Dinnerware may be a fun purchase, but it also takes some forethought. First, there's your hosting style: Are you a frequent entertainer or do you prefer to play the grateful house guest who brings the best host gift? How often you have people over will determine how many settings you need and the types of pieces you’ll want in the setting itself. You’ll also want to consider your favorite glassware, flatware set, and other serving pieces: Do you want a cohesive or more collected look? And because dinnerware sets range in price, you’ll want to know your budget.
Our editors did the dirty work to determine the best dinnerware sets for every budget and style, from modern and minimalistic to retro with a pop of color. Testing 10 sets at home, we considered their durability, overall look and feel, and value to narrow down the list.
Best Overall
Dansk Kant Porcelain Dinnerware, 12-Piece Set
This stylish set suits a variety of tastes and can withstand endless events.
The dishes have a lip at the bottom that can make them a bit annoying to load into a dishwasher.
This Dansk dinnerware manages to feel both retro and modern, which makes it great for those who like to change up their dining aesthetic. We’d recommend them for everyday dinnerware as well as hosting family and friends for a more celebratory meal. We liked the size of the dishes and the straighter edges, though fitting them in the dishwasher can be awkward. The quality and durability of the set impressed us, and having four colorways to choose from is a bonus.
What’s Included: Four settings, including a dinner plate, salad, plate, and bowl | Material: Porcelain | Dishwasher Safe: Yes
Best Value
Williams Sonoma Open Kitchen Dinnerware
This is a great basic set for everyday use, as it’s durable, versatile, and easy to clean.
We found the cereal bowls a bit small.
This 16-piece set from Williams Sonoma’s Open Kitchen line was a big hit at a relatively low price. We love the addition of the mugs, which the average dinnerware set lacks, and the comfortable-to-hold 13-ounce size. White with sleek edges, the plates and bowls be dressed up for more formal occasions, too. Matching edge plates, serving pieces, mugs, and more are available for purchase if you want to round out your collection.
What’s Included: Four settings, each including a dinner plate, salad plate, cereal bowl, and mug | Material: Porcelain | Dishwasher Safe: Yes
Best Ceramic
Staub Ceramic Dinnerware Set
This set is incredibly durable and is safe for the microwave, dishwasher, freezer, and even the oven.
It’s on the more expensive end of this list.
We love Staub and Le Creuset for their made-to-last enameled cast iron cookware, and we found the same quality in this dinnerware set from Staub: “I love the construction and durability. I feel like these dishes will last forever,” says Senior Writer Jason Horn. At the same time, the pieces feel lightweight, and they’re easy to clean by hand or in the dishwasher. While the size of the bowls feels a bit small for salad or pasta, Staub also sells larger matching pasta bowl sets. And if you’re looking for more pieces to suit your next gathering, every item can be purchased in four-packs.
What’s Included: Four settings, each including a dinner plate, salad plate, and cereal bowl | Material: Porcelain | Dishwasher Safe: Yes
Best Porcelain
Pillivuyt Coupe Porcelain Dinnerware Collection
This is a durable, versatile set that you can add to over time.
It’s the priciest pick on our list, and we didn’t find the coffee cup very comfortable to hold.
We loved the everyday elegance of this setting, which can transition well from weeknight dinners to three-course holiday feasts. High-fired porcelain will make your table feel more special, and as beautiful (and fragile) as it looks, it’s surprisingly sturdy. This set is also available in 16- and 20-piece sets for those who are looking to invest in dinnerware for multiple people, and all items are available for individual purchase to suit all of your dining and entertaining needs.
What’s Included: One setting including a dinner plate, salad plate, pasta bowl, and a cup with saucer | Material: Porcelain | Dishwasher Safe: Yes
Best Modern
Fable Dinnerware Set, Set of 16
Hand-finished in Portugal, the set has an artisanal feel and is sustainably made.
We noticed small scratches accumulating over just a few uses, and it’s a bit pricey.
Fable’s 16-piece dinnerware set will make any table feel fresh with its organic shapes, modern finishes, and a nice textural contrast. It’s made of locally sourced Portuguese clay in a zero-waste facility, which means extra materials are reused instead of discarded. The set comes in one glossy and eight semi-matte finishes, with a selection of modern, muted colors to choose from. While we noticed a few tiny scratches within a month of use, using scouring powder or a brush on the dishes can get them looking smooth again. This set is dishwasher-safe and oven-safe up to 450°F, attesting to its durability.
What’s Included: Four settings, including a dinner plate, salad plate, pasta bowl, and cereal bowl | Material: Ceramic | Dishwasher Safe: Yes
Best Straight-Sided
West Elm Straight-Sided Stone Dinnerware, Set of 16
This set offers style, versatility, and durability at a reasonable price.
