White Dinnerware

[lperry]

I'm looking for new dinnerware, and I want something white or ivory with a classic look and feel, and I need service for 12. I want to be able to dress it up or down, and mix with different accessories and glassware. I've been to the Fortessa Outlet and Crate and Barrel. The former only gets in quantities of first-quality items when there is an overstocked order (serious bummer), and the latter just didn't impress me. Granted, I didn't go to the main C&B store, so they may have something better to offer.

Does anyone have white dishes that they love? Has anyone spotted something fabulous lately? I've also looked quite a bit online (Wedgwood white? Opinions?), however, I really want to see and handle the dishes before buying, so local or semi-local would be great.

[Heather]

I have the basic white Crate & Barrel for everyday. The oversized restaurant bowls are fantastic.

[zoramargolis]

I have the basic white Crate & Barrel for everyday. The oversized restaurant bowls are fantastic.

Me, too. I love them. Those are the dishes that the Black Restaurant Group uses--classic, clean lines, sturdy as hell and inexpensive.

[leleboo]

I have the full-size plates from the Pottery Barn caterer's set and love them. Despite the fact that I have a stupid amount of other china, including two full sets of my grandmother's (one set of kosher and one non, and I'll never manage to keep the kosher set kosher, so it's in storage), I use the PB almost every day. Super sturdy, looks great with everything (it's white, perhaps very slightly off-white), and good quality for the price.

(FWIW, my mom has the caterer's wine glasses and I covet them, especially as my Crate and Barrel "basics" $1 glasses from college (it's amazing they lasted this long!!!) keep breaking at an alarming rate.)

[Mark Slater]

Check Macys.com The clearance sales are incredibly cheap.

[MMM]

I have found really nice white dinnerware at Homegoods in White Flint Plaza in Rockville. But of course it's hit or miss. You never know what they'll have, but it could be worth checking out.

[grover]

I am using "Trend" dinnerware from Thomas (part of Rosenthal China). I like them because I can use them for both Asian or Occidental dinner. If it is too modern, then Rosenthal Baronesse White could work for you.

[lperry]

Thank you for all the suggestions! I'll check them out.

[monavano]

I have the basic white Crate & Barrel for everyday. The oversized restaurant bowls are fantastic.

Crate and Barrel's white dinnerware is classic and a good value. I have the oversized bowls and plates that I use on occasion, especially if I want to "plate it up" real purdy I live near the outlet in Alexandria, so I've collected bits and pieces over the years.

[Barbara]

Thank you for all the suggestions! I'll check them out.

My later mother had almost 200 pieces (22 basic place settings and many, many serving pieces) of this:

http://replacements.com/webquote/R__MARW.htm

It's all sitting in boxes in my sister's house in Houston. If you, or anybody reading this, is interested a deal can be made.

[lperry]

Crate and Barrel's white dinnerware is classic and a good value. I have the oversized bowls and plates that I use on occasion, especially if I want to "plate it up" real purdy I live near the outlet in Alexandria, so I've collected bits and pieces over the years.

I'm close to them too, but didn't find anything I really loved last time I was there. Because outlets can be so hit-or-miss, I should really put them on a rotation and go by on a regular basis.

Editing to clarify what bugged me - If I'm going to buy something with a simple form, it really needs to be well crafted. Flaws show up that much more if the design is simple, and I'm pretty sure what C&B had last time I was in were seconds. Because dishes last for so long, I don't mind paying for quality.

[zoramargolis]

Editing to clarify what bugged me - If I'm going to buy something with a simple form, it really needs to be well crafted. Flaws show up that much more if the design is simple, and I'm pretty sure what C&B had last time I was in were seconds. Because dishes last for so long, I don't mind paying for quality.

When I bought large soup dishes at C&B (not an outlet store), I rejected about half of the ones in the stack because they had flaws. But I managed to find eight perfect ones.

[lperry]

When I bought large soup dishes at C&B (not an outlet store), I rejected about half of the ones in the stack because they had flaws. But I managed to find eight perfect ones.

I did the same when I bought my espresso cups and saucers from them. I have six out of probably twenty they had on the shelf. I wish I could just order something knowing it would be as if I had chosen it.

[Tweaked]

I have a bunch of stuff from C&B, square plates, bistro bowls, the bowls Heather linked to above...if you get out to the Leesburg Outlets, the C&B store usually has a decent selection...I think I got the square plates for about $2.50 each. Leesburg also has a William Sonoma Outlet store as well.

