Who doesn’t love buying dinner sets? They bring charm to your kitchen and dining experience. People prefer various materials for dinner sets, and choosing a dinnerware set is a big decision.
Everything from a morning bowl of cereal to a holiday dinner with family and friends is an important decision.
Although searching for a dinnerware pattern you love is essential, you should consider factors like weight and durability in your selection.
Also, you should start your search by looking at dinnerware in person if it’s possible.
A. Materials available
1. Ceramics
Manufacturers can make ceramics using various materials, but all materials are equally durable.
You can get porcelain, bone china, or stoneware if you’re looking for everyday use because they are affordable, easy to care for, and sturdy.
2. China
This material is an umbrella term defined in the Dictionary of Ceramics. Fine china is ambiguous but includes any porcelain or bone china made from higher-quality clays.
Fine china is an expensive dinnerware set because the quality is perfectly consistent from piece to piece. But it is an elegant choice for formal occasions.
3. Porcelain
It is the most common type of dinnerware and primarily combines clay, feldspar, and quartz. Also, it varies in weight and comes in various colours, from bright white to blue-grey.
You’ll find a wide range of coloured glazes.
4. Caring for Dinnerware
You should always check the manufacturer’s instructions for the type of dinnerware before using it.
Some formal dining options should be hand-washed and hand-dried, and some dinnerwares have metal incorporated in their design. And that prevents them from being microwaveable.
There’s a chance that you stack dinnerware sets in your cupboard. If you want to maintain them, safely store fine china and formal types of dinnerware when not in use.
Also, remember to place a piece of felt between each piece. It prevents scratches and keeps them in a unique china cabinet.
B. How to Choose Dinnerware?
1. Style
The design and style of the dinner set should reflect your taste. So choose from different types of dinnerware, so there are minimal sets, decorative and formal.
You can buy a basic dinner set or a designer set with the standard prints in floral, abstract, and geometric. The pattern and style depend on your personal choice.
2. Size of dinner set
Size is an essential factor to consider when you buy a dinner set. You will find dinner sets of 12 pieces, 16 pieces, 18 pieces and many more.
So you can choose the size depending on your requirements and your budget. Keep in mind the number of people in your house and select the sets accordingly.
If you’re looking for a casual one, you should choose a smaller size. And if you wish to entertain guests, you’ll need a more extensive set.
3. Shape
Dinner plates and bowls usually come in round shapes. But you can also go for square, oval and triangle. You can go for an uneven shape if you like unique and funky crockery.
You can even get a complete dinner set of the same shape.
4. With rim or without rim
Crockery and dinner sets are of two types. One is available with a rim, and one is available without it. Plates, bowls, mugs and glasses have a rim, or they’re without it.
Sets with rims look a bit more formal and decorative and are more suitable for food that has gravy and liquid. The one without a rim is easy for food without soup and sauce.
5. Dinnerware accessories
When selecting the essential dinnerware, you should look for other accessories such as serving platters, jugs, and trays.
Always purchase these after you have your main crockery in place. It will help you select the correct colour, design, and size.
6. Different materials
The materials for making different types of crockery have their characteristics. Glass is the most common material available in various colours.
So you can choose the entire dinnerware set made of the same material. But you can also mix and match. Do whatever you want to.
C. How to Care for Your Dinnerware
- Wash it immediately after use because it is the easiest way to maintain dinnerware. And it’ll make sure that food stains don’t remain on the crockery.
- Wash it with mild soap and water because it’s something that isn’t heavy on chemicals
- Wipe with a dry cloth to keep watermarks from settling on the crockery.
- Store dinner set away from dust so that it doesn’t get dirty.
It is pretty much possible to get easily lost in so many options.
So you’ll have to narrow down your options based on all the essential factors such as price, shape, colour, design, and material.
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