Whether you grew up in a home where the china dinnerware was only displayed in the family hutch and made an occasional appearance outside its safety zone on a special holiday or celebration or in a home where it was a mainstay for any family dinner, china dinnerware can be practical and elegant, replaceable or timeless. It is important to understand the different types of china, your needs for dinnerware in your home and your budget and style. Use our buying guide to understand the type of china you already have or use it to purchase your own new set of china dinnerware and accessories.

The type of china and its quality is determined by the makeup of the clay from which it was molded and the temperature at which it was fired. The clay may be mixed with another material, such as sand, that will result in superior china. Also, the higher the temperature that the clay is fired, the more durable the china. As the clay is fired, it becomes more translucent — similar to glass — and more vitreous and less porous. The less porous the china, the more resistant it will be to stains and chipping.

Porcelain Porcelain is formed from the clay mineral kaolinite. It is fired at high temperatures and even though it may appear fragile, it is extremely durable. A good experiment to test the quality of the porcelain is to take a plate and hold it up to the light—if it’s high quality porcelain, you should be able to see the outline of your hand through the plate.

Fine China Fine china is the same as porcelain, but tends to be thinner and more translucent. But don’t be mistaken by its appearance; it remains durable and dishwasher safe. The amount and type of decoration will determine whether or not it is microwave safe. You don’t want to put anything with gold or silver trim or accents in the microwave.

Bone China Clay is mixed with calcined bone ash in the manufacturing of bone china. Lenox is the only manufacturer in the United States of bone china. Because of the mix of clay and calcined bone ash, it has a translucent quality and it is believed that it is stronger than porcelain or fine china even though it is fired at a slightly lower temperature than porcelain.

Stoneware Stoneware pieces are handmade and, like earthenware, often have unique qualities and textures. Less durable than porcelain, stoneware is fired at lower temperatures (but still higher than earthenware). It’s still a popular and affordable choice for everyday dinnerware as well as cookware and serving ware. Some will find the distinctiveness of stoneware the perfect match for their home.

Earthenware Earthenware has been around the longest, but it’s the least durable—it’s fired at the lowest temperatures and is rather porous – making it vulnerable to water and food stains. Essentially, it is pottery and is most often decorative and can set a magnificent table or make great accent pieces. It is inexpensive and has an organic and natural element that may fit a more casual lifestyle. Even though it is still hard-wearing, you probably want to hand wash to avoid chipping.

With hundreds of thousands of china patterns and thousands of manufacturers to choose from, it may be easy to become overwhelmed.  Now is the time to stick to the basics when defining your china dinnerware needs and style.

Function

How do you want to use your china? Let’s put today's china into three different categories: everyday, special occasion, and cross-functional. An everyday place setting can be used for family dinners, but you might not pull them out for a special occasion. The everyday plate is going to be budget-friendly and easily replaceable. A special occasion place setting is going to be of porcelain or fine china and has an elegant and classic feel that enhances the environment in which it is used and will probably be at the higher end of a budget. A cross-functional place setting will not only accommodate a higher, but still affordable budget, it can be used at the everyday family dinner and can be dressed up with other tableware to greet special guests.

Form

Once you determine which category you want to start in, look around at your environment. What is the look of your dining space? Is it modern or traditional? Are there bright colors that you want to subdue with neutral colored china? Or vice versa, you might have a neutral colored room that you want to add splashes of color with your china.

Today, it’s not just the color, it’s the shape. Modern place settings include square or even octagon shaped plates. While traditional place settings stick to the round plates, you might still need to consider whether or not you want a footed cup and saucer or a flat cup and saucer.

From earthenware as accent pieces to functional white bone china to flowered china with gold trim, the style and pattern can truly reflect the personality of your family and your home.

Place Settings and Accessories

Everyday dinnerware sets usually include 4 pieces per set: dinner plate, salad plate, bowl, and cup. Most middle of the road and higher-end sets will include 5 pieces per set: dinner plate, salad plate, bread plate, cup, and saucer. Soup bowls are then sold separately.

Here are a few guidelines for deciding how many place settings to purchase. If buying in the everyday category, you will probably buy a boxed set. These typically have at least 4 place settings per box, but can be found with 8 or more. When selecting finer and more expensive china, think about the dinner parties you typically have – perhaps 6 to 8 people. But also don't forget holiday gatherings, where you could potentially double the numbers. If your budget can afford it or you’re registering for the sets as a wedding or housewarming gift, you might want to go ahead and maximize your numbers.

Don’t forget the accessories – especially when purchasing in the special and cross-functional categories. To set a seamless table you want to remember items like serving dishes and bowls – even a butter dish, gravy boat, and salt and pepper shaker. Here is a fairly comprehensive list of accessories that accompany most place settings: butter dish, gravy boat, serving dishes and platters, sugar bowl and creamer, soup tureen and soup bowls and plates. You might also find pitchers and teapots that match your pattern.

Determining a budget prior to purchasing your china can be just as important as selecting the color and shape. Understanding the different types of china and what your needs are will aid in your selection too.

In the $0 - $25 price range, you will mostly find individual pieces and accessories that accompany sets. From butter dishes to salad plates to serving bowls, you can find all types of china – from earthenware to fine china.

You start seeing inexpensive dinnerware sets once you move up to the $25 - $50 price range. For example, you can find a 16 piece Correlle dinnerware set for under $35. This is ideal for your everyday dinnerware. You will also continue to see individual pieces and accessories from higher-end sets.

Look in the $50 - $100 price range and the Correlle dinnerware expands to 34 piece sets and you will see smaller sets from manufacturers like Mikasa and Lenox. You will also find single 5-piece sets of bone china from designer labels like Calvin Klein.

The $100 - $250 price range will reveal single 5-piece fine china dinnerware sets. Climb up over $250 and it appears that items become a bit more distinctive, like the $250 teapot from Dansk with gold accents. $500 to $1000 gives you some dinnerware sets with accessories—for example, a 45 piece set that includes a serving platter, serving bowl, creamer, and sugar bowl. Be sure to look at these sets as a potential cost savings to buying the pieces individually.

Fine china in the $1000 - $2500 price range will give you a 20 piece place setting (4 people). You will also find specialty and collector fine china accessories in and over this price range.