The straight sides of the dishes make fitting them in some dishwasher racks difficult.
Made in a Fair Trade-certified factory, this stoneware dinner set from West Elm offers a cool, stackable design that looks as great on open shelving as it does on a table. The uniform sizes of the plates and bowls make it easy to organize in a cabinet, though fitting them in the dishwasher requires a bit of strategizing. It showed no signs of wear over our testing period, and we consider it a great mid-range investment for its quality and versatility. All of the pieces are available for purchase in sets of four and eight if you want to expand your collection.
What’s Included: Four settings, including a dinner plate, salad plate, pasta bowl, and cereal bowl | Material: Porcelain | Dishwasher Safe: Yes
Best Dessert Set
Fortessa Jupiter Clear 14-Piece Dinnerware Set
At a reasonable price, this glass dinnerware is fit for holidays, special occasions, and everyday use.
With the beaded texture, they don’t stack as neatly as smoother sets.
This set of blown-glass plates, offered in five colorways, makes an elegant statement during the holidays and special occasions. Our tester enjoyed the uniqueness of these pieces, though she advises against stacking them due to the texture that makes the dishes a bit wobbly on top of each other. However, she says they would be great for indoor and outdoor use, and she would love to consider these pieces for gifting. It’s an especially great option for avid home bakers who frequently serve up their goodies to loved ones, but our tester does not see this as an everyday option.
What’s Included: Settings of four dinner plates, four salad plates, and six cereal bowls | Material: Glass made with soda-lime silica | Dishwasher Safe: Yes
Our Favorite
The Dansk Kant Porcelain 12-Piece Dinnerware Set balances style and sturdiness, with a price point that will allow you to keep collecting more settings and colorways at a mid-range price. The size of both plates and the bowl feel well-suited to everyday dining as well as hosting special occasions for pieces you’ll be able to use time and again. We’d recommend the Pillivuyt Coupe Porcelain 5-Piece Dinnerware Set to those looking to splurge, but the price of a one-person setting comes close to that of the Dansk set’s four-person setting.
How We Tested Dinnerware Sets
Our editors used ordered dining sets to their homes, using them for daily meals, hand-washing them, and trying them out in the dishwasher and microwave (if appropriate) to see how well they fared. After more than a month of testing, we compared notes and ranked the best dinnerware sets based on factors like design, durability, care and cleaning, and value.
Factors to Consider
Open Stock vs. Sets
Being able to purchase dinnerware in sets can be useful in helping you build a collection with ease, especially if you’re buying from a specific line for the first time. Having the option to also purchase open stock, however, is a great insurance policy if a dish chips or shatters (it happens to the best of us). Plus, you can invest in more sets and individual pieces as your specific needs change through the years.
Material and Care
It’s important to consider the type of material you want in your dinnerware, as that will affect the level of care required to keep them shiny and scratch-free. While most of the sets we tested are made of porcelain, the quality can vary, as well as the type of glaze, which can have an effect on the aesthetic appeal and durability. Additionally, you’ll want to check the care instructions of any dinnerware set you are looking to purchase, as it may not be suitable for use in the dishwasher and may not be microwave-, oven-, or freezer-safe.
Design
Naturally, you’ll want a dinnerware set that fits your style. It’s worth browsing a variety of dinnerware styles, in person or online, to determine what you’re looking for from an aesthetic perspective. Most of the sets featured here make excellent neutral settings for a variety of occasions that can be zhuzhed up with festive linens and decor or kept clean and simple for Wednesday night dinner.
Other Dinnerware Sets We Tested
Strong Contenders
West Elm Organic Porcelain Dinner Plate Set ($42 at West Elm)
While we thought this set of four dinner plates (matching pieces are available on the site) was elegant and durable, the plates felt a bit clunky for both the dishwasher and storage. We’d recommend them for those seeking an eco-friendly option or something suited for more formal occasions sans little ones.
What Didn't Make the List
We tried a budget-friendly 18-piece set from Corelle Vitrelle (Amazon) that features six bowls, small plates, and large plates, respectively. The only positive was the price point, however, as the quality and durability was lacking. We also tested a 16-piece set from Made In’s Essentials line (Made In) and were surprised by how easily the pieces chipped and scratched, especially due to the price tag and how beautiful the set looked when it first arrived.
Our Expertise
Lauren Wicks is a freelance writer and editor with more than six years of experience writing for lifestyle brands, including home and design publications.
Lauren tapped Stephanie Nass, chef, shop owner, entertaining expert, and author of Swing By! Entertaining Recipes and the New Art of Gathering for this story to glean her expert advice on how to invest in dinnerware and the different types needed for successful hosting.