What kind of dishwasher do you have? Are you sure you can't adjust the racks at all?

I actually bought some inexpensive, large white stoneware plates--thirty--for buffet use at large parties.

They do not fit in my dishwasher, either--only two will fit at a time and they have to be angled.

I use other dishes on a daily basis so it's no problem to handwash those.

I don't recall seeing the size of dishes, ever, when purchasing them.

The dishwasher is a Kenmore Elite, about 6 years old. I can't adjust the racks, just checked, but thanks for the idea, fori.

I wash everything by hand so.... yep, they would fit in my dishwasher (aka the sink). ;-)

I used to work at Pottery Barn and I was surprised to learn that their dishes are often too big for a lot of dishwashers. Their Sausolito plates are huge!

Beth p

My DH surprised me with a 12 pc plate setting of the Pottery Barn sausalito dishware for my birthday after I had admired them in the catalog. Not only did they not fit in the DW but they did not fit in the cabinets either! Back to the store they went and I'm still using my 5 year old target ones!

Oh my gosh, dinner plates have gotten so large!!! I remember when I was shopping for new dishes, I was stunned at how large the plates were. I had just had my kitchen renovated with standard 12-inch deep uppers, and here I had to worry about finding dishes that would fit in them. Ridiculous.

lindac and homeagain: I had the same problem with Pfaltzgraff dishes. Luckily I had a corner cabinet where they'd fit. When we moved I was pleasantly surprised that they "just" fit in our new cabinets. You'd never think that THAT would be a problem when buying dishes....

I had this problem in a dishwasher of the past with my M.A. Hadley stoneware.

After loading, I was able to tip the plates so that they rested in the racks at an angle. This gave me just the room I needed to miss the upper arm in the DW.

Wow, I have never had a problem fitting my Pfaltzgraff dishes in the cabinet or in the dishwasher, and my old cabinets and drawers were so ridiculous that I couldn't even fit a silverware tray in the drawer.

Oh, that is a bummer, I don't blame you though. What is it anyways with all the larger dishes? I have a set of plates that was given to me as a gift. They are so big and heavy I don't like using them. They also didn't fit in the cabinet I wanted to keep them in and instead I have to store them in a corner cabinet I'd rather use for something else. Thankfully my dishwasher has racks that adjust but truth be told, I regret not asking if I could just return them. I prefer smaller plates, not only because they're easier to handle but because they control portions better. :c)

Well, no wonder my tush has been getting bigger!!
Plates ARE bigger and momma always said to eat everything
on my plate!
If I really really liked the dishes, I would keep them and hand wash the big plates only.

My Mikasa dishes we received for our wedding didn't fit in the cabinets at our first home, or the dishwasher, so they sat unused until we moved two years later.

When we bought our new dishwasher for our current house (5 years ago), I took an assortment of dishes to the store and tried them out in each dishwasher to see how everything would fit. I'm sure people thought we were nuts, but the salesman said that he wished more people would do that.

I have the same problem after moving to a new home. My 15 year old Mikasa English Countryside dinner plates are too big for the Kenmore dishwasher. It was never an issue in the four previous homes we lived in. The dishwasher is the newest of the appliances in the kitchen and will be the first appliance to be replaced.

Dinner plates are definitely getting larger. My dinnerware is from Williams Sonoma. I have never used my dinner plates. They are much too large. My salad plates are a more realistic sized plate and we use them exclusively.

My dishwasher has adjustable racks so it can handle tall items, however those large dishes take up a bunch of room width wise so not much else will fit in the lower rack.
I have taken to buying vintage or antique plates or just buying salad plates in the new sets. My dishwasher is Bosch, so the vintage sizes (plates and bowls) fit MUCH better than the thicker, wider, heavier stoneware that's so popular. The big plates are a pain but those deep bowls really irritate me with how much room they take.

My friend had the same trouble with her new dishes. The plates were 1/2 inch bigger than her old ones and the top arm hit them. Back to the store they went. She also had a Kenmore dishwasher about 6 years old. My Whirlpool is adjustable.

I used to have a set of Noritake stoneware that I received as wedding gifts. The plates were quite large and we normally used the salad plate as a dinner plate. We gave up using them when our daughters were preschoolers and started having assigned chores. They had trouble picking them up and fitting them into the dishwasher. They're still packed in cartons even tho the girls are WAY passed that age. I doubt we'll ever use them again.

My DH checked the racks and the upper one is adjustable. Silly me, I only checked the lower one. So, I'm keeping the new dishes.
I can't believe that some dinner plates are so large that they don't even fit into the cabinets. What are the manufacturers thinking!?

Hi hondagirl...

I'm glad your DH solved the problem...I love when DHs do that...

KA:)

My DD had the same problem with her dishes. Then one day on a whim she called the manufacturer of the DW, and lo and behold, the upper rack was adjustable. Not terribly evident by looking at it. Just a quick phone call and no more problem.

Those of us with cabinets with inset doors have discovered the problem with large plates if the cabinets are not made a couple inches deeper.

Just brought home new DW. Extremely disappointed. I contacted store to return it. Shocked when I realized dishes that will fit in this high-end, expensive DW, is basic Corelle, with 4 oz bowl, tiny coffee cups, with saucers! No way is this going to fit our needs. Hoping we can resolve this. I thought I had a handle on what to look for - needless to say, I'm pouring over websites that sell DW. Looking in specs to see what size plate they say will fit. Ironically, our 11" plates fit, heightwise, but I had to skip a space, using every other slot. Meanwhile, I'm washing dishes! Wish I had the old one.