Every kitchen needs a set of basic white dinnerware that can be dressed up or dressed down (especially over the holidays). We present our top white dinnerware selections. NB: See 10 Easy Pieces: Entertaining for a Crowd for additional sources when stacks of plates are in order.
Above: A Scandinavian classic designed in 1952 by Kaj Franck, Teema Dinnerware by iittala is available in six colors, including white; $26 for dinner plate (sold as individual pieces) at Unica Home.
Above: Made from bone china and designed by Queensbury Hunt, Conran's Coupe China is well priced, dishwasher and microwave safe, and is sold by the individual piece. The 11-inch Coupe China Dinner Plate is $16.
Above: Made of pure white porcelain, Crate & Barrel's Maison Dinnerware is currently on sale; a four-piece place setting is $24.95 (down from $32.95). Pieces are also sold individually.
Above: Simple Loft White Dinnerware by Rosenthal is currently on sale at Unica Home; a 16-piece set (four full place settings) is $144 (down from $180).
Above: Classic white porcelain dinnerware by Apilco, a French company known for its restaurant-quality (highly chip resistant) porcelain, is a favorite among the food cogniscenti. Apilco Tradition Porcelain Dinnerware is available individually, in a 5-piece place setting for $76, or in a value 20-piece set for $258 at Williams-Sonoma.
Above: Iittala's Arabia Porcelain Dinnerware, designed by Heikki Orvola, is a modernist classic; $95 for a five-piece place setting at Amazon.
Above: The affordable Essential Dinnerware at Crate & Barrel is made of durable porcelain that's dishwasher, microwave, and warm-oven safe. A four-piece setting (dinner plate, salad plate, bowl, and cup) is currently on sale for $9.95 (down from $12.95).
Above: Jasper Morrison's PlateBowlCup line of dinnerware for Alessi is made of sturdy bone china; prices range from $5 for a saucer to $60 for a serving platter. Available by the piece or as a PlateBowlCup 20-Piece Set that includes four place settings (dinner plate, soup plate, dessert plate, teacup, and saucers) for $240 at Unica Home.
Above: Designed by Ole Jensen for Normann Copenhagen, Familia China is made of bone china and is microwave, dishwasher, and oven safe. Prices start at $15 for a small plate at Design Public.
Above: German-made Arzberg Profi White Collection porcelain dinnerware is available by the piece (the dinner plate is $23.50) at Lekker Home.
Above: Heath Ceramics Chez Panisse Dinnerware was designed for Alice Waters' iconic restaurant in 2007; the full line is available at Velocity Art & Design; prices range from $23 for a salad plate to $42 for a dinner plate.
Above: Favored by New York architect Annabelle Selldorf, Anna Dinnerware from Crate & Barrel is high-quality, dishwasher-safe bone china. The line was discontinued in 2009, but an inventory of plates, bowls, and cups is still available through the Crate & Barrel Outlet. The Anna Dinnerware Dinner Plate is $19.95 (down from $38.95).