Dinner Sets
When you sit down to eat your dinner, the chances are you don’t think too much about the plate you have served it on. But in actual fact there are a huge range of dinner sets out there to take a look at. And if you want something a little bit different to get your guests talking when you serve up a meal, you’ve got a great choice of makers and brands to consider.
A Selection of Hand Picked Dinner Sets
It is also worth taking a fresh look at the various materials used to make dinner sets, all of which are laid out below.
Porcelain Dinner Sets
Porcelain is often used for more expensive dinner sets and services. It is a ceramic finish which is extremely hard wearing and can really look good when used in well designed dinner sets.
Porcelain is also usually very versatile and can be used in the oven. When it is made it is fired in a kiln, so it can withstand high temperatures. Do always check the information that comes with your porcelain dinner set though; it could be that you may damage the glaze through unnecessary heat if you use it in the oven without checking first.
China Dinner Sets
It is said that the best cup of tea comes in a fine bone china mug or tea cup. But whatever you may think of that statement, there is nothing quite like a fine bone china dinner set. It has a look and feel that is entirely different to many other sets, and although it is more expensive, bone china is definitely much sought after by many.
Despite the obvious name, you may be surprised to know that it really does contain bone – calcined bone from cattle, no less. The white nature of bone china is often incomparable with other white dinner sets – making it stand out as a fine addition to any kitchen or dining room.
Ceramic Dinner Set
This word actually covers a multitude of things, but in our example ceramics are another type of tableware. Many dinner sets are ceramic in nature, and you will also find that many sets designed primarily for children are made from ceramics.
Stoneware and earthenware
If you want a dinner set with a more basic and rustic look, go for stoneware or earthenware. They are both made differently, but they both have a more basic look when compared to the fine finish of the bone china items.
Both items contain clay, along with a variety of other things which are mixed in before the item is fired. Both types of dinner set may be glazed and left ‘as is’; alternatively they may still be painted or coloured in some way.
What is included in a dinner set?
The items you will find in a dinner set will vary depending on how many pieces the set contains. The most basic sets contain dinner plates, side plates and bowls. The next set up will usually have mugs in it as well, although some sets contain cups and saucers.
You will usually find that in addition to these basic items, you can buy other additional pieces that go along with the dinner set and are designed in the same way.
How many items will you find in a dinner set?
This altogether depends on place settings. All dinner services are designed to be suitable for a set number of people. So for example, you might want a basic dinner set for four people. A twelve piece set might fit the bill, with dinner plates, side plates and bowls. Or you could look for a sixteen piece set that has mugs in it as well.
A twenty four piece set will be intended for either six or eight people, depending on the items it includes. If you have both types of plates and bowls, then you have enough to serve eight. If you have mugs as well, then only six place settings will have been included.
How can you use them?
One of the most important things to ask yourself before you buy any type of dinner service is how you are going to use it. Are you looking for something that is suitable for using every single day in a variety of ways? For example, could you cook a dinner, serve it onto the plate and leave it in the microwave to reheat later? If not, you might want to find something else.
Depending on what they are made from, some dinner sets are more robust than others. Some can be used in the microwave, dishwasher, oven and freezer, while others are hand wash only and nothing else. Consider how versatile you want them to be before you buy.
Classic – or outlandish?
There are many more styles and designs of dinnerware than you can possibly imagine! You will find two basic variations among all these though.
The first type of dinnerware has a plain texture and a patterned or plain design over the top. In its simplest form it may only have a glaze and nothing else. The second type has a design in the texture itself. This often has a plain glaze over the top to accentuate the actual 3D design. One recent example on sale had the rippled design of tree bark.
As you can see, there are lots of different variations of dinner sets and services on offer today. You can also find dinner sets created by lots of different designers. Even some well known names who are better known for their fashion statements than their crockery have created dinner sets to be savoured and enjoyed.
The trick is to consider what you are looking for in a dinner set, and then you can go out and enjoy looking for it. But whatever you eventually choose, make sure it is something practical that you will enjoy using – regardless of whether it is at a dinner party for your friends, or a regular evening meal with your family.
Dinner sets have certainly come a long way!