298294 Sun Aug 29 20:49:58 -0700 2004 9 27 General Chowhounding Topics 0 1649038 I prefer plain white, classicly styled dinnerware. Should be durable enough for everyday, yet refined enough for more formal occassions. Where should I start my search? Any suggestions for a specific brand? Sun Aug 29 20:49:58 -0700 2004 0 Flour Child 1 1649043 Hi Flour Child, We'd like to request that you repost this on the Not about Food board, which is where folks go to talk about kitchen equipment. This board is for general discussion related directly to food. We'll delete this thread when you've had a change to repost. Thanks very much. Link: http://www.chowhound.com/boards/notfood/notfood.html Sun Aug 29 21:29:35 -0700 2004 1649038 2 The Chowhound Team 1 1649046 Wedgwood White. It is bone china, thin, fine and durable. You can usually find a reasonable price on it in the Wedgwood/Waterford outlets. They also have several white patterns that have a molded design in plain bone white. Nantucket Basket, for example, has a basket weave design on the rim and there are a couple of others. Bone china is translucent, very white and stronger than most people think. Porecelain is also very durable but the color tends to be greyer or creamier than bone china (bone china gets it's name because of the bone ash that is added to the hard paste clay and helps to produce the translucency). Porcelain is also referred to as "fine china" and in the case of the American well known brand, Lenox, has a creamier body than the whiteness of bone china, though several of the English and French companies produce a line of porcelain or fine china that are white, but they do not have the translucency, think of the very popular Royal Worcester Evesham. There is also Stonewear and other pottery like Ironstone. Stonewear is pottery that is usually fired at very high temperatures and the caly vitrifies and becomes very hard and very sharp if broken. It is heavier than bone, porcelain or fine chinas, think Pfaltzgraf. Ironstone despite the name is manufactured from soft paste clay and chips very easily. It is also very porous so if you chip a piece you should discard it. The porosity makes it easy to develop microbial colonies. For an example of this think of your mother's or grandmother's Franciscan Apple, Ivy or Desert Rose patterns, or the popular Spode Christmas Tree or Woodland, or the on- going and maybe will-never-die Friendly Village. Very easy to chip, soft clay products. Sun Aug 29 21:42:51 -0700 2004 1649038 0 Candy 1 1649051 Wedgwood White bone china is by far my favorite - modern, refined, and timeless. It's not cheap but it's not absurdly expensive either. You should be able to find it at Macy's. Both the look and feel of it is so far superior to the normal crate and barrel junk that, assuming you can afford it, you won't want to go back. And it will last you for the rest of your life - investing in eight sets now isn't that bad amortized over 50 years. Sun Aug 29 22:17:00 -0700 2004 1649038 0 Dylan 2 1649061 No, 8's are not enough. Service for 12 and double on salad/dessert plates. If you don't "over buy" you will be washing plates between courses. Same goes for flatware. Sun Aug 29 23:50:24 -0700 2004 1649051 0 Candy 2 1649073 Caplan-Duval is the best source for Le Creuset, so I imagine their prices for china would be very good as well. Check it out Link: http://www.caplanduval2000.com/wedgewood_page3.htm Mon Aug 30 08:15:19 -0700 2004 1649051 0 Sharuf 1 1649146 Rosenthal, Rosenthal, Rosenthal :) Mon Aug 30 17:53:14 -0700 2004 1649038 0 Jon 2 1649153 I agree with Rosenthal. I have the Studio-line and I love it! Mon Aug 30 19:20:42 -0700 2004 1649146 0 marycarol 2 1649161 Yeah, right. Specifically, Jasper Morrison's "Moon" Collection. http://www.chinaetc.co.uk/rosenthal/studioline/moon/platinum.asp Erik M. Mon Aug 30 21:20:35 -0700 2004 1649146 0 Erik M. 1 1649327 I'm a fan of Villery & Boch - very durable, yet elegant enough for nice dinners. Chambord is a pretty pattern - and V & B have a lot of outlet stores. Wed Sep 01 11:39:15 -0700 2004 1649038 0 MMRuth