs and plates that sit in my kitchen now. I once had a set of dinnerware from IKEA and everything exept the mugs chiped quickly while the breakfast plates broke really soon, so I replaced it with mixed hand me downs. So I wonder what other experiences with IKEA dinnerware are around here. I wouldn't recommend it.

I love my white Corelle! It is very durable (except that when it does break, it sort of explodes). It also is very thin so a stack of plates does not take up a lot of room--a great benefit in my small kitchen.

French Country side by Mikasa.
I LOVE LOVE the set. They were very affordable too when I bought them on sale.
One day, I'd love to buy Country Heritage set by Villeroy & Boch.

I have the CB2 modern dinnerware and I really love how they look, and how they stack up when put away. However, the shape makes them a little hard to arrange in dishwashers since the lip makes them wider than regular plates. I'd probably also prefer a soup/cereal bowl that had a rounded bottom - but I just bought some separate bowls for that and use the one in the set for salad or other apps.

believe it or not, the white dinnerware at the dollar tree looks pretty saucy. not sure how they'd last. i have all white dishes that came from marshall's and have last me about 6 years.

I've had a set of Aspen for several years and haven't had any pieces break or chip. I donated the cups and saucers because I didn't need them, so I can't speak to their durability.

I have done OK with Ikea's dinnerware, but have had a terrible time with their glassware. Two years after purchasing three sets of drinking glasses, I only have a handful left. It's not that I'm clumsy -- only my Ikea glasses break. As many of my friends have had the opposite experience -- dishes breaking but glasses being fine -- I think there's just a huge variation in quality. Based on my experience combined with what I've heard from my friends, I wouldn't buy dinnerware or glassware from Ikea again. It's cheap in theory, but expensive in practice.

Love my plain white Corelle. I bought a boxed set at walmart a few years ago and haven't had any breakages yet, and I'm not the most careful with them. (Nor are my family.)

My only complaint is the mugs that come with them. They are kind of crappy stoneware. Not a fan.

I bought Kohl's white dinnerware from the Food Network brand. Very heavy, good deal *only* if you have a 50% off coupon. I had to return some dinner plates due to manufacturing defect, but I am mostly pleased with the dishes I have. I also supplemented the collection from Tuesday Morning by adding pasta bowls. They really go with any other white porcelain collection.

I have had the same bad experience with my IKEA dinnerware, nicolezh, and I have friends who have too. I am a huge IKEA fan but the dishes are really substandard. They chip incredibly easily and/or get hairline cracks after just a short period of use. I am looking for something new.

Corelle, Corelle.....I will always have Corelle.

I do have a set of "good china", but for daily use, it's Corelle for me :-)

I just recently bought the Corelle set and love them for all the reasons listed above although I have noticed a bit of staining on them and wonder if anyone might have a tip on cleaning it. Mostly I just put plastic wrap on the leftover and stick it in the fridge but I also think it happened when I over cooked something in the microwave.

My Aspen dishes are four years old. I use them every day and I haven't had a problem with chips or cracks at all. I definitely recommend them.

i have had good luck with ikea, both glassware and 365 dishes. i have had to replace a couple of bowls that were dropped on the floor, and i chipped one (and am just living with it), but otherwise they are holding up nicely. the bowls really are ginormous, so i went back and bought the mini bowls in blue to supplement.

sparkleaholic - have you tried a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser? I've managed to get ancient gunk off of vintage pyrex I've found with just some elbow grease and a Magic Eraser. It might work well on Corelle.

Corelle is my love. I grew up with it in my home (in a rather vintage pattern thought) and even now in college, it's what I reach for in my cupboard with the mismatched dishes from my roommates. I'm trying to build up a rather basic collection of solid white from them. Everything else seems too heavy. I also like that it doesn't break easily. I can't count the number of times I've dropped a dinner plate. The weird ringing noise it makes as it circles down to the ground has become very familiar.

I've always had plain white breakable open stock dinnerware. It's very easy and looks nice. However, breaking a piece would have repercussions now that I have dogs. No matter how well I clean the floor, tiny shards remain, and my dogs lick the floor. Happily, I haven't dropped any china since their arrival. I plan to switch to something like Corelle.

make sure you get the ones from ikea that are porcelain. not all of them are, and they get messed up easily. the porcelain ones last.

I have White Fiestaware plates and the silverware marks are horrible looking. Do any of you have this problem with the dishes mentioned?

I have Corelle, and it is great until you actually manage to break a peice. It is glass, so it shatters into very sharp shards.

I abuse some of the cheapest Ikea offers at work, and it is fine.

marymar.......you can get the silverware marks off of your Fiesta with Barkeeper's Friend, or even Comet works very well. I worked at Steak 'n Shake for years, and the china plates often would turn gray with those marks....we used Comet.

Those are the same scratches you see inside of porcelain kitchen sinks.

It's interesting that people have had bad experiences with Ikea 365+ line. I've had my set for 5 years and they are in mint condition. I can't imagine it's anything that I'm doing, because my dishwasher is low-budget and I'm not especially gentle with my dishware. Maybe I've just been lucky! But I agree on the glassware. It's thin, so it breaks easily. Love love love my dinner set, however.

boring.

I, too, have had really good luck with my IKEA dishes. I haven't had any of my 365+ line dishes break, even having moved three times (once across the country). I have a couple of their super cheap 75 cent bowls that have hairline cracks. But I figure that for 75 cents, I can deal with a few hairline cracks. It hasn't really affected the integrity of the bowls, though.

Their glasses are another matter. I've had several break in my hands as I was cleaning them. And, as with others, this is something about their glasses and not about my handling of them, as I have other glasses from other sources that have lasted 10+ years and are still going strong. I've since replaced the glasses rather than risk more breakage.

