Dinnerware that survives kids!

[Masalamama]

I bought a set of 12 plates/bowls/side plates from Ikea years ago and am left without any of the side plates... any suggestions on what makes are reasonable, hard wearing, long lasting? I'm using melamine/plastic for the kids, but it's hardly impressing the grown ups!

Thanks muchly

I think how you care for them if a better indicator of how they will last. I have a rule that only plastic plates leave the table, and so far my porcelain set has survived in a house with a dyspraxia, ADHD, asd nine year old and a bad tempered six year old.

Denby.

Denby, and on the odd occasions you break one it can be replaced (so far my kids haven't just me)

Plastic- duh!!!!!!!

You can get ones that look like porcelain though :o

Yes Denby, can't recommend enough. It's virtually bomb-proof.

Denby in this house too

churchil stoneware.
really hardy stuff.

Mine is a cheepo set from Asda, think it was £15 for the lot. Im really not arsed if it gets broken....that said ive still got the entire set and ive had it about 4 years.

Despite really appreciating my Denby I would actually go for nosleep option. Then I wouldn't feel guilty If I decided I wanted to change it for aesthetic reasons.....

Its like cream carpets and expensive sofas with kids....why?

I refuse point blank to get stressed over spilt stuff or marks, so for the 1st 10 years of my kids life, its cheepo replacable all the way.

I just think that they have to practice and learn to be careful dont they, so im not keen on adding unreasonable pressure by allowing it on anything precious.

Ooh thanks. Looks like Denby it is. I was thinking of M&S or Tu or something. But maybe better to get something good and beat kids into submission (plastic fantastic when they're around pours gin)

Just a word of caution. Denby can chip round the edges of bowld and plates ( mine has but some of mine were seconds originally, so could have had a weakness?). I'd go for something like the John Lewis basic white range - cheap and easy to replace.

I've owned some of my Denby for 20 years, and it's still going strong. We've bought from all the diferent ranges (from Baroque to the plainer and/or modern ranges) and it all complements nicely.

educatingarti do you know if the house range at John Lewis has staying power?

For every day I have a TU white set, and it's pretty non chip. And it's really cheep to replace if a plate does break.

Mama - I only have one JL bowl so not really a good test, but items are very cheap to replace if needed!

It is from the value wear range here www.johnlewis.com/35309/Product.aspx

Vitrified porcelain. Churchill is one brand. It is catering wear. Bomb proof ( not really) but pretty good. we have a rented house and 5 years on the majority of the set looks immaculate. Try www.nisbets.co.uk

I've given up matching stuff because it's always getting broken. We now do shabby chic instead, with lots of interesting odd plates (charity shops, jumble sales). People always comment on what lovely china we have, and it probably cost a fraction of other stuff. Also, if you break stuff, you can easily replace it with something different instead.

TK Maxx has loads of Denby atm

Denby is brilliant - BUT their stuff is only ever available for a set time. We managed to replace the one plate that got broken - but when my parents (my parents, not my kids ) broke our teapot my mum had to go through some specialist sourcer of second hand Denby. Saying that, ours is 10 years old and apart from the above mentioned losses is still intact!

Right. So I just broke another blasted plate this weekend... think I have settled on either Denby or John Lewis, depending on what looks/feels great in the shops... noticed today that Ikea is doing some fancypants white porcelain. Looked great, but one can never be sure... thanks so much for your thoughts!

Our Denby is 18 years old and still (mostly) going strong. The range we chose is actually still available(!), and we have also had replacements and extras from ebay.