[bigdufstuff]

My girlfriend and I have a pathetic set of plates, and she has expressed interest in a red on black set of plates. For the holidays I want to get her a good set of plates that have this look. However, I have no idea what constitutes a good set of plates. Could someone suggest good plates and where to buy them with this sort of pattern? I want good quality plates and a good quality finish as these will be a gift.<br><br><br><br>
Thanks for any advice!

 

[Qwerks]

Restaurant supply shops usually have really nice stuff. You can check your local Yellowpages under Restaurant equipment.

 

[starryeyed]

Generally a porcelain or stoneware will be more durable and less likely to chip than an earthenware will. I tried looking around a little, but didn't find any with a red pattern on black- found black on red and plain black or plain red. I would recommend checking at Crate and Barrel or CB2 if you have one in the area to see what they actually have in the stores. West Elm has some cute solid red and solid black ones right now that are pretty nice too. Other than that, maybe try checking at some department stores- I think they usually sell some nice dishes there.

 

[Spidergrrl]

Good plate go "tink tink tink" when you tap them with your fingernail. That's my test. Probably you have higher standards than that.

 

[Jessica Alana]

<div class="quote-container"><span>Quote:</span>
<div class="quote-block">Originally Posted by <strong>Spidergrrl</strong> <a href="/forum/post/0"><img alt="View Post" class="inlineimg" src="/img/forum/go_quote.gif" style=""></a><br><br>
Good plate go "tink tink tink" when you tap them with your fingernail. That's my test. Probably you have higher standards than that.</div>
</div>
<br><br><br><br><br>
Ooh! Mine, too.

 

[soilman]

Basic quality is pretty easy to determine. Look for good shape (in slipcast ceramics) and for the glaze, look for an even covering and even sheen with no bumps, on the glaze. Cheap ceramic plates will have glaze that it not even -- you will see a "wave" in it if you hold the plate at an angle. Put the plate down on a known very -flat surface. Cheap plates may have warped bottoms, or you may get 1 plate with a warp for every 3 plates that is flat.<br><br><br><br>
There are some name brands that are known for high-quality at low cost. But if you hunt around you can find high quality at low cost, in no-name ceramics.<br><br><br><br>
The standards for handmade ceramics are, of course, different than for mass-produced slip-cast ceramics. You do not expect perfect roundness in handmade ceramics, althouth perfect flatness would be expected -- no wobbles when you put it on the table.

 

[Dirty Martini]

I have these, the red ones: <a href="http://waechtersbachusa.com/searchresult.aspx?CategoryID=41" target="_blank">http://waechtersbachusa.com/searchre...?CategoryID=41</a><br><br><br><br>
They're quite pretty and high quality, except that I learned that the finish on them cracks if you put them in the microwave. oops. But if that's not an issue, I recommend them. You could mix & match solid black & red if that's something she'd like.<br><br><br><br>
There is patterned dinnerware on that site as well, but it looks like the black or red options are either black on white or red on white.

 

[Spidergrrl]

Do you have a paint your own pottery shop in your town? You could paint them as a gift or go together and have a paint party. We have a shop and you get the white plate, paint it to your liking and then then fire it in a kiln and glaze it and you pick it up in a week.

 

[Sunny]

I don't know if this is what you're looking for. They're made from stoneware, which is very durable. The pattern comes in round and square.<br><br><br><br>
Hmm...Amazon says the contrasting color is black, but Target calls it a deep chocolate brown. <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="/images/smilies/huh.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title=""><br><br><br><br><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/redirect.html?ie=UTF8&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=9325&tag=veggieboards.com-20&location=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2Fs%2Fref%3Dnb_ss_k%2F103-8797646-0598247%3Furl%3Dsearch-alias%253Dgarden%26field-keywords%3DCorelle%2BHearthstone%2BChili%2BRed%2B16-Piece%2BDinnerware%2BSet%252C%2BService%2Bfor%2B4" target="_blank">http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_k/...+Service+for+4</a>+<br><br><br><br><a href="http://www.target.com/gp/detail.html/ref=in_pe_recently-viewed-items_1/602-3157639-9144669?ie=UTF8&asin=B000EGO448" target="_blank">http://www.target.com/gp/detail.html...sin=B000EGO448</a>

 

[karenlovessnow]

Ooooo...I love the square ones! My daughter has something similar!

 

[soilman]

Corelle is not ceramic, but glass. Frankly, I find it esthetically unappealing.

 

[Sunny]

It's stoneware, not glass.<br><br><br><br><div class="quote-container"><span>Quote:</span>
<div class="quote-block">The Hearthstone dinnerware is resistant to chipping and breaking, though care should be taken when serving and cleaning since it is stoneware, not the composition glassware so familiar with the Corelle name.</div>
</div>
<br><br><br><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/redirect.html?ie=UTF8&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=9325&tag=veggieboards.com-20&location=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FCorelle-Hearthstone-Stoneware-16-Piece-Service%2Fdp%2FB0007XXRZK%2Fsr%3D1-1%2Fqid%3D1164409946%2Fref%3Dsr_1_1%2F104-6415204-1351960%3Fie%3DUTF8%26s%3Dhome-garden" target="_blank">http://www.amazon.com/Corelle-Hearth...&s=home-garden</a>