<p>I’ve finally broken one too many of my everyday dishes, and it’s time to re-supply. The manufacturer no longer makes my pattern, although there’s plenty in stock on the replacements website. But the pattern I picked when I was in my 20s no longer thrills me, and I want something new.</p>
<p>I’m looking for good everyday stoneware. I’d like a simple design, nothing radically geometric or too girly-ish floral. I’m open to color on the design, but the background should be off-white to cream. Reasonably priced, and something I could pick up locally rather than order.</p>
<p>I looked and looked and looked for every day dishes (literally on the lookout for several years). And found them… at Walmart! Inexpensive, bought an extra box set just in case I break some. My pattern does not match your description, but just wanted to tell you were I found mine.</p>
<p>Depending on what you want to spend you might look at Pottery Barn and Crate and Barrel and West Elm. I have purchased open stock white for 25 years and just realized that the salad plates are looking worn and now they are no longer manufactured. So I may have to change someday. I never buy sets as I break too many and like to replace as I go. Less expensive is Target, they always have nice looking sets.</p>
<p>I recently set up from Pier One with some colorful Mexican stoneware, but they sure chip easily in the dishwasher.</p>
<p>Sometime back at Pier One, I got a stack of large white cereal bowls, I think made in China. They nest nicely. Those are keepers, and go with everything else. I’m pretty sure they have other kinds of white everyday, but I only wanted the bowls.</p>
<p>I know you said stoneware…but after having several sets…that just chipped and chipped, we now use a white set of porcelain dinnerware (ours happens to be Royal Doulton, but only because my mom had this nice white set when she died). We have been using it since 2003 and it looks brand new. The porcelain wears better than stoneware (no scratch marks on the plates) and is much lighter weight. It fits nicely in our dishwasher as well. </p>
<p>We have some Williams-Sonoma and Dansk cereal bowls…also plain white, that we use use.</p>
<p>I use Portmerion botanic garden and it’s bullet proof. Haven’t had a break, scratch or chip in twenty years. It’s floral but not super girly. Portmerion has other patterns if you want something plainer. I heard that some of the newer stuff is made in China and there have been some quality issues so try to look for sets that were made in England.</p>
<p>Denby has some great patterns and plain sets. They have some on overstock sometimes that seem like pretty good deals. They range from very plain to patterns. I’ve had mine for several months and love them. No breakage, even with use from multiple teens putting in and out of dishwasher. Sometimes they are a little pricey but the Denby USA site and others have good sales too.</p>
<p>We had the same everyday dishes since our wedding. They were Mikasa. Then we ordered some online at Overstock dot com and they lasted only 2-3 years. So now we’re on our third set of dishes and they are from Ikea and we LOVE them! Inexpensive and durable!</p>
<p>I looked and looked and looked a couple of years ago when I was ready to pass down our current stuff to D2. Bought some stoneware stuff at Crate and Barrel and within a few months had a piece chip. I read some reviews online about this manufacturer where others mentioned this pattern chipping, and decided not to go with stoneware again. Bit the dust and bought this: [Claire</a> Dinnerware in Dinnerware Sets | Crate and Barrel](<a href=“http://www.crateandbarrel.com/claire-dinnerware/f22801]Claire”>http://www.crateandbarrel.com/claire-dinnerware/f22801)</p>
<p>Yes, it’s china, but I learned that china is actually more durable than most stoneware. So I figured at my age (early 50s), if I got white, which is a classic color, this would probably be my last complete replacement of everyday dishes. And it’s so much lighter than the stoneware. That’s how I justified the cost of it.</p>
<p>You might like Dansk, LasMa. They are out of business, but you can get their dishes on Ebay at reasonable prices if you wait around for plates/cups/saucers/etc. offered at reasonable prices. They are lower than the prices set by the replacement services. I bought some Dansk while they were still in business, and have added to it from Ebay. I’m very happy with the purchases. You can get white with a few different designs in navy on the rims–nothing is too floral, and there are designs that are not starkly geometric.</p>
<p>There is a difference between the Dansk ware made in Japan and that made in Portugal, but I have forgotten which is which.</p>
<p>Oh–just saw that you were looking for local pick-up. Sorry!</p>
<p>I am the rustic stoneware type, still love my 30+ year old Pfalsgraff (sp).</p>
<p>Surprised myself a few years ago when i picked up some Corelle at Walmart for everday!
Lite, thin, indestructable plain white with narrow cobalt ring. Open stock but havent broken a piece. Loads well in our Bosch DW that has narrower prongs than our old Kitchenaid.</p>
<p>We had Pfaltsgraf when we first got married 32 years ago…and it was really nice. It was a very limited edition…cobalt blue rings around a cream color on the plates…cobalt mugs and bowls. It was indestructible. But like most stoneware, it got scratched looking. So…since it was so terrific for 16 years or so, we bought another set. We got all kinds of sizes of plates, bowls and serving dishes. It cost us quite a bit. Within days, the plates started chipping. Honestly I should have returned the whole set at that point. Within six months all of the plates had a chip somewhere…and believe me, we were not dropping or clunking these dishes. We used them with the cracks for about 5 years. </p>
<p>I would NEVER recommend them…never.</p>
<p>That’s when we started up using the porcelain dinnerware. It is lovely, plain, and just looks great. If I broke a bunch, I would replace them. </p>
<p>I personally am not a Corelle fan…but they are very durable.</p>
<p>Thumper, thanks for spelling my P word for me!</p>
<p>Our original P set is STILL in perfect shape but we dont use it 24/7.
Sounds like its the “they dont make it the way they used to”.</p>
<p>YES, I never thought I’d buy Corelle…DH and I used to ridicule his Mothers 1970s Corelle set, all yellow and orange frilly flower things.
OUR Corelle is soooo much more sophisticated! Yeah. But it is simple durable everyday nice.
:)</p>
<p>I have a couple sets of the Dansk and have been able to replace pieces that broke on e-bay. One set is getting more difficult to find pieces and I packed them up for the next boy who sets up an apartment and have switched to the Botanic Garden by Portmerion.</p>
<p>I didn’t realize Dansk had gone out of business! My formal china set that we registered for when we married is Dansk and we have many other pieces, including our every day flatware (Odin). I’m so disappointed to hear the line is gone!</p>
<p>With regard to the OP’s original question, I would have to say our experience with Ikea ‘china’ has not been good. I wanted square plates without or with a very small rim and Ikea was the only one I could find. Loved the price but almost 1/2 of our dinner and dessert plates have chips at this point so I’m searching for replacements too…</p>
<p>Corelle for breakfast/lunch snack stuff. Stacks well. Setting for 12 in a 5" drawer next to the DW. Everyday dinner is Noritake stoneware that were wedding presents thirty something years ago. They were discontinued in the 80s so I buy replacements online, so I don’t know how they compare to newer stoneware. Minor knife marks. Some chips, but we are talking 36 years of daily use…they have a very high gloss glaze, which lasts much longer than matte in my experience.
All fit nicely into a dishwasher and an upper cabinet. New pottery is pretty but oversized. And have you hefted the flatware at Crate and Barrell or Pottery Barn lately? It’s like going to dinner at NFL training camp! Huge !</p>