White dinnerware. Help, please.

[mkatieq]

I am looking for white dinnerware for everyday use. Here are my requirements:

1. I want to store my dinnerware in my upper cabinets and they need to be 11" or smaller. I have found that when they state 11”, it sometimes measures 11, 10 3/4" or 11 1/4". For example: Apilco Hemstitch and Apilco Tradition are 11” plates, Hemstitch fits and Tradition does not.
2. I have 2 boys under 2 years old and I want something durable as well as something that will not be discontinued any time soon since I know that I will have to replace some pieces when they do break.
3. I want something traditional or classic that can easily be used with accent pieces (colors, holiday, etc.).
4. I prefer china or porcelain. I have looked at Apilco, Sur La Table, Williams-Sonoma Pantry, and Pillivuyt. I haven’t really looked at much bone china.
5. My budget is $1200 for service for 12 and some serveware. I could go a bit higher or get service for 8 and add on over time. It'd be a huge bonus if I came in under budget.

Any suggestions?

Thank you!

[tim irvine]

We had basic white restaurant ware and found that it was so thick and heavy that even though it was white it did not lend itself to mix and match because many contrasting items were so much lighter, at least visually. Now we have C and B Marin in sort of a Non-lemony yellow and it seems to mix and match well. It seems reasonably durable and the slightly off shapes and edges, while I am sure some machine shaped them, give an impression of handmade. The soup/pasta bowls are especially cool. We picked the color for our kitchen, a similar yellow, and to contrast with the dining room, RL bitter orange.

[mkatieq]

I finally made a decision. I went with a mix of C&B Aspen and Staccato.

http://www.crateandbarrel.com/dining-and-entertaining/dinnerware-sets/aspen-dinnerware/f1667

http://www.crateandbarrel.com/dining-...

The total for service for 12 and some serveware was less than $400.

Thank you all so much for your help. It's been fun to hunt with you. I have bookmarked and pinned a few of the choices that you suggested.

[mcf]

You should be able to blend those with anything... enjoy!

[mkatieq]

Yeah, I'm set for a while. I like Staccato more than Aspen, but the dinner plate was about 1/8" too big so I decided to mix and match. You're right, I can do a lot with these. It was a huge bonus to come in under budget!

[mcf]

Have you ever shopped here: http://www.tenstrawberrystreet.com/en/6-dinnerware I got a very good deal on chargers here years ago. Complete dimensions on every item. I think I like this one better. Have my eye on Homer Laughlin Gothic, goes both modern and Tudor. http://www.webstaurantstore.com/resta...

[mkatieq]

I like the HL Gothic. It's great that they have the true dimensions on the website. Does HL make Fiesta? I think that I remember hearing that somewhere. If so, I imagine that the Gothic will hold up nicely. I looked at tenstrawberrystreet and it looks like they are to the trade only. (I really need to finish my interior design certificate and start my second career. It's a long story and totally off topic, but I am so ready to quit the grind of my current career.)

[mcf]

Yes, they do make Fiesta and it's on the HL web site... I almost bought the Gothic a few years back, and am t hinking about it now, too. Perfect with my house, contemporary enough not to be too stodgy traditional for me, and will go with colorful dishes. Plus, not stark white and super durable. I noticed that no public pricing was on TST today; I bought from there a few years back, pretty sure.

Five yr chip warranty on HL, too. Since it's made for hotel and catering use, and has a chip warranty, I'm thinking it can withstand what DH and I dish out.

[roxlet]

We have Aplico and Revol white dinnerware, and I would recommend the Revol. You may not think it, but Aplico does tend to change their styles in small ways. We broke one of our Aplico pieces, and it was really difficult to find an exact match. We had to settle for something that was close. The Revol (at Sur La Table) is really nice. It's a very white white, and it is a little more dressy looking than the Aplico. Now we use the Revol for every day, since it is very easily replaceable.

[mkatieq]

Thank you, roxlet. That's good to know about Apilco. It's frustrating when companies change or discontinue their "basics". I'll check out the Revol. I'm going to SLT today.

[roxlet]

Also, we have white "kitchen" dishes from fishseddy.com
http://www.fishseddy.com/browse.cfm/4...
At that price, you could buy a couple of dozen to insure against breakage!

[mkatieq]

Very cool. I have been surfing fishseddy all morning during my conference calls. Fun stuff. How cute are those white mason jars?

