How to Find the Best Place Settings at Every Price Point

There’s nothing like a nicely outfitted kitchen to make a new apartment feel like home. Having nice dinnerware may seem like a secondary concern, especially when you’re busy hiring movers and figuring out how to pay the new electric company. But one can only eat out of plastic takeout containers for so long. Even if you’re not planning to host a dinner party any time soon, you deserve to eat your dinners — takeout and otherwise — from proper dishes.

You’re going to need plates and bowls, of course, but figuring out which ones are best for your lifestyle can be tricky with so many different types of dishware competing for your attention online and in stores. If you eat a lot of pasta, the ever-popular “blate” (a shallow, bowl-plate hybrid) could be a good choice. Or perhaps you’re a soup lover, so you’ll want bowls deep enough to keep your soup hot until you’re finished. These are all factors to consider before heading to checkout, especially if you’re planning to drop a lot of cash on nice dishes.

Quantity is also an important consideration: Exactly how many dishes does a person need? That, too, depends on your lifestyle. If you mostly dine at home alone or with a significant other, four place settings (meaning four plates, four bowls, and so forth) are probably plenty, though you will have to do dishes more frequently than if you were to keep more dishes on hand. If you regularly host a few friends for dinner, consider investing in six or eight place settings to ensure that everyone has what they need to enjoy their meal.

Whether you’re on your own for the first time, going solo after years of living with roommates, or preparing to move in with your significant other, here’s how to approach buying dinnerware.

Scenario one: I’m moving out on my own, and I’m broke as hell

If you’re transitioning from your parents’ house or from a place where your roommate owned the dishes, don’t panic. The best place to start outfitting your kitchen is with a classic set of dinnerware. When you buy a full set (many are priced below $100), you get everything you need at once, without having to worry whether or not you remembered to buy enough cereal bowls and side plates.

When you’re buying a dinnerware set, it’s best to stick with solid, versatile colors. Patterned plates and bowls get old quickly, but the appeal of a simple, classic white plate is eternal. The obvious “first apartment” choice is, of course, Ikea, where the Faergklar 18-piece dinnerware set will serve you and three other people, and only set you back $50. It’s available in five different colorways — including pale pink and olive green if you like a splash of color on the table — and made from nonporous stoneware that’s dishwasher safe. These are dishes you can use and abuse, and when you’re finally able to upgrade, you can donate them without having wasted a ton of cash.

If you’re looking for something a little trendier, head to Target. The chain’s $60 Contempo Classic dinnerware set includes 16 pieces and looks reminiscent of much pricier brands like East Fork and Heath at a decidedly lower price point.

Scenario two: I’m ready to upgrade from my basic starter dishes and hand-me-downs

If you’re tired of looking at the utensil scratches on your Ikea dishes or just want a heftier plate, it’s time to upgrade. You’ve probably noticed over the years that some of the dishes from your dinnerware set — looking at you, matchy-matchy coffee mugs — have languished unused in your cabinets since you bought them. Buying dishes a la carte allows you to customize a set that actually fits your needs instead of cluttering your cabinets.

You could go with an online-only option, like Made In’s chic red-rimmed dishware. But when you’re buying your first plates and bowls, it’s best to get your hands on your dishes to feel what you like. Now’s the time to head to Crate & Barrel or Pottery Barn and scope out a bunch of dishes in person. Pick up the bowls to test their sturdiness, and don’t be afraid to touch a nearby fork to one of those plates to see if the sound hits your ear funny.

Once you’ve settled on a pattern or design that suits your style, it’s easy to buy new dishes at a pace that fits your budget. You might get a whole new set at once, or buy a few dinner plates when you’ve got extra bucks left at the end of the month, building your collection until you’ve replaced every lackluster dish in your cabinet. Crate & Barrel’s Marin collection, ranging from $6 to $10 per piece, is well-made and looks great on a table thanks to its natural lines and soothing colors. For more of a restaurant feel, these cobalt-rimmed Dansk dishes are timeless, adding visual interest without being too distracting. Both are available in full sets or piece by piece.

After you’ve secured the basics, you can make your table setting complete with some striking serving pieces to complement your new plates and bowls. Peruse the selection at a nearby thrift shop for colorful pieces of vintage Pyrex, or serve soup in a cool radicchio bowl. Add a little whimsy to the table by tossing a giant salad in this Pollock-inspired Felt + Fat splatter bowl.

Scenario three: I want to splurge on dinnerware that will last a lifetime

It is certainly true that you can use those Crate & Barrel Marin dishes until the end of time. They are sturdy, they look great, and I used them for years without a single chip. But one day the siren song of wheel-thrown stoneware will find you, and you’ll know it’s time. (Maybe this is just me.)

In decades past, couples would request fancy wedding china for this exact reason. But china has largely fallen out of favor as a wedding gift, probably because most of us aren’t throwing very many lavish 12-person dinner parties. Still, there’s nothing wrong with wanting dishes that make your at-home meals feel special. And even if budget is no object, you’ll want to think hard about your lifestyle when choosing your forever dishes.

First, you’ll want to decide on a material — likely stoneware, porcelain, or the aforementioned china. China dishes are made with a type of vitrified ceramic. They’re beautiful, but most of them need to be hand-washed, and do you really want to commit to hand-washing the dishes every single night? Stoneware and porcelain are sturdier, but they are heavier, which can be a real pain when it comes time to reorganize or move. (And, before you invest in a bunch of heavy stoneware, make sure your kitchen cabinets or shelves are sturdy enough to hold their weight.)

Once you figure out those logistics, the world is your oyster. California-based Heath Ceramics is arguably the progenitor of the stoneware dish trend in the U.S. Slinging its neutral-toned plates and bowls since 1948, Heath remains a favorite among both design enthusiasts and restaurateurs. If you want to mix and match colors, Asheville’s East Fork Pottery makes stunning, practical dishware in a ton of different glazes and colorways. Or to make your kitchen look just like Carmy’s new restaurant in The Bear, go for Jono Pandolfi’s sleek ceramic pieces. When you’re at a restaurant and see a plate you love, don’t be afraid to flip it over to find the maker’s mark so you can purchase your own set.

If you want something more traditional, porcelain may be your best option. A type of ceramic fired at high temperatures to increase its durability, porcelain is less common than stoneware these days, but not impossible to find. Check out English purveyor Villeroy & Boch’s cheeky Petit Fleur pattern, or French brand Revol, which offers both modern and more classic styles like the Les Essentiels collection. You can also browse Etsy for one-of-a-kind pieces made by independent artists.

And, if you’re at the point in your life where you’re craving quality but don’t have the funds, you don’t have to spend a ton to outfit your home with really nice dishes. That’s especially true if you buy secondhand. I began my East Fork journey on eBay, where I regularly find excellent deals on discontinued glazes and secondhand pieces. Scour Facebook Marketplace, your local thrift stores, and Craigslist for deep dishware discounts, and don’t be afraid to hit up estate sales and auctions in search of the perfect dinnerware.

Additional photo illustration credits: center dishes by Ikea, stacked dishes by iStock; knife and fork by Shutterstock

Andrea D’Aquino is an illustrator and author based in New York City.