How often do you use your fine china?

[zhuzhu]

What is your definition of "fine china"?

We have nice sets of china that I use only for parties. This is not because they are really that "nice" (worth more than $20 per plate) but because they are a set that I do not want to use daily to risk breaking a piece or two (too hard to find replacement).

What I consider pricey in my cabinetry is my set of Riedel wine glasses. They can go as high as up to $300 a glass (that''s why I do not have that many) and are SO EASY to break. However I do use them when I am having a "pampering myself day". I just don''t let DH or cats touch or go near it!

 

[ladypirate]

We use ours whenever we have people over for dinner. I

it! I pull out the silver and china whenever I get a chance.

I think that it''s silly to have things and never use them.

 

[HVVS]

Date: 1/19/2010 5:02:11 PM
Author: MC

Date: 1/19/2010 4:57:50 PM

Author: Tacori E-ring

Once in 3.5 years. It is beautiful but I guess I don't have formal dinners very often or love to hand wash dishes.

What about using them and just putting them in the dishwasher?


I know that they won't hold up over time, but isn't that better than having them collect dust?

I wouldn't do that. Some of the older china is hand painted. Some is decals. The designs and the gold or platinum rims will be ruined, or worn off. The glaze on some product lines is soft, as well. Dishwashers use abrasives and also hotter water. I'd never run good bone china through there.

This is mine: Castleton Jubilee by Shenango China in New Castle, PA, now defunct. Castleton was their brand name for the bone china line, and Jubilee is the pattern. This is hand painted and was the most expensive pattern that they made, back in the '40s and into the '50s. I have another set of theirs but I can't recall the name of it. Both are packed in storage boxes for now, since I am not in permanent digs yet.

 

[MishB]

I use my Wedgwood Signature Platinum quite regularly, and also my silver cutlery. I put the plates in the dishwasher, but not the cutlery.

I also collect antique china teaware (mostly Royal Albert but some other patterns) and I use it all the time at tea parties. The oldest piece I have is probably 80 years old, but a lot of it is from the 50''s - 60''s. I don''t put any of this in the dishwasher.

 

[Clio]

I adore my china and use it for holidays and when we entertain. And sometimes for nice family dinners at home.

Mine is Wedgwood Curzon, which was discontinued years ago. I don''t worry about breakage, though, because it''s pretty easy to find on eBay or at Replacements (although not cheap).

 

[fleur-de-lis]

I used "the good china" a couple of times per month and took out the full implement of ~140 year old Venetian glass a couple of times a year when I lived on the East Coast, but nearly never now that my primary home is in California. My current everyday plates are bone china, however, but they''re modern, simple, and easily replaceable.

Living in earthquake country changes the way you store things.

 

[Elmorton]

I have a very plain, inexpensive set of china - white with silver rim (which I do throw in the dishwasher - it''s just fine! I noticed that my gma always puts hers in the dishwasher, and hers is used often and is fairly old - but still in perfect condition).

Anyway, for the first couple of years I didn''t use it because it was packed in the boxes I received it in. But then I got a small china hutch for Xmas last year, and I washed the entire set and took it out of the boxes for good. The same year, I also got holiday accent plates, which are super fun. Over the course of last year, I think I used it once during the holidays, Valentine''s day, and I think Easter. This year for the holidays, I never used it (though I did take out the holiday plates - they just didn''t get used. Oops). We''re hosting Thanksgiving in 2010, and it will definitely get used then.

For those who use their china more often - what is your every day dishware? Ours is Fiesta, so I feel like there is pretty much nothing on earth more casual. But many of my friends have registered for everyday dishware that is simple or plain white - like white square dishes, etc, and I kinda wonder if your everyday stuff can get "dressed up" easily, are you less likely to use your china?

 

[Clio]

Date: 1/19/2010 8:59:04 PM
Author: Elmorton

For those who use their china more often - what is your every day dishware?

Our everyday dishes are Chinese rice pattern (does the pattern have another name? That''s what we''ve always called it). My grandmother and mother have also used this pattern for everyday (among others - they both had/have tons of china), back as far as my grandmother''s childhood in China. My Vietnamese MIL also uses the same pattern for everyday.

It''s pretty, cheap, and can be found in any Asian market.

 

[HVVS]

My everyday is some blue & white ironstone cottage scene dinnerware that was bought at T J Maxx for about $2 a piece. Everyone says "Oh, you didn''t need to get out the good china."

It goes in the dishwasher.

 

[marcy]

I have my grandmother''s china (love it too - it is cream colored with lots of pink roses and rose buds and gold trim). We use it for Christmas and that is about it. I am afraid of breaking something.

