Kitchen Keeping: How Many Sets of Dishes Do You Own?

For some of us, our obsession with all things food doesn't stop in the kitchen but extends out into the dining room. We're talking plates, bowls, and glasses. Passing by a yard sale or a store display, sometimes those dishes just call out to us! Do you collect multiple sets of dishes or are you satisfied with just one?

We think everyone should own at least one set of basic white plates and bowls. Food always looks rich and elegant when framed against white. If you're shopping for your first set of dishes, you really can't go wrong with simple white.

But, oh, those fun and funky dishes are hard to resist! My mother has always been a big collector of plates and dishes, filling cupboards and china cabinets with her finds - much to the chagrin of my father! Unfortunately, I seem to have inherited the gene. So far, small apartments and multiple moves have kept me in check, but that doesn't stop me from looking!

I also really love the homey look of mismatched dishes on a table. This makes it easy to just pick up one or two pieces of a coveted set of dishes to add to our collection!

What about you? Do you have a hard time resisting cool new plates and bowls?

(Image: Flickr member gifrancis licensed under Creative Commons)

Comments (34)

I have my everyday mis-matched Ikea set and my grandmother's old "basket of rose" pattern set that can serve 12. Getting a nice, modern set (that matches!) for 8-10 has been on my list for a long time now.

Eve
http://dinnersanddimes.blogspot.com/

3: our everyday dishes, china I inherited from a friend of the family, and this great set I scored at a yard sale for $.25 each - they're small and have a slot for the matching mug; I use them for hosting bookclubs, brunches, etc. But I'm always on the lookout for the next set that catches my eye! I also always get some bowls from Chinatown in NYC every time I visit; they're perfect for morning cereal.

I have one set of dishes. I redid my kitchen last year and decided to finally get the all-white porcelain I've wanted for ages. It's great, very clean looking, microwave & dishwasher safe. My glasses are clear Picardie tumblers from France that I've had for ages. I use Bonne Maman preserves jars for "grown up" drinks and have half a dozen IKEA wine glasses. Simple and easy.

One and several halves? I have my "wedding set" that's a near-white with nice texture (and I haven't actually used yet), but I like picking up singles, pairs, and small sets (mostly at thirft stores) for daily/casual use.

Nothing better than bringing my husband a summer afternoon snack on a snowman plate. :D

One set of chipped, stained, once-white IKEA dishes. They're terrible and haven't really survived the five or so moves I've put them through, but I hate buying stuff so I haven't replaced them. I do want to get a couple of spare plates because these don't seem to take well to the microwave, but again my hatred of spending money on non-consumables is throwing up a roadblock.

Just a plain white set. I don't entertain often and see no need to have more. Besides, dishes are heavy and break easily--not good for someone who moves frequently.

Where are those blue plates from???

hyperRevue - I know, aren't they awesome?! I wish there was more info on the flickr page. I'll poke around a bit and see if I can find something similar!

Thanks, Emma.

I left a comment on the flickr page, too.

I collect dishes.. so a lot!

I have two sets of dishes. One is an off white color with a scalloped edge that we use from October to April. It is porcelain.

The other is melanine and a turqouise color with a leaf pattern. The bowl and platter have a toucan in the center. We use those dishes from May to September.

Plates, I have a white everyday set, and the fancy china set, and a small set of japanese dishes. I've been limiting new aquisitions to smaller dessert/appetizer plates. Keeps the collection in check.

Flatware, I have the everyday, the fancy stainless, and an accumulating collection of mismatched silver-plate which thankfully doesn't take up much space.

Glassware there's the everyday, the crystal, and an evolving assortment of bar glasses that I've limited to one cabinet - I also try to buy sets of at least 4, which keeps the thrift store purchases in check.

And then there's an ever growing collection of serving dishes....

Luckily my dining room has a lot of storage.

The woman says the dishes are from Tesco. But I'm having some difficulty figuring out what that is/navigating the site.

I only have a set of 4! They're the Pantone plates though so 4 different colors.

I think these are them: http://direct.tesco.com/q/R.205-9402.aspx

Tesco is a supermarket chain. If that's what she's talking about.

I have a huge jumble of leftover dishes, glassware, and flatware that various friends and family members have given me over the years. I even have a bunch of green plates that my parents won at a 70's bingo game. As long as it isn't broken and I can throw it in the dishwasher, I'm satisfied.

When I'm at someone else's house, my attention is on the food itself than what it is served on. I guess I'm just not a dish person.

My parents' old Mikasa "Whole Wheat" plate set is still going strong 20 years later and under the care of 2 very clumsy women (my mom and me). It's ugly as heck, but I don't plan on replacing it until I someday have a wedding registry. It just doesn't make financial sense to replace these quality plates even though I don't really care for the way they look.