Another place to check is World Market, I've found some decent stuff at the Pentagon Row store...also nicely priced (but definitely check for flaws at World Market)

[grover]

I just found out that Bloomingdale's carries Thomas and Rosenthal China. I am still in love with "Suomi" line from Rosenthal but I had a really great bargain when I got "Trend" line from Thomas.

[lperry]

Thank you to everyone for the recommendations. Mark - I looked online at Macy's and then headed out there on my lunch hour. There is now a box of Gorham Brekinridge in the trunk of my car. With the extra 15% off this week, the price was hard to beat. I also looked at the Hotel Collection white, but the lines were a little sharp and the color a little bright for what I wanted. I'll let the box sit in the car for a while until I decide if I did the right thing. For reasons beyond my understanding, shopping for durable home goods freaks me out a little.

[zoramargolis]

Thank you to everyone for the recommendations. Mark - I looked online at Macy's and then headed out there on my lunch hour. There is now a box of Gorham Brekinridge in the trunk of my car. With the extra 15% off this week, the price was hard to beat. I also looked at the Hotel Collection white, but the lines were a little sharp and the color a little bright for what I wanted. I'll let the box sit in the car for a while until I decide if I did the right thing. For reasons beyond my understanding, shopping for durable home goods freaks me out a little.

Looks very nice and seems to be quite a bargain!

[goldenticket]

It does look nice!

Too late for lperry, but Sur La Table is having a 'stock up sale' on their whiteware right now.

[LauraB]

There is now a box of Gorham Brekinridge in the trunk of my car. With the extra 15% off this week, the price was hard to beat. I'll let the box sit in the car for a while until I decide if I did the right thing.

QUITE the bargain! 40 pieces of bone china for $149? It looks great. If you decide you don't want it, I'll be happy to take it off your hands.

[lperry]

Too late for lperry, but Sur La Table is having a 'stock up sale' on their whiteware right now.

It's never too late! The box is still in my car. And foodtrip, get the coupon out of the paper and go pick it up from the store. $133 with tax.

[lperry]

The inaugural meal. Everything is from the garden except the little carrots, and they are from MOM.

[grover]

The inaugural meal. Everything is from the garden except the little carrots, and they are from MOM.

Looks so good!

[Sundae in the Park]

Looks so good!

Thanks a lot, guys. It looks so good that I'm now madly coveting white bone china dinnerware, something I was never ever interested in before...sigh.

To Macy's I go!

[lperry]

Thanks a lot, guys. It looks so good that I'm now madly coveting white bone china dinnerware, something I was never ever interested in before...sigh.

Happy to be of help. The hardest part for me was letting go of the old set - the first "real" dishes I ever bought. Fifteen years of hard labor later, they weren't working for us, so they are off to Alexandria Alive so someone in need can have dishes for the holidays. I figure that's win-win.

[Sundae in the Park]

Happy to be of help. The hardest part for me was letting go of the old set - the first "real" dishes I ever bought. Fifteen years of hard labor later, they weren't working for us, so they are off to Alexandria Alive so someone in need can have dishes for the holidays. I figure that's win-win.

Oh, that's nice!! Everybody does win

I got a set of the Brekinridge as well. I liked the Boulder Creek set better, but my patient husband, who prefers a more classic look, preferred the Brekinridge. Since I sprung the idea of suddenly "needing" a new set of dinner service for 8 on him, I thought the compromise was a fair one. The key was the price - these are very nice dishes for everyday! I also like how they are much lighter than the stoneware we've been using.

[ol_ironstomach]

And foodtrip, get the coupon out of the paper and go pick it up from the store. $133 with tax.

Thanks for the heads-up! We'd been looking for a daily set of white dinnerware with generously-shaped bowls to replace our lovingly chipped stoneware, and this fit the bill perfectly. I ordered a set of Breckenridge online Tuesday (also 15% off with a coupon code, and shipping was free) and it arrived yesterday. The quality looks great for a middleweight set, particularly the shape uniformity, unlike the frequently distorted Crate&Barrel pieces we had been considering.

On an aside, am I the only person who finds it ironic that Gorham had these manufactured with all sorts of their branding permanently imprinted on the bottom, but the only place "Made in China" appears - on a set of china - is on the temporary plastic sticker hastily affixed to each piece? Shame on you, Gorham.

