If you aren't doing anything particularly thrilling atm, can we have a quick chat about crockery and those kinda things?

[FlouncingMintyy]

We have 8 usable dinner plates, a few more than that of bowls and side plates, and 6 pasta bowls which we use quite often. We have about 8 -10 wine glasses and maybe 10 other glasses of varying sizes.

I think that is probably way below average for a family of 4!

Am I right? We should probably be buying some more crockery and glasses but I find that sort of shopping horrendously dull.

How many of this sort of thing do you have? and do you have a "best" dinner service like my parents and inlaws?

Why do you feel you need more? I've been on the decluttering thread and have been charity-ing any extra crockery gathering dust in my cupboards. It feels good to be able to reach things easily rather than shift things about to get to my plates and glasses . Btw, i am easily pleased..

I dont have a best dinner set, but if i did, i would use it every day

no "best" stuff here
have never seen the point
we have about the same amount of stuff as you, more dinner plates though, to allow for people coming round. it's all cheapo sainsburys/ikea stuff and I'm fine with that.

Generally people seen to be downsizing on crockery and getting rid of unused items. So think you are fine as you are, you are already minimalist which others with unused dinner sets aspire to

Think we have about 8 large and 8 side plates. Only about 5 bowls as DS broke a load before we got cupboard locks. Got loads of glasses as went a bit ott with our wedding list (sherry, brandy glasses and champagne flutes are gathering dust).

We are a family of four and have roughly the same amount as you, some plain white cheapo stuff and some the non matching stuff. Haven't got best set either, can't see the point.

I think we've got about 6 wine glasses non of which match!

You'd think I'd have better stuff than this the amount if time I spend browsing lakeland, but much rather buy gadgets or food!

Best tip I ever had was buy everything in white - looks elegant, everything matches and easily replaceable. I have a best breakfast set which is prob a bit weird but it is something I got a lot of for my wedding and in the future I imagine me and DH having long leisurely breakfasts with it

We have eight of everything. It all matches although its only from Tesco.

Very apt username for this thread you have there, Princess of China.

Well, this is quite reassuring, thanks for your replies. I was a bit unnerved when I stayed at a friend's house recently and they had cupboard after cupboard full of crockery and china - glasses for sherry, champagne, brandy, red wine, white wine, cocktails, shots, high-balls. It was like a branch of John Lewis in there!

I might not fit in in on this thread!

I have an every day set - dinner plates, side plates, pasta dishes, bowls, and some smaller plates - all matching. Some random side plates. A cheap set for four from Sainsburys that we don't need but DH thinks we should keep "in case".

Have a 'best' set of white porcelain from John Lewis - all seconds in last January's sale. A Royal Doulton dinner service that was a wedding present. We had a list . I hate it. Liked it at the time but hate it now.

Also have a dresser full of various serving dishes and bowls bought in various places. Some Polish pottery. Some spotty stuff in various colours.

Mugs? Far too many. Two sets of coffee cups and saucers.

Glasses - lots of random sizes for every day. Some crystal - wedding presents again. Some nice big ikea wine glasses. Champagne glasses. Brandy glasses.

I even have Xmas mugs and some plates and serving platters.

And that is AFTER decluttering.

I may have a problem.

There are 5 of us and we have

12 big plates
15 small plates
17 bowls
Not enough mugs
12 glasses + tonnes of kids plastic cups.

We also have a set of nice crockery with 6 settings that I saved up dunnes vouchers for years ago but never use.

2 of us and, in daily use, we have:

3 dinner plates
4 side plates
3 bowls
10 mugs - something to pare down I think
3 glasses

put away "just on case" there are
4 dinner plates
12 side plates
10 bowls
4 wine glasses
oh dear!

I'm in buda's gang with far too much. Most a hangover of time spent in Japan where the crockery is beautiful...but in day to day use we have about 12 mismatched plates, maybe 15 bowls of different sizes, and 2 shelves full of mugs.

(We have a "best" set from our wedding, a couple f coffee sets, maybe 6 teapots! Arg!)

There are 3 of us. I do not have a best set, as my mum did when I was a girl, and the men sleeping and the women washing on Christmas, etc...I just decided I didn't want that. Either it's dishwasher safe, or I don't use it (crockery).