[roxlet]

Their first store was on Hudson and Perry in the Village, and at that time, it was all vintage and dead stock. Our kitchen dishes date from then - the late 80s, and are definitely starting to show their age. Pretty indestructible, though!

[ziggylu]

The Revol goes on sale in Oct at SLT so it's a great time to pick it up or add. THe SLT whiteware seems to go one sale a couple times a year as well...

[mkatieq]

I know that the whiteware is on sale now. I don't know if I can wait until October, but I think that I can blend Revol in with whatever I end up with. Thanks.

[carlch]

The SLT whiteware is an excellent buy for everyday. Very durable!

[carlch]

roxlet - I just purchased the Revol 20 piece white dinnerware at Sur La Tab --- it's really lovely and lead free I believe.

[roxlet]

We really love our Revol. We have dinner plates, and square lunch/breakfast plates. We're not too gentle with it, and it has rolled with the punches, so to speak. We chipped one plate, but other than that, no damage in the last 3 years of nearly daily use.

[eastofthemississippi]

arabia makes some quality stuff and is widely available. I find its difficult to chip and they will make the same stuff forever.

[mkatieq]

Thanks for the reply eastofthemississippi, Arabia of Finland?

[PRLobster]

I have a set of white plates that are exactly 11 inches in diameter. I got them at Pier one about 10 years ago when my kids were at the breaking my plates ages. I bought 10 plates and the matching bowls and one of the plates has a small chip in the edge. They are really simple and elegant and survived my son's compulsive need to spin and toss everything he gets his hands on. Back then they were 3 dollars a plate and I still really like them. They are porcelain.

[ceekskat]

I too looked for a white set recently with dimensions under 11"; unfortunately, the one I like is a little out of my budget...hopefully soon!

http://www.amazon.com/Villeroy-Boch-A...

[mkatieq]

That's lovely, ceekskat! I hope that you get it soon too. ;-)

[barb2007]

Maybe you might want to check out the Dansk website, The Bistro line is attractive and durable. Dinner plates measure 10 1/8". I used them when visiting my daughter in-law this past week. I had forgotten just how nice Dansk dishes are. http://www.dansk.com/cat/index.cfm?fu...

[mkatieq]

I had forgotten about Dansk too, thanks Barb. I think that they carry Dansk at JCP, I will check it out when I go there this week.

[happybaker]

I LOVE dansk! Pretty darn classic.

Don't know about the dimensions, but Onieda online has a section JUST for white sets. porcelain.

http://www.oneida.com/dinnerware/whit...

Good luck!

[mkatieq]

Uh oh, here are more to consider. :-). There are a few plates that are 10.5" and I just noticed that they have a 3 year no chip warranty. Hmmmmm...

[Samalicious]

I have a cabinet full of JC Penney Home Collection white porcelain. The plates are 10.5 inches . It looks as good as higher end stuff, is very durable, and everything is open stock if something breaks. Might be an option until the boys get a little older and way under your budget.

[mkatieq]

Thanks so much, Samalicious. I hadn't looked at JCP. They look to be very similar to the C&B and the SLT pieces. I will go to the store to check these out.

[janniecooks]

You might want to consider Wedgewood Nantucket Basket dinnerware, the lovely pattern is a classic that's been around for many years:

http://www.ross-simons.com/products/W...

[mkatieq]

Thanks, janniecooks. It really is beautiful.

[ziggylu]

I have SLT whiteware. I think it's on year 4. I've been very pleased with it. Good basic shape, a fairly bright white, nice assortment of sizes and complementary pieces. The stuff I ahve is Turkish made porcelain...not sure if that's still the case. Has held up very well, no chipping or scratching.

I looked at Apilco and Revol as well. I loved the thinnes of the Revol but the plates were larger as was the price tag. The SLT really presented a nice value when I was shopping.

[mkatieq]

Thank you, ziggylu. I was at SLT on Monday and saw the set. It's on sale right now and a very good deal at $99 for a 24 piece set. It's definitely on my short list of contenders. It's still made in Turkey. I'm happy to hear that it's held up well for you.

http://www.surlatable.com/product/PRO...

[ziggylu]

I bought mine open stock...so am not familiar with what they offer in the set. I have the 10" dinner plates and the 8" salad plates. 10 each of these. 8 soup plates and straight sided soup bowls and 8 coffee cups...and then assorted other stuff in small qty(ie a few soup crocks with handles, espresso cups, serving pieces). One thing I like about the SLT, beyond the value and the quality, is the number of shapes and sizes offered...and the consistency of the white over the years as they've added pieces.

