So beautiful. The lines are soft and sensuous as if shaped by love
.

Don't know that it would necessarily last longer then the cheap IKEA set... all my dishes - cheap or expensive - have a similar lifespan-- it ends when I drop it on the floor or into the sink.

I was just at C&B yesterday. I have Hannah Lennox rimmed in gold Wedding china (it was 1994!). I only have service for 8. I think mixing this pattern will make the table more updated.

Good to know it's on sale. I was just going to buy one setting a month until I had service for 12!

***Deep sigh***

I love this design so much.

"... will last you longer than that $20 set from Ikea!"

It's the ridiculousness of throwaway lines like this that often negate the veracity of some posts on AT.

I love anything by Eva Zeisel.. Collecting one lil' piece at a time...

If your aim is durability, I think a corelle set would be more practical than Ikea. Their designs certainly aren't as beautiful as this set, but they are virtually indestructible. And inexpensive. I will probably buy a set if I ever have small children.

I registered for the Zeisel for my wedding, and though I loved the design of the plates I have been really disappointed with their performance. Within 6 months I had stained cracks in five tea cups and random chips on both the b&b and dinner plates.

Additionally the plates are oblong, which makes them awkward for just about any dishwasher.

We weren't particularly hard on them- and I still love the design- so I've put them aside for special occasions and plan on just replacing the cracked pieces.

As for Corelle... we replaced the Ziesel with Corelle Ultra (which has a more substantional feel than traditional Corelle) And its performance has been fantastic.

It's not inexpensive but you will have it forever.

(TIP-If you get a Corelle dinner set, remember the mugs are ceramic, not the usual corelle material.)

I noticed the Ziesel at Crate & Barrel about six months ago, and I thought if and when I could afford to buy new dinnerware, that would be what I would get! Of course, I could only afford to buy a little at a time. Were it not Christmastime, I might even buy a setting on sale now.

I'm disappointed to read that one commenter had problems with the dishware's durability. Oh well, it makes not owning it easier to bear!

Isn't it beautiful?

I initially read about Eva on Domino and have fallen in love ever since, though I still use my 75 cent plates from Ikea and have lasted me for what I feel like EVER!
so take that AT!!!!!!

We have vintage Franciscan ware here and have had it for 8 years without losing a piece. It's heavy duty stuff and my husband is a total butterfinger who seems to break glasses for entertainment.

I love this set but i wish it was white instead of ivory so it would go with my Vintage McCobb serving pieces..

I was lucky enough to see the Eva Zeisel collection a few winters ago at Balboa Park in San Diego. Her designs are ones that I'll be saving up for for years!

Classic Century is made out of earthenware, which is probably the least durable type of ceramic. It is prone to chipping and crazing (those tiny hairline cracks). I own this dinnerware but it stays on display until I have a dinner party. I wouldn't recommend that anyone purchase it for their everyday dinnerware. Earthenware is sensitive to extreme changes in heat and isn't going to hold up as well in the dishwasher. So beautiful, yes. Durable, not so much. Will you like it longer than your Ikea set? yes. Will it last longer? yes, if you like hand-washing your dishes.

Corelle is awesome. still looking new after a decade... I would abuse corelle for everyday use and save those pretty dishes for special occasions

KTG, your Katamari-Ikea refrence made me smile!

I have to say, i agree with couple other posters. We're not all shopping at ikea exclusively... and sometimes we shop at ikea because its what our pocketbook allows.

Expensive not automaticlly better, sheesh.

That said these are gorgeous and i've wanted some for a long time. But you bet i'm looking into this new classy corelle too.

I had no idea the line about Ikea would get people worked up. My boyfriend bought a (less than) $20 set from Ikea that has lasted a long time but shows grey scraping and cutting lines from lots of use. He bought them originally because he needed simple plates fast and really didn't want to spend much. It's worked this long but has gotten scraped up enough it's not great for entertaining. That's what I was thinking of with the Ikea comment!

We, and most of our friends who got married at the same time, registered for white everyday china at either Williams Sonoma, Pottery Barn, or Crate and Barrel.

Five years later we are the only couple left with more than half of the pieces left. Love, love the apilco for everyday use.

I save my fragile vintage bauer and russel wright for special occasions.

Does anyone know or have an opinion on the difference (if there is one) between the Royal Stafford Zeisel and the one at Crate and Barrel? I have only ever seen the C and B one in person, but I am living abroad and think maybe going with Royal Stafford is better, and might avoid some of the earthenware pitfalls if it is made of a different material.

Also any pasta bowls that would match?

sorry to not be commenting on IKEA.

Several years ago, I saved up for a full set of this exquisite design, including the remarkable gravy boat. It's beauty has not disappointed. HOWEVER: Both the finish and the pieces themselves are sadly fragile -- especially unfortunate for a Royal Stafford. (To the person who wondered about the difference the Royal Stafford and C&B, I believe they are the same. The C&B bears the RS mark as well.) I have seen several other reviews on the C&B website that attest to this unusual fragility. The large plates will sometimes shatter if the edge is clinked just so against another piece, and cannot survive a short drop from hand to countertop or table while setting or clearing the table. Smaller pieces chip easily, and the finish crazes unexplainably, producing unsightly stained lines, usually from the rim toward the center. To my knowledge, neither C&B nor RS have responded to questions as to whether there was simply a bad batch or whether there is something amiss with the materials. I am not a new housekeeper, and have always been careful with this lovely dinnerware. My first dinner plate shattered in my hand as its edge tapped the kitchen faucet, less than two months after purchase. I now have only one dinner plate remaining despite the most delicate handling. The gravyboat crazed after first use, as did one of the salad bowls. Cups seem fine. The smaller plates are almost as fragile as the large ones. I have three left, and one is chipped.

I love this design so much, I am nevertheless considering replacing my missing pieces. They are visually unique, and I have never found anything other than hand-thrown that has so much character. If you can afford to replace pieces without resentment or heartbreak, I recommend them. I would not give them as a wedding gift because of their fragility. I love them. I am saving up again...
Linda