However, it is Mikasa and very good quality. Most people think it is china, but it is very durable.

I have a Lot of dinner plates. You will laugh, but probably about 25, all matching. The reason for so many dinner plates is simple. When ds make his First Communion a few years ago, we had it catered but at our home. I didn't want to have to use paper, so I bought enough extra matching plates so that everyone could have a regular plate to eat off of. Likely we will use the same for when he graduates or gets married or something!

We have 8 small bowls and 12 large bowls, all matching again, that we use all the time. I just replaced all of the small bowls and most of the large as with 13 years of marriage, they did chip over the years.

Our glasses are probably down to 8 large, 8 medium and 8 small, I'm not sure. We could do less with the glasses and have more mugs. On trips we've collected mugs hand made by a potter neighbor of my dh from many years ago. Over the years they have broken and we are down to maybe 2 nice mugs.

Have an everyday set that we bought from a local homeware store about 4 years ago; 12 of plates, sideplates, bowls and 8 mugs which all match, together with a load of assorted plastic tat that is a hangover from having little children but which comes in useful for weighing/microwaving stuff.
We have an eclectic collection of glasses for every day, none of which match, but we do have a cheap set of Tesco wine glasses that do.

BUT we do have a complete set of best china which comes out for dinner parties and Christmas and I LOVE using it. We had it for a wedding present. I have also inherited a load of crystal glasses from my grannie but they hardly ever get used as they only hold a thimble full!
The best china goes in the dishwasher though, refused to have any that doesn't!

Probably a bit sad, but I really enjoy getting the best china out, setting the table with a linen tablecloth (not the every day child proof plastic one) and making an event out of dinner.

What happens if you have a 'best' set is that you never ever break ant of the stuff you use every day, but the one time you get your 'best' set out, something gets broken - so you don't have enough. And then you find it's been discontinued, so you can't replace the broken piece and have to get another 'best' set, and then the same thing happens to that one too....

I love what we do- but it's a bit hippy-ish, I warn you!

I have lovely real silver ware (inherited) and lovely crystal glasses(ditto).

But our plates and bowls are a mismatch- we all love charity shops so we buy odd "good" plates that we like and add them to the collection. Every now and again we re-charity shop any we've gone off- keeping the number to around 12 of each. I love choosing the plate for the person, and people seem to like comparing plates!

Could not possibly afford to replace the whole of the best set, it would cost far too much! My DM had an "incident" with the gravy boat on Christmas Day, I'm now hunting a replacement one. There are websites who specialise in discontinued china....have you tried them?

There are 6 of us
We have a Wedgewood service 8 place settings & serving dishes & cups & tea & coffee pot etc. was a wedding pressie, 20 years ago. Worth a fortune So hardly ever use it, but it is beautiful & sentimental.
Have a Bridgewater service 12 place settings (Dinner plates, side plates, bowls, cups, serving dishes etc) use this when friends come over, big family dinners, Birthdays etc.
Have an everyday ikea service, white lots broken, but was cheap. Use it for all everyday family stuff.
We also have quite a lot of random serving dishes, big plates, bowls etc.
Far too much, but love it!

No best stuff but enough matching white for 16 people. Cheap stuff from sainsbos as I refuse to buy good stuff until kids are all grown. If I had good stuff I'd have to empty the dishwasher rather than getting kids to do it!

And the fantastic thing about our system is that if we're feeding more than 12, a quick nip round the charity shops tops up the "set" at 75p -£1.50 a plate!

FlouncyingMinty you are very now & on trend!!! Less is the new more. Enjoy the cupboard space!

We are (now) a family of 3 and we have:
6 dinner plates - excessive :)
4 soup plates
3 bread and butter plates
(above all matching)

4 medium sized glasses
1 large glass (others broke & not being replaced)
3 wine glasses

3 coffee cups I use and about 6 I don't - I need to check half of these.

4 small missmatched bowls I can eat in and cook with.
2 large bowls - I eat pasta out of or use as large salad bowls.

PLUS assorted plastic plates and cups for toddler which have recently been heavily edited.

oops - that should read 4 of the dinner plates match & the other 2 are gorgeous charity shops finds I use to put cakes on when I bake. But they are so lovely they are now my plates of choice.