As much as I liked the French stuff just didn't make sense to spend so much extra when this was available and suited my needs perfectly.

[mkatieq]

I'm with you on the cost justification. It is difficult to justify when the SLT so nice for the cost and you're right there are a ton of add on options available. It's looking more and more like my final decision will be between SLT and C&B. Thanks so much for your responses. You really have helped me.

[ziggylu]

My pleasure. And FWIW my house is Mexican Hacienda meets the Middle East...I like the simple design of these because I can dress up or down my table as I see fit as they are so simple. I collect talavera from Gorky Gonzalez and the SLT stuff looks equally good with that, some turkish and morrocan pieces I have, or with my very formal wedding china. Same with flatware I can use my wrought iron every day, my dressier dansk flatware, or my formal silver and it all looks good.

[mkatieq]

Your collection sounds amazing! I love Talavera pottery! I had a house in Ensenada, Baja California for about 10 years and collected some during that time. I play with it as serving pieces during parties and such. I am not a serious collector and am not familiar with Gorky Gonzalez, but I just googled it. WOW! Beautiful. Ohhh, you mentioned flatware. That's my next quest! I truly love this stuff!

[mkatieq]

I have been drooling over these:

http://www.neimanmarcus.com/product.j...

[jmcarthur8]

Those are beautiful! Now I want them, and I wasn't even looking for flatware!

[mkatieq]

I'm a very bad influence ;-). I love them so much! There are a few options out there, but I love these the most.

[roxlet]

Those are lovely!

[mkatieq]

Thanks, roxlet. I just hope that they don't get discontinued or something crazy before I am convince my husband that we need them. :-)

[mcf]

I've loved those from afar for many years... hand washing recommended is not in my life plan...

[mkatieq]

Yeah, the hand washing is not super exciting to me, but these won't be for everyday, at least not initially.

[Jay F]

Oooh...I really like those.

[Monica]

Villeroy & Boch, their dinner plate size is less than 11 inches.

http://www.amazon.com/Villeroy-Boch-Cellini-50-Piece-Dinnerware/dp/B000WO0BC6/ref=sr_1_1?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1338928836&sr=1-1

or this set from Bloomingdales

http://www1.bloomingdales.com/shop/pr...

[mkatieq]

How funny, Monica. I have that V&B set on my Amazon wishlist. I've been looking at it pretty seriously. It's such a good deal for a large V&B set. I could get 2 and be covered for a while. I just noticed that they only have 2 left in stock! EEK! I need to make some decisions quickly.

[Monica]

Too bad V&B discontinued their country heritage line. I bought a set before it was discontinued and it's my favorite favorite pattern of all time.

[mkatieq]

Oh, I love V&B Country Heritage too! I almost went with that years ago when I got my V&B Melina, which is also discontinued. It's now sitting in a box in my garage.

[jen kalb]

If you have to deal with kids and you want durable and light, Id recommend buying some corelle for your daily use.. For dressier, Id guess you would want a porcelain type (stoneware is too heavy and earthenwares break too easily) The corelle is serviceable for all but elegant dinners and will buy you some time to find just the right thing.

I guess you are not planning to use this too much though if you are storing it high? Inconvenience is a recipe for non-use and accidents.

[Monica]

Nothing like Corelle...cheap, functional, super light and super durable but I can't say I love the look.

[mkatieq]

Hello, Jen.

Hi, Jen. Thanks for the reply. My mom had Corelle when I was growing up and I ruled it out. It doesn't go great with my house and I don't really want to go with a temporary set. The upper cabinets that I will store the dinnerware in is actually not too high. Well, it does go 12 feet high, but the part that the dinnerware will go it isn't too high. In this part of the kitchen, the upper cabinets start at counter height.

[jen kalb]

I guess it wasnt very helpful. My parents used white melamine when I was a girl, and we used it too when our kids were growing up - with haviland for special events. It saved a lot of tears and frustration. As wedding gifts we chose a fairly stylish informal set but that stuff was all broken within a very few years. My parents switched over to corelle in later years and weve had some too but now that we are an all adult household we have switched to a more stylish look. It is heavy stuff, though and I do wonder whether in 20 years or so the corelle will start looking good again.

good luck in your search.

[sunshine842]

I have Corelle for my everyday -- and everyone raves about my "gorgeous china" -- mine is Chutney (fluted rims with fruit) -- I used to have Callaway (fluted rims with ivy - long story) -- and had lots of compliments on that, too.