Is it that time of year again?

I LOVE LOVE LOVE the "Loft" line by Thomas (Rosenthal). It's incredibly beautiful and very durable.

http://www.cookworks.ca/Loft-Dinnerware

+1 for Aspen from C&B. We've had ours 2+ years, it's the only dinnerware we have (so we use it everyday) and it's still as nice as it was out of the box.

I've also had astonishing luck with the Ikea 365 dishes - had them for 5+ years, three moves, and a toddler, and I've broken exactly one bowl, the result of dropping it hard on a tile floor. (This isn't luck or natural grace talking; I must have broken a dozen coffee cups in that timespan, and don't even get me started on wine glasses.) There is not a single chip or crack on any of them; it's the first set of dishes I've ever had, at any price point, that seem totally impervious to chipping, so I am bewildered by the comments people have made about them chipping - maybe they changed the materials at some point? I bought a second set a year ago - not because I needed to replace any, but because I wanted to have enough for dinner parties - and they seem as well-made as the 5 year old set.

I have the C&B Essential set. I like the traditional restaurant style look of the set and I have found that it stands up well. No chips or marks after plenty of trips through the dishwasher.

We love our Apilco from W-S. Ten years of marriage and one plate has broken. One. And everything looks brand new. This is seriously a case of getting what you pay for.

We have several friends who have none of their everyday wedding china from CB left.

In my opinion, simple white dinnerware is the best investment you can make. I have pieces from Target, IKEA, C&B, and thrift stores that are all simple white and while I know they are all from different stores they all go together as if they were a set. I will only ever buy white dinnerware!

Every.single.time. this subject pops up, I scour the offerings hoping to find what I'm searching for. Without fail, I'm always bummed afterward and am beyond frustrated. What I want (no, I crave!) is a set of durable, hefty, white dinnerware with actual mugs (no dinky cups) and preferrably square dinner & salad plates + large bowls that will work for cereal, salad & pasta AND open stock. A pipe dream *sigh* Yeah, I'm wastin my time here, I know, but I keep dreamin. Whining aside....

If it's solely durabilty you're seeking, Correlle is the winner hands down. Look no further. No.contest. In 31 yrs, I've lost only one cereal bowl...Took it from the cab, loaded it with oatmeal, turned my back & heard what sounded like a gunshot (I kid you not). Searched for the source & found the bowl had cracked ....the top rim maybe a quarter to half an inch, literally separated from the bowl in a *perfect* circle...no jagged edges, no shattering. Very clean, no shards.

I have a VERY nice set of fine china & crystal which I love, even after all these years. I can count the number of times I've used them on one hand and not use all my fingers.. WHAT A WASTE. (If you're just starting out, don't go there). I'd give up my seach & put my fine china into the daily grind but they're not dishwasher safe as both are rimmed with silver.

We entertain often, mostly larger gathering w/ lots of kids, and I always grab my Correlle as it's lightweight & durable & dishwasher safe. IF I had it to do over again, I'd skip the 'fine china' altogether. As for now, I suppose I should just use it for every day & enjoy it. Otherwise, what's the point in owning it? If the dishwasher ruins it, so be it. .

My family has had Corelle for as long as I can remember (25+ years, memory-wise:) and in all that time, we have only had one dish break - a dinner plate that my dad dropped from head height to the tile floor. It did explode, but hey - one plate in more than two decades seems more than reasonable.

Now the problem is that Mom is looking for an excuse to replace it...but can't really justify!

can someone please tell me the flatware in the picture?

I just had to chime in and say that the West Elm basic white is great. A little more organic feel/lines: http://www.westelm.com/products/organic-shaped-dinnerware-e338/?pkey=cdinnerware

I've been so pleased since I transitioned to all white for dishes and serving pieces. All food looks great and it's easy to be creative with table settings. I'm surprised that Pottery Barn's Caterer's box doesn't come up here. I have used this for years with no damage. It's lightweight enough that unloading the dishwasher isn't a strain, but doesn't feel fragile. It's a bright white that mixes well with other whites, including serving dishes, dessert bowls, mugs from other sources. It all looks so good together I've even thought about going to open shelving.

Me, too! Love my Loft set, though I have chipped a couple of pieces.

LOVE Corelle. I grew up with it and now have it myself. Cheap, thin, light, stacks very well, and nearly impossible to break. I got one with a simple black rim around it, but white would be good too. It doesn't scream class in any way, but it's perfect for every day life!

I also have way too much (I think 16 place settings? Eeeeesh.) of white dinner wear with a basket weave pattern around the edges that my mother got me (I think it was around $45 for 8 place settings at Kohl's after specials/coupons/etc, normally $150 or so - she couldn't help herself). It has been nice to have for holidays and such, but I think I'd prefer something completely plain without the basket weave.

Pier1. Why has no one mentioned Pier1?

I got a service for 8 when I got married 8 years ago, and I've used and abused them ever since. Not one piece has broken.

Plus, the stuff is almost always on sale.

http://www.pier1.com/Luminous-Porcelain-Dinnerware/PS75,default,pd.html?cgid=dinnerware

Target! Love and have their rectangular set. Food always looks better on white and what I've learned from working in a lab, square always fit nicer on shelves!

I guess I'm the only one here, but I HATE Corelle. When my boyfriend moved out his parents gave us some of their extras, and I've been desperate to replace them every since. I think they feel very cheap and flimsy-or maybe that's just because my parents always used very hefty white dinner plates.

I've dropped them a handful of times. Twice they survived on our wood floors. Twice they turned to DUST. At least a normal plate would break into large shards that could be picked up. I had to vacuum every groove in my wood flooring to get every last bit of the disintegrated dish up.

After those experiences....no Corelle.