We Tested the Best Dinnerware Sets for Every Occasion and Found 8 Favorites

Best Overall

Fiesta 4-Piece Place Setting

$50 at Amazon $50 at Wayfair $50 at Kohls.com

Fiesta has been making products for over 150 years, and there’s a good reason it's lasted that long. They’re incredibly popular, with people buying new colors as they appear and hunting for retired colors as collector’s items. The dinnerware is attractive, sturdy, and very festive, with enough colors to choose from that anyone should be able to find a favorite. Even better, since the dinnerware pattern stays the same and colors only change occasionally, buying more pieces to match what you already have is easy. There are also fun serving pieces and accessories available to complete the dining room.

We long-term tested a 4-piece set with a dinner plate, salad plate, bowl, and mug. These are fairly heavy pieces and, if treated well, should stand the test of time. One of our editors has a set that's lasted for generations in her family, surviving multiple moves and countless meals. We didn’t treat our pieces gingerly in tests, and they’ve yet to chip or show damage. However, they come with a 5-year chip resistance warranty, just in case there’s an accident.

The dinner plates are larger than others we’ve used in the past and could also function as serving plates for smaller meals. The lip keeps food from sliding off the edge, so they’re safe to use even when there’s a moat of gravy around the mashed potatoes. On the other hand, the salad plate might be a bit small for those who like a lot of greens, but we still love it for sides and desserts.

Not only are these safe to put in the microwave and dishwasher, but they can also be used in the oven at lower temperatures. That’s not something we do often, but it’s nice to know it’s possible. One small quibble is that the mug handle is quite small, and the body of the mug can get a bit warm when the drinks are piping hot.

Material: Ceramic | What's Included: 1 dinner plate, 1 side plate, 1 bowl, 1 mug with additional options available | Dishwasher-Safe: Yes

Best Budget

Amazon Basics 16-Piece Dinnerware Set

$44 at Amazon

This dinnerware set doesn’t call much attention to itself. It’s clean, contemporary, and unembellished. It looks great in pretty much any setting, from casual to formal, and the price is certainly budget-conscious. The pieces are safe to put in the microwave, oven, freezer, and dishwasher, so they’re also very practical. We particularly like that the plates don’t retain heat, so they’re easy to remove from the microwave or oven and won’t be painfully hot at the table.

This set is great for a first apartment since the pieces are very neutral and will last through home redecorating. The dinner plates, bowls, dessert plates, and mugs arrived in a reasonably sized box, and everything was wrapped well to prevent breakage. In tests, we were happy to discover that the durable porcelain didn't acquire marks from flatware.

While these look identical, we found that the plates weren’t consistent when stacked for storage. Some are thinner or thicker, and some are uneven from side to side, so they wobbled a bit as we stacked. We also noticed a few tiny pits and pinpricks in the glaze. The blemishes aren't significant enough for most people to notice and won't affect the performance—but users who look for perfection may not be pleased. For the price, though, the little flaws don’t bother us.

Material: Porcelain | What's Included: 4 dinner plates, 4 side plates, 4 bowls, 4 mugs | Dishwasher-Safe: Yes

Best Stoneware

West Elm Textured Stoneware Dinnerware

$148 at West Elm

While the warm cream color on this dinnerware set is neutral, the texturing makes it stand out from the crowd. Each place setting includes two textured patterns—stripes on the dinner plates and bowls, while the side plates and mugs have spots. Everything works together to add interest to the set as a whole.

While all the pieces were useful, we especially liked the salad plate for more than just salad. It worked well for small breakfast portions, a sandwich at lunch, a snack, or a dessert. The bowl was great for cereal, salad, or soup. The plates have a wide rim that looks attractive but also limits the usable space unless you don’t mind food getting onto the edges.

These are heavy but also a bit delicate, so they can be prone to chipping. It’s best to handle these carefully and avoid rough handling when stacking. In tests, we didn’t note any marks from using these with stainless steel flatware, but we did see some flaws like dimples and bubbles in the glaze. While these all felt like very high quality, we found the flaws to be a bit of a letdown, given the price.

Material: Stoneware | What's Included: 4 dinner plates, 4 side plates, 4 bowls, 4 mugs with additional pieces available | Dishwasher-Safe: Yes

Our Place Dinnerware Set

View on Fromourplace.com

Our Place is a relatively new company, but they’ve already caught the attention of food and fashion publications alike. The contemporary dinnerware set somehow manages to be minimalist, homey, and rustic at the same time, so it’s hard to imagine a place where these wouldn’t fit in. They’ll also match well with a wide range of flatware sets.

We initially tested a speckled version of this dinnerware and liked the ease of storage and cleaning. We also appreciate that the set is microwave- and oven-safe, so everything can go from cooking to table without a pause. Two of our editors use the updated version—which features similar earth tones and a glossy finish—in their kitchens and report that they’ve held up extremely well even with daily use. The raised rim on the dishes keeps food neatly contained if they’re saucy or if there’s a young diner who’s not quite as adept at using a fork or spoon. They’re also stackable, along with the matching drinking glasses.

The company also addresses environmental issues since it uses recycled and sustainable sourced virgin porcelain to make its products. One issue is that they got hot when heated in the microwave for longer than a minute, but at the same time, the soup was just warm. When used in the microwave, it’s best to use a potholder or mitts when removing them. 