I'm another fan of Corelle - reasonably attractive, lightweight, durable, and inexpensive. Replacements are generally very easy to find on eBay, at Walmart, and at the Corelle factory outlet stores.

The designs have come a long way from the old gold butterflies and blue flowers.

[mkatieq]

Thanks, sunshine. I just searched around. You're right, it's not my mom's blue flowers any more.

[mkatieq]

Thanks, Jen. I think that if my mom had loved her Corelle then I would feel an attachment to it, but she always talked about upgrading it when we were growing up. Maybe because she's from England and she loved looking in the windows of the china shops. The practical side of me loves that Corelle is relatively indestructible.

[tinnywatty]

I love Corelle. I grew up with it and right now I have a few hand-me-down plates, not a full set. It's super lightweight and it comes in a bunch of fun patterns, both vintage ones and newer style ones. My mom currently has a modern one with irises (her favorite flowers) but mine are the plain white ones which go with everything. I have broken a few plates but the nice thing about them in my opinion is that they don't chip like other types of dinnerware. I also really like that it's thin, so it doesn't have enough thermal mass to make your food cold if you're too lazy to warm your plates before dinner. Hot food is important to me.

[mkatieq]

My mom used to keep my dad's dinner in the over on a Corelle plate with a lid on top. I think about that every time my husband is late for dinner and has to reheat his meal.

[Becca Porter]

I buy the solid white, most basic Corelle myself. I love them, especially with three kids at home. I buy them at Walmart when I need to. I spend my money on things like my Vitamix. :)

[mkatieq]

Becca - how is the Vitamix? I've been thinking about getting one.

[Becca Porter]

I haven't regretted it for a second! I bought a 5200 directly from VM using their 3- payment plan. I only wish I had done it sooner.

I am too poor to buy cheap things. :)

[Jay F]

<<I am too poor to buy cheap things. :) >>

I hear you on that.

[sunshine842]

that's my thought -- with little kids in the house (been there), get something cheap and easily replaceable.

No way I would have spent $1200 on everyday dishes with wee ones around.

My one and only caution would be that when Corelle breaks, it shatters, because it's glass, so you'd have to make sure you carried the kids out of the area, but it doesn't break very often.

[mcf]

I'm pretty sure this sub topic about cost is about the Vitamix. :-)

[sunshine842]

I'm pretty sure I was replying to Becca Porter's sentence: I buy the solid white, most basic Corelle myself. I love them, especially with three kids at home. I buy them at Walmart when I need to.

:) ;) :P :D

[mcf]

Oops, my bad. :-)

I'm very bad at following the indentations in long threads.

[roxlet]

You took Corelle to France? Or there's a Walmart there?

[sunshine842]

Yes, I brought my Corelle with me - along with the rest of my household goods. (cheaper than buying replacements, especially when the dollar was as anemic as it was when we moved -- plus I liked my Corelle.)

They don't have Corelle here, but Arcoroc makes dishes that look are very similar. (Corelle is available in the UK, though)

[Hobbert]

Have you checked out West Elm? They have a great selection of white.

[mkatieq]

Hey, Hobbert. Thanks for the reply. I actually do like some of the choices at West Elm, but I am concerned that they may discontinue the pattern that I chose.

I like this one. http://www.westelm.com/products/essen...

[Monica]

Pottery barn great white dinnerware, the collection has everything from teapot to a cake stand.
Mikasa French Countryside or Antique White collection($200 for 8, can't beat the price)

[mkatieq]

Thanks for the response, Monica. I did look at all of those, unfortunately they are all too big. PB Great White is 12" and Mikasa is 11.5".

[mcf]

Do you have any other storage potential that would broaden your choices? I mean rearranging to use lower, deeper cabinets, or a plate rack on the wall for dinner plates, or a large kitchen storage drawer or free standing cupboard...?

[mkatieq]

Hey, mcf. Thanks fro your suggestions. With 2 little ones, I don't want to store the dinnerware in low cabinets or drawers because I don't want to have to undo a child safety lock every time I need one. In addition to that our dishwasher won't fit the larger plates and hand washing is just not going to happen. This kitchen is frustrating. We bought this home about 6 months ago. It's a 1920s but they previous owners had gutted and rebuilt the kitchen. They did a great job with most of it, but they could have done much better with regard to dinnerware storage.