Three sets: everyday Fiestaware in butter yellow (discounted) and cobalt blue, wedding china that doesn't get as used nearly as much as it should and 12 place settings of a basic white with scalloped trim that is in a box in the garage for the "just in case" moment.

We registered for the dishes we actually wanted to use at our wedding (gasp!). We use one set that way we are forced to do dishes at LEAST every 3 days.

i love looking at dinnerware but simply don't have the space (or extra money) to buy. i am romanced with the fiestaware my friends have. personally, i have basic white ikea for everyday.

i am especially excited because we just bought an antique china cabinet where i can store (and USE) my grandmother's wedgewood and haviland!

Set? What's a set?
I have sort of a set of stoneware (wedding presents, but bought as bits and pieces) and lots of odds and ends picked up whenever something interesting shows up. As long as it's blue, green, or white, it'll match!

Um... 3 full sets of plates/bowls/etc. (china, white, and green because it was fun) and then 8 different kinds of small plates (12 of each shape/size)... and I shudder to think about the glassware. Great for parties. Thank God I have the storage space I do.

I used to have crappy Target plates, and was always holding out for that perfect set to upgrade to. I found that set at Pier 1, but couldn't afford it. UNTIL... they had a closing out sale of some of their porcelain, including that pattern, a few years back. It was still a splurge, at closing prices, but I love it. It's white, with a teal and blue starrish pattern. I think it was intended for holiday use, but I love it for anytime.

I also meant to include that i don't really get the whole "collecting china, etc" thing. If I'd stayed near my family, my mother probably would have bought me tons of china at the flea market, but I moved across the country with nothing but two suitcases, so I ended up buying everything new.

I have my grandmother's formal china and it's lovely. I have a set of Dansk everyday that after years has just been discontinued. I have a set of Corel soup bowls for fall and winter soups. I just can't get anything else as I refuse to keep too much after watching Hoarders.

I have 2 full (dinner, salad and bowl) sets of 4, couple of partial melamine sets from Target (from before I decided I didn't like melamine because you can't nuke leftovers or cut with sharp knives without ruining them) and about 3 sets of 4 salad/appetizer plates. I don't think i could be committed to just one pattern for a whole set for entertaining, which is why I like buying in 4s, but, I do have a rule that I'm trying to follow that I try to pick stuff that could at least be used together for big parties without looking completely mismatched, usually based around colour or shape. I am sorely in need of serving dishes though.

3. 2 everyday and 1 china. All from my Grandma.

I have turquoise rimmed plates with a wheat sheaf in the middle that my grandpa gave away with purchases at his grocery store. VERY fifties. I have full service for twelve of that stuff, including serving pieces, although I gave away the tiny and useless bowls. I got four each deep cereal bowls and four shallow pasta bowls to replace them (thanks Crate and Barrel outlet store!)

It doesn't match with much, and can't go in the microwave and I want to replace it, but not by going back to the outlet. So I've started buying a single plate whenever I visit a pottery. My sister has made me a few pieces too. It won't match in the end, but I think I'll like that, after years of perfectly matched wheat sheaves.

Just one - plain white Loft porcelain by Rosental. But I love them! Pretty enough to set a nice table for guests, and very pleasant to use everyday. Before that I had some Denby that other people still liked, but I grew to despise.

I do buy odds and ends of pottery bowls and cups. I like to pick the just-right bowl for whatever I'm eating!

When I get my mother's good china, I have no idea where I will put it - my kitchen is smallish.

If the dishes in the photo are from Tesco, I think I've found them. Dead cheap, if you don't think about the shipping!

http://direct.tesco.com/search/default.aspx?search=mono dinnerware&confirm.x=0&confirm.y=0

I tried to post a link to the tesco dishes in the photo, but I guess you're not allowed to post links here.

So: go to the Tesco site and use "mono dinnerware" as a search term.

Dead cheap, if you don't think about the shipping charges.

My husband only lets me keep one set of dishes at a time, with a short stack of large assorted plates (2 styles) for holding cakes or other baked goods. If I break a couple plates or too many glasses, or want a new style, I have to get rid of the entire set before buying a new set :( It's a clutter issue, so I can't complain too much.

My mother, on the other hand, has two hutches full of dishes. One is for everyday dishwear and the other holds what has been passed down in the family and the nicer china. I envy her eclectic collection, but at the same time have learnt to enjoy the more tidy collection in my own cupboard.

I have 2 (or 4 depending how you count) sets. My Primary set was my grandmothers, then my mother's and now mine. It has at least 12 settings, more of the tea set. It has big blue flowers. I used the pattern to pick the colors for my kitchen.
The other set is a combination of 3 sets. They are all a sort of plastic that is great for when drinking is involved. One is from Target with an orange brown starish pattern, one I found directly after leaving target at good will with a complementing green pattern and the third set is from joann fabrics, it has drink recipes on it.
Now I am going to have to do a blog post about my dishes, yay!