Best Porcelain Dinnerware Sets: The Ultimate Guide To Keeping Your Meals Presentable

Ideally, you would think that just making a delicious meal would suffice at a dinner table. Realistically, that’s not usually the case. As scrumptious as your meal is, if it is not presented properly, you will lose major points.

When selecting dinnerware, you will need to keep several considerations in mind, such as the brand, material, weight, design, price, and so on. It can be an overwhelming experience, and this article will help make the decision easier.

Types of Dinnerware Sets

While there are dozens of different kinds of materials used in dinnerware sets, some of the most common types include earthenware, stoneware, and porcelain.

Earthenware

Earthenware is essentially a ceramic that has been glazed and fired. It is slightly more porous and coarser than porcelain or stoneware and hence a lot less durable too. Due to the decreased durability, the price is lower and is a good option if you are looking for an affordable dinner set.

Stoneware

Stoneware is also a kind of fired ceramic but more durable than earthenware since it is fired at a higher temperature and has incorporated vitreous material that makes it stronger. Despite its durability, stoneware is not used at fancy dinner parties and gives a more casual look instead.

Porcelain

Porcelain is traditionally made up of two essential ingredients; kaolin (china clay) and petunse (pottery stone). Kaolin is responsible for giving porcelain its plasticity and structure, while petunse lends porcelain hardness and translucency. Durable porcelain dinnerware is found in abundance because of its beauty and strength, so it’s easily a good pick.

How To Buy The Best Porcelain Dinnerware Set

Choosing a dinnerware set can be a daunting decision since it's a choice you would have to live with every day or on the best occasions of your life. This guide will help you pick out the best porcelain dinnerware set for your home and make your decision smoother.

Some of the porcelain dinnerware sets that we selected are as follows:

MALACASA Dinnerware

MALACASA dinnerware is easy to clean, hard, sturdy, odorless, tasteless and made to the highest quality standards. The dishes are practical in use and as a great style alternative in the home

Crate & Barrel Mercer Dinnerware Set

These modern and beautiful dinnerware sets are a versatile option for your dinner table. What makes them a safe and appropriate choice is that they can go well with both large dinner parties and everyday use.

These modern and beautiful dinnerware sets are a versatile option for your dinner table. What makes them a safe and appropriate choice is that they can go well with both large dinner parties and everyday use.

Muji Porcelain Dishes

Muji Porcelain Dishes are an affordable option for people who don’t want to spend too much on dinner sets and want to invest in one set for both informal and formal settings.

Choosing The Color and Pattern

The best porcelain dinnerware is one that has both durability and class. Picking the color of your dinnerware depends on your home and dinner table. Do you have a colorful dinner table that would look crowded with bright plates? Or a somber dining room that needs a funky touch with some burst of colors? The color of the dinner set is purely a judgment call and depends on your taste or the colors in the dining room.

Ideally, a simpler and blank canvas is preferred in dinner sets so that your meal is visible and the pattern underneath does not take away the attention from the food. It is suggested to steer clear of busy patterns and designs that look too crowded. Whiteware is an elegant choice for your main set, but you can invest in colored glassware, tablecloths, or placemats.

What Should You Consider When Buying a Set?

Before you start shopping for a dinner set, you need to decide how many place settings you are looking for and how much you are willing to spend. The quantity depends on the purpose of the dinnerware. Are you looking for casual dinnerware for everyday use or a heavy dinner set for when the guests are over? How many members are in your family? Once you have figured that out, you can move on to other considerations.

The material of the dinnerware set is easily one of the most important considerations when buying a set. But since you have decided to go with a porcelain dinner set, you can move on to other considerations.

Pick One To Fit Your Lifestyle

Everyone leads a different lifestyle and has different eating habits that require a distinct dinnerware. Maybe you live in a two-person household that rarely has anyone over and only needs everyday porcelain dinnerware. Or maybe you have a big family with game nights every weekend. Maybe you host a lot of fancy dinner parties, in which case you need a set of fine porcelain dinnerware. Or maybe you have a lot of casual hangouts at your place. All of these scenarios require different kinds of dinnerware.

Pick a dinnerware set that is appropriate for your lifestyle and that you would actually use instead of hoarding in the kitchen cabinet.

Consider The Weight of Dinnerware

One of the main reasons business owners recommend you to check out dinner sets in person rather than ordering online is that you can hardly judge the weight of your dinnerware through a screen. It is recommended that you pick up different stacks of dinnerware to see how much weight you are comfortable with and how easily you can retrieve it safely from a cupboard.

One thing to keep in mind here is that some people equate greater weight with better quality or durability. That is not necessarily the case. Stoneware can be lightweight and yet more durable than earthenware; the same goes for bone china.

Analyze The Size and Shape of Each Piece

Oftentimes, customers end up buying dinner sets that look exquisite but do not go with their dinner table or are way bigger for their cupboards. This is not a wise choice. Always check the size and shape of each piece in the dinner set, such as the plates, bowls, mugs, teacups, and saucers, to check if they are appropriate for your lifestyle and eating habits. See if you want flatter plates or deeper bowls and if the teacups are comfortable to hold.

Tips For Keeping Your Meals Presentable With Your Set

1.  The easiest food presentation tip in the book is to manage the proportion of the food. Select a plate that goes well with the quantity of food you want to offer. If the plate is too small and the food too much, it just doesn’t go well.
2.  A mistake that many amateurs make is over-styling the dish, which ends up ruining the vibe. Put the main ingredient in the center of the dish and let the other elements complement it rather than hide it.
3.  For food that is light-colored, use colored pieces from the dinnerware. For dark-colored food, use the white dinnerware as a blank canvas.

Conclusion

Serving your well-prepared food on a dinner set that doesn't do it justice will only diminish the experience, which is why the presentation of the meal is greatly emphasized. This article will serve as the ideal guide to picking the best porcelain dinnerware sets.