[lperry]

On an aside, am I the only person who finds it ironic that Gorham had these manufactured with all sorts of their branding permanently imprinted on the bottom, but the only place "Made in China" appears - on a set of china - is on the temporary plastic sticker hastily affixed to each piece? Shame on you, Gorham.

I noticed that as well. I also noticed that Macy's spelled the name of the pattern differently from Gorham, so you can't search for it unless you are aware of the misspelling. We are happy with the set, although I am still getting used to the weight and thickness differences between the china and the old stoneware. I know intellectually that porcelain is very strong, but it feels fragile.

[Sundae in the Park]

On an aside, am I the only person who finds it ironic that Gorham had these manufactured with all sorts of their branding permanently imprinted on the bottom, but the only place "Made in China" appears - on a set of china - is on the temporary plastic sticker hastily affixed to each piece? Shame on you, Gorham.

I saw that and it made me a little sad - I had been happy to purchase a "fine American product" and then, the sticker of truth

[Ilaine]

Does anyone have white dishes that they love? Has anyone spotted something fabulous lately? I've also looked quite a bit online (Wedgwood white? Opinions?), however, I really want to see and handle the dishes before buying, so local or semi-local would be great.

I decided to buy Wedgwood White when I accidentally dropped a place setting at the outlet store and it just bounced off the floor with a sort of ringing sound. Almost impossible to break. We do have a cork floor in the kitchen and still formica as countertop so nothing too hard. My mother, who refuses to use the dishwasher, has cracked a couple of pieces against the sink faucet washing by hand.

I bought a lot of it used (eBay, also got lucky at Upscale Resale) and some from online outlets, but the best deal for new was the actual outlet store which had a very good sale. Some deals too good to pass up so I have saved 6 place settings and 6 cereal bowls for future needs. I am far from a snob, and probably nobody can tell that it's Wedgwood as it is very simple, but also very practical. Safe in the dishwasher and in the microwave.

I used to show off to my friends by dropping a bowl on the floor just to watch it bounce but managed to crack one (just the once) so do not do that trick anymore.

[lperry]

The Fortessa warehouse sale is on today and tomorrow, and they have a reasonable amount of first quality whiteware out along with the seconds. Dishes, serveware, flatware, crystal, etc. too. You can read about it through their Facebook page. I came home with three dozen small plates in three shapes, a dozen demitasse spoons, and a dozen Schott Zwiesel wine glasses. With tax, I paid less than $140. The self control was due to the fact that they were not selling cabinet space. Worth a trip if you need entertaining supplies.

[lperry]

Fortessa is now available to everyone at a fairly new retail website. The Gorham china from Macy's, after a year and a half of use, shows every knife and utensil mark, and the glaze doesn't look so smooth and clear anymore. A box of twleve Andromeda dinner plates just arrived via UPS, and I ordered them Wednesday evening figuring it was a pipe dream to expect their arrival before my dinner party Saturday. They look fantastic, and I'm betting these will last.

[monavano]

Fortessa is now available to everyone at a fairly new retail website. The Gorham china from Macy's, after a year and a half of use, shows every knife and utensil mark, and the glaze doesn't look so smooth and clear anymore. A box of twleve Andromeda dinner plates just arrived via UPS, and I ordered them Wednesday evening figuring it was a pipe dream to expect their arrival before my dinner party Saturday. They look fantastic, and I'm betting these will last.

Thanks for this. I'm thinking about replacing my Lenox everyday dinnerware because the pattern is showing wear and it detracts from the whiteness of the plate.

I was thinking about getting Apilco Pillivuyt from Williams Sonoma or Fortessa.

[Choirgirl21]

So I think it's time to replace the old set I bought from Target 10-15 years ago with some nice white dinnerware. Does anyone have the Luminous porcelain dinnerware from Pier 1?

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

They're on sale now and seem to be a good price, plus I can buy individual pieces since I don't need 8 or 12 mugs. I still live in my tiny condo so I'm not necessarily looking to spend a lot of money on a set that will last me forever, I just want plates/bowls that are functional and will photograph nicely. And I really want real soup bowls, with rims, although I am thinking I may also want larger bowls as well. I think I'm going to go check them out today, but thought I'd see if anyone knew how they'd hold up. I'm not exactly gentle on my plates.