Dinner Set

The main things people look for while shopping for dinner sets are durability, usability and aesthetics as well as the cost and type that fits their budget and needs. Bone china is amongst the most expensive materials, followed by porcelain and then stoneware but it depends on the design and finishes.

Types & Designs

Dinner sets come in a variety of designs, shapes, colours, materials and number of pieces. They range from formal, elegant, seasonal to informal and daily use sets. From being as small as comprising three pieces including a full plate, cup and saucer, dinnerware can be as extensive as having more than 75 pieces of crockery. You can choose from a wide variety of materials such as ceramic, porcelain, bone, china, wood, marble, stone, pewter, melamine, latten, silver, gold, glass, acrylic, steel and plastic.

Family Size & Gatherings

If you are a small family of 2 or 4, with simple dining requirements and are looking for a less extensive dinnerware, opt for the 20 piece collection that serves 4 people and may consist of four full plates, four salad plates, four cups and saucers, and four soup-cereal bowls. For a large family of 8, look for a 75 piece set as it may include 8 Full Plates, 8 Half Plates, 8 Veg Bowls, 2 Serving Bowls, 2 Lids for Serving Bowls, 2 Rice Serving Spoons, 2 Serving Ladles, 8 Soup Spoons, 1 Salt & Pepper Set, 8 Chutney Bowls, 8 Dinner Spoons, 8 Dinner Forks, 2 Rice Plates and 1 Butter Box. If you are hosting a large gathering, you can purchase multiple affordable sets or a more economical option will be using open-stock utensils instead of going for a set.

For Everyday Use

If you are looking for an everyday use set that is durable and can sustain the daily wear and tear, high-quality bone china, vitrified ceramic and vitrified glass are the best choices of material. Though not microwave safe, sets made out of durable lightweight plastic such as melamine is the ideal option for families with kids as melamine doesn't break or chip easily.

Wedding gift

Pakistan has a strong dowry tradition and brides-to-be get super excited at the notion of shopping for their wedding. Parents searching for elegant looking crockery to gift to their daughter can opt for the imported gold-plated variety or the ones ornamented with other precious metals such as silver and platinum. They will for sure look beautiful and sophisticated but cannot be used in a microwave oven or dishwasher. Those looking for a budget-friendly option can choose from the porcelain variety by the brand Pioneer or sets made out of bone material by Corelle and Hankook Korea.

For Special Occasions

Special occasions like Eid, New Year, Christmas, Birthdays, Anniversaries etc., call for more intricate-looking crockery with formal designs and beautiful colours. Plates and serving dishes with metal ornamentation look out of this world but are fragile and need to be handled carefully.

For Informal Meals

If you like to eat in brightly coloured utensils or are fond of informal table setting, you can choose from the ones made out of Majolica and Faience material. They are glazed, jewel-toned utensils associated with ancient Spain, Italy and Mexico. Majolica and Faience plates chip easily, so be careful while handling them.

Popular Color & Shape

The most popular colour of eating utensils these days is white, as it evokes cleanliness, makes your food stand out and the plates don't fade in the dishwasher drying cycle as the coloured ones tend to do. Psychological studies confirm that eating out of white plates increases your appetite and having food out of brightly coloured utensils such as red, blue, black and brown suppresses your hunger. Earlier, people preferred crockery in round shapes only but the modern-day dinnerware comes in a huge variety of interesting shapes and styles such as oval, square, triangle, rectangle, tear-drop, curved ends etc.

A Word of Warning

No matter which dinner set you choose, remember to check if it is microwave and dishwasher safe before buying, to ensure the safety of you and your loved ones. Formal sets arent usually microwave safe as they are made out of delicate materials and have metal accents, it is important that you don't put them into the microwave or dishwasher and also inform the person you are gifting them to. Bone china and melamine should never be used in a microwave, however, high-fired porcelain and stoneware can be used instead. Always look for lead and cadmium free materials as they can infiltrate into your food and can be extremely dangerous to health.