 

[Kaleigh]

Not as often as I should. Probably 5 times a year?? I made sure in my other two houses, we have really great every day china, I can dress up or down, depending. But I love my wedding china, it still suits me..

 

[winternight]

DH and I got a full set of sterling, china and crystal from his great aunt, but his parents have to drive it up to us. We were too nervous to ship it - esp. the sterling. But I love to entertain, so I''m sure we''ll use it alot. I also just love setting up a nice table. I have some Waterford crystal that we use all the time, pretty much as our everyday wine glasses. I love Riedel''s glasses too, but I have to admit that I bought mine from Target! That way it isn''t as big a deal if they break. So I do have a nice everyday flatware set that I love, its a french company that has different colored handles with a small silver section on top. Its funny because I was holding on to it for special occassions, but now I use and love using it every day!

 

[PinkTower]

Back in the day when you could put most anything in the overhead bins on a plane, I brought back a full set of Portmerion from Scotland and used it for about 20 years.
A few years back I got tired of it and put it on display in my plate racks. I mainly just got tired of how heavy stacks of stoneware plates get.
Now, I use plain Wedgwood white bone china. I like the way food looks on plain white. I like the way my morning coffe tastes in a bone china mug. A dear friend of mine from England was convinced that serving tea in anything other than bone china changed the taste! She converted me.
I also have my Wedgwood wedding china, Runnymede, and I mix it with the white at times, but mainly I just stick with all white.

 

[MichelleCarmen]

Date: 1/19/2010 8:27:32 PM
Author: HVVS


I wouldn''t do that. Some of the older china is hand painted. Some is decals. The designs and the gold or platinum rims will be ruined, or worn off. The glaze on some product lines is soft, as well. Dishwashers use abrasives and also hotter water. I''d never run good bone china through there.

This is mine: Castleton Jubilee by Shenango China in New Castle, PA, now defunct. Castleton was their brand name for the bone china line, and Jubilee is the pattern. This is hand painted and was the most expensive pattern that they made, back in the ''40s and into the ''50s. I have another set of theirs but I can''t recall the name of it. Both are packed in storage boxes for now, since I am not in permanent digs yet.

Beautiful China, HVVS! Mine is nowhere nearly as pretty as yours! If only I had such china. . . then I''d use it, but not let my dh or kids. lol!

Have you tried Trader Joe''s d/w detergent? It''s all natural ingredients (not that I''m saying using on your china - just a general comment as I feel safer having that cleaner wash my dishes than the regular old stuff at the grocery store!)

 

[iheartscience]

Well I''ve never used mine, but in my defense it''s still at my parents'' house. (I also have a china cabinet waiting for me there, so when I get the chance to pick that up I''ll bring the china with it!) My mom collected enough pieces over the years for 2 sets of china and 2 sets of silver-one for me and one for my twin sister. It''s really pretty and has a grey rim with white flowers and a silver edge but I don''t know the name or maker. She uses it fairly regularly-anytime we''re having a nice dinner she''ll take it out. Hopefully I''ll do the same!

For everyday I have a plain white set from Crate and Barrel called Maison. I like it but I had to tell my husband to be gentle with it because he broke 2 bowls by putting them roughly in the dishwasher. And I know it wasn''t me because dishes are his job!

 

[rainwood]

Date: 1/19/2010 3:34:10 PM
Author: whitby_2773

Date: 1/19/2010 3:19:42 PM

rainwood - which pattern? i love wedgwood...

Whitby -

I have the Chester pattern, long since discontinued, but it still looks modern and fresh. It''s a bright kelly green thin band with gold overlay, coupe style rather than rim. I love it because it''s so versatile. I can put it with red for Christmas, gold & green & burgundy for Thanksgiving, and yellow & blue for springtime.

And people, you can put most non-heirloom/non-handpainted china in the dishwasher! I''ve put mine in for 30 years and it''s fine. You have to be careful not to use too much detergent - don''t ever even come close to filling the dispenser in your dishwasher - and don''t handle any gold or platinum rimmed china while it''s still hot. If you do that, you''ll be fine. I used to work in a china department, and that''s the advice we gave customers.

 

[gailrmv]

We didn''t register for it when we got married, as we knew we would be moving around and didn''t think we''d use it. Instead, we got a great set of everyday dishes from Williams Sonoma which we use, well, every day! Recently, my aunt gave me my great-grandmother''s china!!

It''s not a pattern that I would choose for myself, but I LOVE having it since it is from my family! I have it on display and I expect we''ll use it once or twice a year whenever we host holidays.

 

[SapphireLover]

We are discussing this at the moment. We are getting married and thinking about the wedding list. We are having 100 people at the wedding. We have decided to get a nice Wedgewood everyday and not get a best dinner service. Some of my friends have been married 3 years and not really used theirs. I think we are going to get a 12 piece service, adn then we will have enough to keep us going.

