Bright white plates for large family dinners

6 years ago

last modified: 6 years ago

Do you have a set of plates you use for large gatherings?

I have always had the least chipping and breakage with white porcelain dishes, but over the last few years I've purchased from a few different places so they're slightly different shades of white and they are the same size but not exactly the same shape. I would like to have 18-24 bright white, decent quality, porcelain dinner and dessert plates. We do a lot of buffet style dinners with all of the cousins. I would like bowls and salad plates that match for every day, but I don't need as many. It would be nice to be able to buy more later if I want to. Most of what I come across in the under $5 range is sort of off white. I read that how bright white the dishes are can be directly related to how expensive they are, so is that not a realistic budget? I also found a couple of catering and buffet sets online but it's so hard to tell if they're bright white, and I don't know how reliable the brands are and if i'll be able to replace broken pieces 2 years from now. Should I stick with one of the "big names" or does anyone have a recommendation?

Featured Answer

Saypoint zone 6 CT

6 years ago

last modified: 6 years ago

Try Replacements Ltd. They sell plates individually, and have some pure white under $5. Not sure if they are porcelain or stoneware. Also check to see if there is an outlet store anywhere near you that sells dinnerware and china. I have an off-white Mikasa set and the outlet carries open stock individual pieces.

ETA also check out Amazon

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Comments (14)

torreykm
6 years ago
https://www.williams-sonoma.com/products/provisions-dinner-plates/?isx=0.0.7047
EvaElizabeth thanked torreykm
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einportlandor
6 years ago
They might not be as white as you'd like, but Pier One is my go-to for white dishes. They always carry their basic line, and go on sale a couple of times a year.
EvaElizabeth thanked einportlandor
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MDLN
6 years ago
Crate & Barrel
EvaElizabeth thanked MDLN
Olychick
6 years ago
I second Crate and Barrel. I bought 12 white plates from them probably 15 years ago and not one has chipped or scratched - they look brand new.
EvaElizabeth thanked Olychick
User
6 years ago
I love my square white plates from target. Very heavy and substantial..
EvaElizabeth thanked User
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Anglophilia
6 years ago
Try a restaurant supply company.
EvaElizabeth thanked Anglophilia
lawsonch19
6 years ago
Pottery Barn sells buffet sets of white plates.
EvaElizabeth thanked lawsonch19
darralisa
6 years ago
This may sound crazy, but we have had the best luck with bone china. Our family is large, 5 children and their spouses, 9 grandchildren. We purchased white bone china dinner, salad and bowls about 3 years ago from Homegoods. I tried porcelain, ceramic and stoneware but found some had rough bottoms that scratch, or after time the glaze would crack in the dishwasher. We use the bone china daily and, knock on wood, no chips or cracks thus far. I live in a large city so there were many stores I was able to purchase from now and again. For the younger grandchildren, we have plastic plates from Ballards that are sturdy. Best wishes on your hunt!
EvaElizabeth thanked darralisa
EvaElizabeth
Original Author
6 years ago
Darralisa, that's not crazy at all! Someone told me years ago that china is the most durable, and I actually started out looking for china! As it turns out, whatever makes the china bright white is also what makes it more expensive, so most of what is in my budget isn't bright white. I even found china a couple of times at Home Goods but they were off white, which wouldn't be the end of the world but they don't match my serving dishes. Did you buy a particular brand? Are they bright white?

I looked at the Crate and Barrel white plates, and only hesitated because I don't know how often they change their styles. I have at least two serving pieces from CB that are from discontinued lines, but to be fair they were seasonal styles. Are they pretty bright white in person?

I was surprised the Williams Sonoma was in my budget, I didn't even look there. WS is also 15 minutes from me and CB is over an hour away.

Anglophilia, I have heard of people doing this, but what sources do they use? My husband spent college waiting tables at a steakhouse and would love this option - I'm pretty sure he's suggested it a couple of times. I actually remember making him get rid of a couple of random restaurant plates years ago because they were too big to fit in the cabinet!

I remember wondering in the store of Pier One if their dishes were white enough. Maybe I'll buy one and bring it home to compare to my serving dishes since they're nearby. How durable are they?

I'm sure I'm overthinking, but i'm ready to buy one huge set of dishes I'll hopefully have for a really long time. My mom has like 2 sets of china, Christmas dishes, stoneware, and white Corelle, and those are just the ones I remember, but I have just never been interesting in collecting different styles of dinnerware.
Fsal
6 years ago
Pottery Barn, and their outlet stores always have them on a deeper discount.
sushipup1
6 years ago
World Market has banquet plates with racks. Very nice bargain, both salad and dinner plates, But the dinner plates are 10.5, not a larger size. For those who entertain, these are perfecthttps://www.worldmarket.com/product/porcelain-plates-sets-with-space-saving-racks.do
User
6 years ago
I have blue and white transfer ware. I fed 30 last night and still had plates left over! But I adore blue and white!
darralisa
6 years ago
Hi EvaElizabeth,
The brand of bone china I found was Mikasa and Elite. Same simple design and a bright white. Side bar; you mentioned plates not fitting in your cabinet. Sometime if you place the larger plates on the second shelf, they fit due to the nature of the cabinet door design.