How Much Should You Spend on Dishware?

When you’re in the kitchen grabbing plates, are you embarrassed to serve them out to your guests? Maybe you’ve got some old plates from when you first got your home and you’re looking to upgrade. Or, maybe you’re new to homeownership and you’ve just been living with paper plates and plastic flatware.

In either case, you’re probably wondering: how much should you be spending on your kitchen dishware?

Materials

If you’re looking for good-quality dishes, you should start with materials. You’ll want to go with a material that fits your kitchen needs. Porcelain is higher-end and pricey, but it’s great for hosting guests. Porcelain requires hand-washing, generally, but it’s a great material for gorgeous designs.

Meanwhile, stoneware is a great durable, general-use material that is made from clay fired at a high temperature. The one issue with stoneware is that it can chip, meaning it needs to be replaced.

Melamine plates are more affordable but generally can’t be microwaved. They’re made of a type of plastic that can come in a variety of colors.

If you’re looking for something that can be microwaved and is on the more durable side, you could opt for Corelle, plates made from tempered glass. Corelle plates are scratch-resistant thanks to their glaze, making them great all-purpose dishes.

Shapes

When it comes to shapes, make sure you know what you need. Triangular plates are ideal for smaller portions like deserts or single servings. On the other hand, square plates are a modern-looking design that can be scaled up to a larger size for full portions or multiple servings. Square plates are also durable by design, making them useful as well as stylish.

Of course, the classic round design is perfect for most any décor and purpose. If you love a classic look or just want your plates to blend in with the rest of your kitchen décor, round plates are the way to go.

Where to Shop

If you’re concerned about cost, you could opt to shop online and take advantage of online shopping savings. Likewise, you could check local secondhand stores for gently used dishware to keep the costs down.

However, if you’re looking to match a certain look, you might opt to go through retailers like IKEA or Target, where they offer a wide variety of kitchen dishes to match your preferred style.

For higher-end options, you could go with Williams Sonoma or Craft & Barrell, retailers that often stock modern and eye-catching dishware.