I was seriously considering that pattern over the holidays, but I ended up getting Mikasa's Italian countryside. I still want antique white though, maybe next year. Anyway, the Italian countryside (which is just porcelain and not china like antique white) has held up beautifully. Not a single chip or crack and my family is really hard on our stuff. Also, not a single grey mark from knives. Previously I had fiestaware and I hated all the marks that were all over the dishes. With my Italian countryside I we use steak knives all the time on the plates and not a single mark. I've been very happy with the mikasa and I really want to get antique white when Macy's has another great sale.

Thanks for the link, natal--it gives me the willies. Proves what will happen if I don't get my own habit under control! Clearly, compared to that woman I'm not that far gone, yet. [I do admit I have 4 plates in Thomas Jefferson's White House china pattern close at hand, just in case I need to wax historical. Plus I have 3 other sets of china and lots and lots of odd little items besides. But I'm not as bad as that woman!] Agree that it's nice to have microwavable everyday plates. We have more than a dozen red glass plates--love them. I also use them as lids for casseroles--allows me to stack items in refrig and then put the casserole into microwave for reheat. FWIW, I've come to understand that you don't need a whole new SET of dishes, you only need a new look to give a change. Having matching plates and cereal bowls is usually sufficient for most of my needs. Oh, and a number of the second size of plates. Skip the cups saucers mugs servingpieces etc. Now that we're retired, having 4 matching plates is often sufficient. We put in one drawer in new kitchen that I designated as "deck" stuff. All winter it holds my deck tablesetting dishes, tray, salt&pepper, etc. Now in summer, I've put some of my regular plates into it and put my deck plates into the everyday stack of dishes. Works for me! I've got two complimentary sets of 4 plates in happy colors that allow me 8 plates at picnic table if I need that many. Plus a few tablecloths. Finite--if it doesn't fit, I can't have it. My idea of fun. End of summer, back they go for winter slumber. Meanwhile, the everyday ones are not far away if I want them and I have plenty for parties. We do not use disposables. If we're informally serving coffee at a party, i just put out my collection of everyday mugs. No big deal. And we mix our china, glass dishes, odd plates, who cares. People who know us say we live our values.

SnidelyWhiplash: In regard to your question about aluminum contacting ceramic ware: I have experienced aluminum marks on dinner ware during manual washing dishes. The marks came from aluminum pot, pans, skillets, and ice cream dippers. When an aluminum object rubs across a plate hard enough, the plate may get an aluminum mark similar to a pencil mark. These are normal accidental scrapes and dings that happen during the course of washing, rinsing, and racking a mixed load of dishes and cook ware. The term weld is descriptive of how tenacious the mark adheres to the substrate. There is no torch-like item involved. The marks develop a molecular bond stronger than paint and is difficult to remove. Run a little experiment. Take a ceramic crock and mark the rim with the edge of an aluminum pot. Now, try to remove the mark.

I had Butterfly Gold Corelle and got rid of it in the 90's, because I didn't have a full set anymore. This was before you could buy anything online. I got Pfaltzgraph Heritage and used it for a long time. It was OK, but it was heavy, got hot in the microwave, and took up a lot of room in the cabinets. My stainless also made gray marks on it. In 2014, I got rid of it and bought a vintage set of Corelle Old Town Blue. I love it. I have found that the new Corelle and the new French White are not the same quality. Especially the French White. I recommend going to Estate sales or checking Ebay and buying vintage dinnerware and Pyrex. The new Pyrex is not the same as the old. It is a different mix and will break easier. The new French White is not the glass like the old, it is a stoneware and is not smooth on the bottom. I found this out after I ordered some replacement pieces and they were not the same.