How to Choose the Best Crockery

From the everyday basics to the set you save for special occasions. Learn more about selecting the best crockery for your table with this concise guide.
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Master the art of dining in with the right dinnerware

Porcelain

Although porcelain is as chip resistant as stoneware, it is produced using finer clay resulting in a thinner more translucent luxe feel in the finished product While more affordable than bone china, porcelain is still very durable but with a slightly heavier construction. Porcelain dinnerware is break-resistant and is safe to use in dishwashers and microwaves. Porcelain has a more refined style that works well in formal dinner settings but can also be used every day.

Stoneware

Stoneware is dense clay pottery that is baked at super high temperatures to make it strong and non-porous. Perfect for serving your favourite meal. Often stoneware is given an extra protective coating or glass like glaze for style but also to make these pieces even more durable. When you need a casual, chip-resistant set of dinnerware for everyday dining, stoneware is the ideal choice. Stoneware is slightly heavier and thicker than bone china and porcelain. As stoneware isn’t as strong as porcelain or bone china, take extra care when washing and reheating food.

Bone China

Both strong and elegant, bone china is known for its thin delicate-looking structure while being one of the most durable types of dinnerware available. With the addition of bone ash to porcelain makes bone china less likely to chip and break. The semi-translucent appearance of bone china makes it a beautiful addition to all table settings. Bone china is usually safe for use in a dishwasher but hand washing may be preferred. Bone china dinnerware makes the perfect wedding gift as it considered heirloom quality.

Make shared meals memorable

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Platters, serving plates and boards, and large bowls are indispensable pieces of dinnerware that add both practicality and elegance to the dining experience.

Well-suited for special occasions and entertaining, where presentation and hospitality are paramount. Whether you're hosting a formal dinner party or a casual backyard barbecue, these pieces elevate the dining experience and help create memorable moments for you and your guests.

Cutlery

From contemporary and classic to decorative and ornamental.

The cutlery you choose for your table setting can have an impact on the overall experience and atmosphere of a dinner or meal with the family or guests. You also want the flatware you choose, and display, to reflect your personal style and love for quality.
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Yvess Matte Black Cutlery Set 16pc

The perfect choice for those who like understated, mimimalist or uban style. Pairs well with white or charcoal crockery. Made exclusively by @home, it is perfect for any dining occasion.

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Sleek Gold Cutlery Set 16pc

If you like warm touches of glamour, and simple elegant lines this is the set for your top drawer. It plays nicely with natural tones and lighter colour crockery. Made exclusively for @home.

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Laguiole Ivory Colour Cutlery Set 24pc

This designer set is future vintage, classically styled and of the best-quality, sure to last your country kitchen many many years.

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The finishing touches to your place settings

Sets or singles

Think in terms of sets. Depending on the size of your family or how many people you usually entertain, a basic 24-piece set may be sufficient with a knife, fork, spoon and teaspoon for 6 people.

A beautiful 56-piece set is best for those special occasions when you want to impress and treat your guests. The Robert Welch Palm and Radford sets bring a timeless and elegant look to your table setting. These sets are also more suitable for two- or 3-course settings.

Additional cutlery pieces

You can add on to your basic sets for a fuller offering, especially when you plan on serving a chic dinner party with more than one course. Think steak knives, dessert and soup spoons, butter knives, dessert forks and even a cool set of salad servers.

Daily dining vs entertaining

The type and quality of cutlery you choose will depend on its use. Choose a basic set for daily dining and keep a separate, more premium set for when you want to show off your skills as a host.

When choosing an heirloom set of cutlery look for a beautifully balanced 18/10. These numbers refer to the percentages of chromium and nickel in the alloy. The first number refers to chromium content which gives flatware its rust-resistant properties while nickel content gives it its silver-like shine.

Metal types and colour options

While beautiful silver is the most common choice for cutlery because of its sheen and durability, new trends have brought rose gold, gold and even black cutlery to our contemporary tables.

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