 

[MishB]

My everyday dinnerware is Pillivuyt, which is almost as expensive as my ''good china'' but is virtually indestructible. The plates are enormous though and they don''t fit into our new dishwasher which is a

 

[swimmer]

We use our fine china about once a week, silver a bit less than that, prob once a month? We entertain a great deal and I just think it makes a gathering a bit more special to grab the china, even if we are putting take-out Indian on it! Our daily stuff is blue willow; for china we have blue and white room spode, and wedgewood chinoiserie. Someday we will inherit wedgewood strawberries, and spode blue clipper plus two more than complete sets of family silver flatware and a possibly a teaset. I love to polish silver! Makes me feel rich and it was the best chore to do when younger with my Nana. The one thing we go cheap with are wineglasses, the box of them from ikea outlasted our Reidell ...so we will keep going cheap on glasses or get less clumsy friends.

For those who are concerned about using "irreplacable" china, like HVVS, yours is widely available on replacements ltd if you broke something or wanted another piece. link Keeping things of beauty like these sets of china packed up, to me is sort of like protecting a painting in a closet. Though I understand the fears of those who live in earthquake areas! Then again, my mom''s china made it through our home being shelled in the 70s and 90s, and Nana''s survived WWII!

 

[Sizzle]

i don't own "fine china" I dont' feel that I am missing anything by not. Maybe if someone wanted to leave me some in their will I would aquire some, but for now, we eat from Silverware and dishes from Target.

 

[tyty333]

We use ours 2/3 times a year (holidays and an occassional birthday). I dont think my pattern is available any longer so I decided if
something breaks I will replace it with a coordinating pattern. I would actually buy 2 of the thing that broke and maybe put them
at the two end place settings at the table. I love to see the mix/max coordinating china tables.

 

[gemgirl]

This is my china pattern. We both love it. It''s very traditional, antique looking fine bone china. It''s almost a little Victorian. I''ve always loved cabbage roses.

 

[Aloros]

Wow, a lot of you are more brave than I am! Maybe I should take them out and use them once in a while - have the neighbors over for tea or something.

Both sets must be handwashed though. Sadly, we don''t have any cupboard space for them either, so they''d have to go right back in the boxes!

We have a mismatched set of dishes for everyday use, and a set of nice white dishes for when guests come over for dinner.

 

[luv2sparkle]

My mom bought me a set of Noritake china before I was married. It is a very delicate pattern. I have maybe taken in out 5 times in 30 years. Anyone want it?

 

[Lady_Disdain]

Date: 1/20/2010 11:32:56 AM
Author: luv2sparkle
My mom bought me a set of Noritake china before I was married. It is a very delicate pattern. I have maybe taken in out 5 times in 30 years. Anyone want it?

I do - and I would use it too!

Growing up, my mother used the "good stuff" on every happy celebration. Birthday breakfast on fine china, beautiful tablescapes for Christmas and so on. My sister and I knew where everything was kept, so we could surprise her with a nice table for mother''s day or her birthday. I hope to continue this tradition someday.

 

[kama_s]

Sadly, not as often as I''d like to. We haven''t been entertaining much since our wedding (6 months ago) because I''ve been continuously sick. But I really do want to use my fine china atleast 4-5x/year. I don''t mind hand-washing. I lived without a dishwasher for more than 20 years!

Our other issue is our dining table. We have a small-ish square glass table that extends into a larger table - but comfortable only sits 4 people because of how the legs of the table are spaced. So I really can''t put the place settings down nicely. Here''s a pic of my table :

http://www.structube.com/en/catalogue?page=shop.product_details&flypage=flypage.tpl&product_id=704&category_id=320

And finally, we have a really nice everyday pattern from Gluckstein Home. Wedgewood makes fine bone china in the exact same pattern, so it really does look pretty spiffy. Hence, I tend to just use my everyday even when we do have company over!

 

[kama_s]

Forgot to attach a picture of my china! It''s pretty simple, I really would like to pass the china on to our kids someday. I absolutely

the cushion shape.

 

[Gypsy]

I have a few sets of fine china. My ''everyday'' is a Wegwood white and I adore it. It''s so strong and yet so thin and beautiful. I also have some heirloom sets which cannot be washed by dishwasher, and they are in storage. But only because they are a pain to wash... if I could wash them in the dishwasher, I''d use them all the time or I''d sell them if I didn''t like them.

I don''t keep things for future generations. If I can use it, I do.

 

[daleysmom]

I have a set of Wedgwood that I rarely use, and have Pottery Barn earthenware for everyday. The Wedgwood is dishwasher safe or it would NEVER be used. I don''t want to be washing dishes when I could be conversing with my guests.