[jmcarthur8]

Most restaurant supply stores I've been to carry a full line of white dinnerware.

I think I've also seen it at Garden Ridge. Those may both be stoneware, though.

You could even try Ebay. I completed my mother's beautiful set of white Wedgwood with Ebay finds.

[mkatieq]

Great idea! I have been surfing around for restaurant supply stores and saw some old links posted here. Most of the websites seem to be to the trade, but I haven't found any stores local to me, Orange County, CA, that have anything other than low end or plastic dinnerware. Do you have any suggestions for an online source or store?

[jmcarthur8]

My husband and I had been looking around for big salad and chili bowls that were colorful, and everywhere we looked, we found white, white, white! Now I'm trying to recall the stores we visited here in Georgia and in our travels,but most of those have been named here already.
The restaurant suppliers we looked at were in Philadelphia and West Georgia, so I never looked online for any. We ended up finding what we wanted on Overstock.com.

Bone china will surely be the most durable - in my house it is, at least - I am a great chipper of plate edges, and the bone china stuff is flawless. There are Wedgewood and Lenox outlet stores at many outlet malls. You may be able to find plates the right size there.

[mkatieq]

Hello, jmcarthur. Thank you for the reply. I'll search a little more seriously for a good restaurant supply store in Orange County or LA.

It sounds like you and my husband would be a great pair. He is Mr. Chip. He has been banned from setting the table, doing dishes, and unloading the dishwasher. When I started this dinnerware quest, I was looking for either Vietri or Juliska stoneware. I changed directions pretty quickly when I thought about the stress worrying about chips.

[escondido123]

If you want plain and white, IKEA has a great selection of shpes and sizes. Of course, you'd spend a lot less than $1200 but then you'd have money leftover for thin, beautiful wine glasses.

[mkatieq]

Thanks, escondido. I always think of them as being pretty modern and my house is a 1920s Spanish so I didn't think about them. I just looked at their website and see that they do have some more classic styles. I love the wine glass idea :-).

[mcf]

We may be looking for similar things; I have a Tudor style home, and I have some brightly colored but very chip prone dinnerware and some very old white cafe ware I want to replace. I'm very partial to this, but it's such a bright white that I've shied away so far: http://www.neimanmarcus.com/p/Terracotta-Dinnerware-Tabletop/prod106950001/ but no dimension for the dinner plates Others I've considered but have yet to pull the trigger on: http://www.worldmarket.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3596289 AND: http://www.potterybarn.com/products/c... which doesn't help you because it's 12" for the dinner plate... Juliska berry and thread claims to be 11" for the dinner plate... cooking.com and sometimes chefscatalog.com have choices in white, too.

[mkatieq]

I'm sorry for the delayed response. I missed your post. Yes, it does look like we're on a similar hunt. I do like the terracotta from Neiman-Marcus. I'll call my local store to see if they have it in stock. Although, I would bet that it is larger than I need. I actually saw the Nantucket pattern at World Market. It is nice, but the display in the store had a big chip in it and that put me off of it. I am in love with Juliska Berry and Thread, it's too big :-(. I bought a plate to test the size and it was about 1/8" too big. I think that they really mean that it measures 11ish". I'll check out cooking.com and chefscatalog.com.

Right now I am close to purchasing Apilco Hemstitch. I bought a dinner plate from Williams-Sonoma to test the size and it does fit. It's lovely, just not quite as Spanish looking as I want, although I can easily bring in other pieces to help in that regard.

This is my "formal" dinnerware. http://www.arteitalica.com/dinnerware... I'd love to use it for every day, but it's not practical with the 2 little ones and I can't use the heat dry setting in the dishwasher with it. I don't have a complete set yet. I have been collecting it over time. I got the bulk of my set from a friend who moved from a Tuscan style home and sold me what she had. She's a designer so she bought it at her discount and she passed her cost on to me.

[mcf]

Arte Italica is gorgeous, have eyed it for years, but not making the investment. I live in a Tudor home, and that meshes with Spanish, English, Arts and Crafts and Colonial Revival, a lot of choices. I have a colorful set I love that's chippy all over and a very old and durable set of white cafe ware that I'm ready to replace. The terra cotta is very stark white looking, but I do love it. At least your list is narrowed now.

[jen kalb]

my experience with terracottas is that they chip unbearably. Have to be very careful. No matter how charming they are, I now avoid.

