Fine China- Which set do you have and how often do you use it?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My more casual china is Mottahedeh's imperial blue and I use it whenever we have guests/family or are celebrating anything - probably 20x a year?

https://www.scullyandscully.com/tabletop/china/mottahedeh/mottahedeh-imperial-blue.axd?variant=MO2401+CW&gclid=Cj0KCQjw4PKTBhD8ARIsAHChzRLlTsVF1RgDfwdO6Vtu1tZiZY1QCiRZbrHLuM9YVZUh2o2faH4mDxcaAu5hEALw_wcB

My formal china is Herend fishscale in rust (can look red or orange) with fun accent plates and I use it for holidays - probably 5x a year.

https://www.scullyandscully.com/tabletop/china/herend-china/fish-scale/herend-fish-scale-rust.axd

Is that lead free? I thought gold paint has lead.

Most china is not completely lead free - lead is present in almost all antique china (not just the gold rim) and most current lines if you research it.

Not PP, but the Mottahedeh gold rim is on the outside and wouldn't touch the food. Obviously you're supposed to hand-wash anything with a painted gold rim.

The above comment prompted me to buy a lead testing kit.

So far, I have thrifted china from Churchill, Noritake, Harmony House, Gold Standard, Liberty Blue from Staffordshire and Blue Willow from Bristol House. I have thrifted teapots from Andrea by Sadek and Nippon.

The Bristol House (made in China) and the Nippon items tested positive for lead. I will contact the thrift store that sold the Bristol House china to make them aware, because there is still a lof of this china in the store. I will dispose of it, and buy Churchill blue willow instead.

I'm not concerned about the teapots, because they are for display only.

A few years ago I inherited my great-grandmother's wedding china, which is gorgeous. A sibling suggested I lead test so I bought a kit from Amazon and it was so purple it was almost black (purple meant lead was high on the test). I decided to spend the money to have a piece tested by a lab just to confirm and it turned out that the base color for the entire plate was very high in lead and then the colors in the pattern were even worse. We decided to keep one setting and the serving pieces for display and properly dispose of the rest. My great-grandmother apparently only used it on very important occasions and the next two generations used their own wedding china and kept hers in boxes, so I guess the family genetic line is lucky it never became daily dinnerware.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Fancy China is Philippe Deshoulieres Orleans —> https://www.scullyandscully.com/tabletop/china/philippe-deshoulieres/philippe-deshoulieres-orleans.axd?variant=PD5781RIAP&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI-dHLvPuT_gIVJO_jBx2VoAS_EAQYAiABEgJYA_D_BwE

Have never used it and have been married over 20+ years.

Our everyday China is Wedgwood Nantucket Basket. Use it all the time and including for holidays. We even have the “Christmas” plates.

I can’t believe you never use your fancy china. It is absolutely gorgeous!

[Anonymous]

Our everyday china is Royal Copenhagen Blue Flower Curved. For special occasions, we alternate between Haviland Imperatrice Eugenie and Raynaud Lafayette. I love china!

[Anonymous]

We use our Wedgewood Blue every Sunday.(well, most Sundays)
We have a Christmas pattern (formal and informal) that we use Nov thru Jan 6th.

My mom gave my nieces her and my grandmother’s china sets so they didn’t need to spend the money on some thing like it. It’s simple and serviceable and they didn’t think they would need it for more than once or twice a year.

[Anonymous]

I don't think I've ever heard of anyone below the age of 45 owning or using China.

[Anonymous]

I have Opal Innocence from Lenox which I bought myself soon after I got married. I thought that every woman needs fine china. I still love this set, it is beautiful. But I rarely use it. We don't have family nearby and don't entertain much, so the china set just sits on display. Honestly, I would not buy it again.

[Anonymous]

We aren't formal so no fine china for us.

We went with high-quality, everyday porcelain dishes that are still holding up 20 years later.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We aren't formal so no fine china for us.

We went with high-quality, everyday porcelain dishes that are still holding up 20 years later.

^ not that it matters, but we are 50+ and UMC

[Anonymous]

I have fine china and crystal and silver that I use…..never.

[Anonymous]

I have been married almost 30 years and have never - never! - used my fine china. For years I lived in apartments with a dining table that could fit 4, so it never really seemed an “occasion” meriting the china. I know my china is Lenox but have no idea the pattern name. I regret registering for china, in large part because we don’t use it but also because I have inherited 2 other sets of fine china (which I also don’t use), so I *really* didn’t need my own set.

[Anonymous]

For those of you who are using your china daily, are you always cooking and then serving the nightly dinner with place settings etc and everyone sits down to eat and just use it that way?
Or, do you use it to just eat a bowl of ice cream or a plate of fruit for a snack or a bowl of soup etc ?
Or using it with reheated leftovers or to serve take out food on?

As a single guy who just uses those stackable plates from Target I have no idea what I’d do with real china

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have 6 sets of fine china. We entertain a lot and I use them all frequently. They are remarkably different in style but several of them coordinate (when you buy what you like, it turns out that you like similar things).

Of the china sets, 1 is a set from my wedding that I've taken from 12 to 48, 1 is a set from my MIL, and 4 I've acquired through estate sales. If the set isn't full (dinner plate, luncheon plate, salad plate, b&b plate, both types of soup bowls with saucers, fruit bowl, tea cup & saucer, demitasse cup & saucer, a few platters, some serving bowls) then I usually acquire those pieces through E-bay or Replacements. The brands are Franciscan, Limoge, Minton, Haviland, Spode, and Johnson Brothers. 2 (the Spode & Johnson Brothers) are Christmas themed and do not coordinate at all imo.

I will get 2 more sets when my mother passes. Interestingly, each of the kids has a favorite so I already know who will get what when I pass. I have a similar amount of crystal and silver. I like pretty things and my kids, even our boys, do too. You should see our table when it is set. It is a sight to behold!

I would love to be invited to dinner at your house!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have this. I adore it.

https://www.scullyandscully.com/tabletop/china/haviland-china/haviland-imperatrice-eugenie.axd

This pattern is absolutely gorgeous!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Some of you guys are crazy. Here are 2 examples of new patterns (if I did my search right). What on earth is the problem with either of these? They are lovely and I would be very happy with them!!!

They sure do beat the Crate & Barrell white stuff that I have and that cracks if you even look at it hard. Sheesh. I'm about ready to throw out that C&B stuff and get some of these Correlle!

Yuck!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m in my late 30s. My china is Lenox Federal Platinum. Use it every Thanksgiving and for dinner parties.

I really like Lenox Federal, but I’m more of a gold rim person.