Dinner Plates
Welcome to the dinner plates section of my web site. While the rest of the site focuses mainly on dinnerware sets, on this page I want to just talk about dinner plates, and nothing else. Full sets are nice, but sometimes you just need plates! Who among us hasn't chipped or broken a plate in the past? When that happens do you run out and buy a whole new set? Of course not! You find a replacement plate and continue on with the old set.
There are so very many different types of dinner plates out there that it boggles the mind a little just thinking about it! Where to start, where to start?! Heck, it's hard even to pin down a category of plates to focus on. So instead, just to get the ball rolling, I'll talk just a little bit about dinner plates in general, then move on to different brands and types, then talk about where you can find good replacement dishes without paying an arm and a leg and breaking the bank! Sound good? Good!
What Are Dinner Plates? Yeah ok, we all know what dinner plates are, but give me a break, it's hard to start writing about dinner plates cold turkey! I need to ease into it a bit and to that's why we start here. A plate is a type of dishware, bet you didn't know that! Ok, maybe you did. It is generally broad and concave, but really mostly flat, and you use it to serve food (and obviously to eat off of!). Plates generally fall into to two broad categories; utilitarian and ceremonial (or decorative).
What are Plates Made Out Of? Most of the time, and this is true in I'd say 85% of the time, plates are made out of ceramic materials like china (bone china) or porcelain, or stoneware. Then there's your more temporary or less elegant materials like Melamine reson or tempered glass. Other than that you're looking at plastic, or glass, or wood, or even stone...and disposable plates come in paper and cardboard and Styrofoam form (but we won't get into that!).
Is Porcelain The most common? I'm not sure if it's the most common exactly, but a goodly number of dinner plates are made from it. It's a kind of ceramic material that is made from heating raw materials like clay in a kiln to temperatures of between 2,192 degrees F and 2,552 degrees F. We refer to it generally as china because the country of China was the first place to make it.
What exactly is Stoneware? Well, it's really just a vitreous or semi-vitrious type of ceramic made from non-refractory fire clay. Basically it is man made stone. It is generally more opaque than porcelain and only partially vitrified. Stoneware is usually colored gray or a sort of brownish because of the impurities found in the clay that's used to make it. Oh, and it's usually glazed...you know, just for good measure.
And China or Bone China, What's the Difference? Bone china is a type of porcelain that was first developed in England (not China), whereas China was developed in, well China. Bone ash is the main component of Bone China. See how that works? Bone ash, bone china...you're getting it! It's generally very white in color, especially white. It was originally made to compete with actual china from the country of China.
So now you know all about the basic history and composition of modern Dinner Plates!
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"What Is It?" Reusable White Dinner Plate, 9 Inch Melamine, Set of 4
List Price: $18.99
Sale Price: $10.70
An Eco-friendly alternative to the traditional disposable white paper plate. Better for the environment since they are reusable and won't fill up the landfills like paper plates. Dishwasher safe and sturdy - they won't get flimsy like the paper look-alikes...
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Nordic Ware Set of 2 10 Inch Microwave Dinner Plates
Sale Price: $9.82
Our high heat microwave cook wear is freezer to microwave to table ready. These plates are perfect for everyone from families to students and attractive enough to set at a simple table. Heat an entire meal on one 10 inch dinner plate...
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Fiesta 10-1/2-Inch Dinner Plate, Scarlet
List Price: $17.00
Sale Price: $16.98
Used From: $105.00
First introduced in 1936 by the Homer Laughlin China Company and reissued in 1986 to mark the 50th anniversary of the line, colorful Fiestaware has been a collectable dinnerware favorite for generations...
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