Material: Ceramic | What's Included: 4 full plates, 4 midi plates, 4 demi plates, 4 midi bowls, and 4 demi bowls | Dishwasher-Safe: Yes

Best China

Red Vanilla Extreme Bone China Dinnerware Set

$332 at Amazon $218 at Wayfair View on Redvanillahome.com

This dinnerware is made from bright white bone china that’s super-thin, so it looks and feels delicate. The sleek design and interesting angles are special, but the stark white with no embellishments makes this set very versatile. It would look just as good with a formal setting as a casual dinner for two. The pieces are also very photogenic, in case publishing your dinner creations appeals.

This set is safe to use in the dishwasher and microwave, but we still felt that the pointed corners would make them more prone to chipping when stacking and storing after tests. This is a 16-piece set with four dinner plates, four salad plates, four mugs, and four soup bowls, but other sizes and serving platters are also available within the collection.

These dishes have a very glossy finish, and although we looked hard, we couldn’t find any surface flaws. That super glossy finish has a downside, though, because the plates let food slide a bit. There’s a slight bow, so liquids won’t drip off on their own, but there’s no lip, rim, or textured surface to keep foods from migrating onto the table.

Material: Bone china | What's Included: 4 dinner plates, 4 salad plates, 4 soup bowls, and 4 mugs with additional options and single pieces available | Dishwasher-Safe: Yes

Best Eco-Friendly

Fable New York Colorful Bamboo Dinnerware

$32 at Food52

If bamboo makes you think of cutting boards, think again. This dinnerware set is made from renewable, organic bamboo fiber and comes in a variety of colors, including a combination set if you can’t decide exactly which you love best. The dinnerware also contains cornstarch and a touch of melamine to bind the bamboo material.

Our test set was a deep golden yellow that looked clean, modern, and cheerful, particularly with a wooden table as a backdrop. However, the color would also look stunning on a lighter or darker surface. This set works well in the dining room, and it also moves easily to the backyard since it's so durable.

There’s no rim on the two plates, so there’s plenty of space for food. The two bowls—called a low bowl and a cereal bowl—are great for many different uses, including pasta, salad, cereal, and ice cream.

Compared to other dinnerware sets, the bamboo surface is more textured and papery, but it kept the food from sliding around and was very resistant to scratching or staining. Even steak knives didn’t make any marks. We do appreciate that these are dishwasher-safe, but they’re not microwave-safe, so you can’t use them to reheat your dinner. 

Materials: Organic bamboo fiber, non-GMO corn starch, and a food-grade BPA-free melamine binding | What's Included: 4 dinner plates, 4 salad plates, 4 pasta bowls, 4 cereal bowls with additional options available | Dishwasher-Safe: Yes

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Best Formal

Lenox French Perle 4-Piece Place Setting

$80 $60 at Amazon $48 at Wayfair $60 at Home Depot

If you want a decorative set of dinnerware for special occasions but don’t want a painted design that won’t match the dining room decor, this set fits perfectly. The white stoneware goes with everything, but for those who want a gentle pop of color, it’s also available in ice blue. To dress up the dishes, there’s a textured design on the plate rims, as well as the exterior of the bowl and mug. To complete the look, the edges are scalloped, and there’s a lovely hand-applied finish.

While the stoneware is less delicate than something like bone china, the surface can take on your flatware without leaving any marks. If blemishes do show up, they can be removed using a nonabrasive cleanser. Lenox is so sure this set will stand the test of time that there’s a lifetime replacement program for broken dishes.

In tests, we had a bit of a problem defining the aesthetic of this set, with descriptions ranging from vintage to French country cottage and boho to frilly. Needless to say, loving or hating the design will be a personal choice. When it’s time to clean, we love that these are dishwasher-safe.

Material: Ceramic | What's Included: 1 dinner plate, 1 side plate, 1 bowl, 1 mug | Dishwasher-Safe: Yes

Best Porcelain

Haand Dinner Setting

View on Haand.us

Haand products are made by hand, offering luxury in unique styles. We love this dinnerware set with its irregular shapes that feel so natural and organic, no matter what we are eating. This set contains four pieces—a dinner plate, salad plate, pasta bowl, and breakfast bowl. We, however, followed their quirky lead and used the pieces in multiple ways, depending on our whims. The shapes are very versatile, so you don’t need to stick to the original purposes.

This set comes in multiple colors, including some sets with multiple colors, to add to the quirkiness. There are also sets with fewer and more pieces, and single pieces are available if you need a few extras. We support the idea of getting several sets in different colors to mix and match at the table, although a single color would be lovely as well. We love the look of these as we use them, and also like the design when they are stacked or waiting to be used. The flat plates are very flat, with just a bit of a rim to keep liquids from escaping, so there’s plenty of usable space. The bowls are as irregular in shape as the plates, making for a fun presentation.

We love that the website shows exactly how these are made, so you know exactly what you’re getting. The dishes are dishwasher- and microwave-safe, and our pieces are used in both with no issues. While these dishes are expensive, they have an artisan quality that makes them very special.

Material: Glazed white porcelain | What's Included: 1 dinner plate, 1 salad plate, 1 pasta bowl, 1 breakfast bowl | Dishwasher-Safe: Yes