[mcf]

I'm worried about that, and don't see reviews. OTOH, the "terra cotta" rim appears, upon zooming, to be glaze, not an exposed terra cotta edge.

[mkatieq]

Yeah, it's tough to tell. If I make it to Neimans I will post an update. I do like to mix in some of my serveware though. I just make sure that I do the washing after. I'd rather be the one who chips it if anything gets chipped.

[mcf]

I'd love to know. http://www.ehow.com/facts_7617964_ear...

[mkatieq]

I just had an online chat with NM customer services. The dinner plate is 10.75". It is only available online, and she does not have access to any reviews re: how durable it is. I may order the $25 serving tray with bowls to check it out. Even if I don't go with the dinnerware, I'd get use out of the serving set.

[mcf]

If you do, let me know what you think. So far, only Horchow's and NM seem to sell it, and haven't found reviews yet. I really love it... very simple, but with a kind of lighthearted design. Edit: Looks like SLT used to sell it, or something very close... http://www.kaboodle.com/reviews/white...

[escondido123]

Their basic white plate with a wide rim couldn't be more classic. I wanted to recommend that you check out whatever you consider if you use a microwave. I bought some smaller modern plates at IKEA and didn't check the info on the bottom. First one I used in the microwave cracked right in two--those have become the "cat" plates.

[mkatieq]

Good advice, escondido. I will remember to check since we do reheat in the microwave frequently. Thanks.

[sunshine842]

It would never have even crossed my mind to match my plates to my house.

I'm not sure what (if anything) that says about you or me, or the price of tea in China.

[GH1618]

I suggest you look at what is available on Overstock.com:

http://www.overstock.com/Home-Garden/...

and fill out your set with pieces from replacements.com.

[mkatieq]

Thanks for the link. I have looked around on Overstock, but there is so much that I get a little lost on their site. I like the basic white that you sent. I'm not familiar with Red Vanilla. I'll check out their stock on replacements. It looks like it may coordinate with other lines well.

[splatgirl]

Did you try Crate and Barrel? I can't speak to their sizing, but I've had one of their styles of white porcelain dinnerware for more than 20 years that still looks like the day I got it.

[mkatieq]

Thanks very much for the reply, splatgirl. I checked out their website last night and plan to go to the store soon. Do they still make your pattern? They do have a couple of 10.5" options. It's nice to hear that yours is holding up over the years.

[splatgirl]

They do. I have this: http://www.crateandbarrel.com/outlet/...
For some reason it's always in the outlet online--it has been for years and years. I don't think they carry it in the store at all anymore.
The bowls have changed over the years, but I've added plates and mugs to my set as little as a couple of years ago and I can't tell the difference between old and new.

[splatgirl]

Oh, and I just measured mine and they are 10.5", not 10.25" as listed.
In case that puts them in for real consideration, I'll mention that the lip around the edge means I can only put them every other slot in the dishwasher or they don't get clean. Kind of annoying, but I suspect it's a dishwasher specific issue because it was never a problem until this house/DW.

[mkatieq]

Thanks for taking the measurements. I like the dinnerware and the size is great. I have the same issue with the dishwasher. It's a new higher end dishwasher but the inside is just not as functional as I would like. I was on bed rest during my pregnancy and my husband bought it. It bugs be every day, but he's sensitive about it so I just leave it alone.

[jen kalb]

we bought a Bosch recently and its lack of flexibilty and seeming assumption that what you are going to wash are matched sets of 14 makes us laugh, but it does wash well.

[happybaker]

FYI - I worked at an office that had this (the Crate and Barrel) as their office dinnerware. It took a lot of abuse and endured well.

[mkatieq]

Thanks for the post happybaker. It's great to hear that it holds up. I just narrowed my list down and C&B Cafeware is looking like the front runner. I plan to go to the outlet store tomorrow to see if they have it there. I know that they carry the C&B Aspen, but and not sure about Cafeware. I do like the cafe look of it, it kind of makes me want to whip us some soup and biscuits.

I'm down to C&B Aspen, C&B Cafeware, Apilco Hemstitch, and Sur la Table Round Porcelain. Apilco may get kicked out based on cost.

[valerie]

I have Maison dishes from C&B. We've had them for 10 years and they are still holding up very well. The dinner plates are 11", I just measured.

http://www.crateandbarrel.com/dining-...

[mkatieq]

Thanks for measuring. I still think that it's nuts that 11" doesn't always mean 11". I didn't make it out the store today. I will go over the weekend. I need to make a decision soon.