The short answer. Each guest needs a dinner plate (26 to 28 cm), a side plate (20 to 22 cm) and a bowl. Buy for your usual table plus two. Keep the forms consistent and let the glazes vary. For the middle of the table: a platter, a covered bowl and a pitcher. See The Table for handmade stoneware settings made in the Philippines.
What each guest needs
- Dinner plate, 26 to 28 cm, for the main course.
- Side or salad plate, 20 to 22 cm, for starters, salad, bread or dessert.
- Bowl, 16 cm for soup or rice, or a 24 cm pasta bowl.
- Cup, for coffee or tea after the meal. A handleless cup doubles as a water glass.
How many to buy
Buy for the table you set most often, plus two. A table of six needs eight settings: eight dinner plates, eight side plates, eight bowls. That leaves room for an extra guest and for the piece that breaks. For a family that hosts the holidays, plan for the largest table of the year rather than the everyday one.
The middle of the table
Serving pieces carry a table more than the plates do: a platter or a deep serving plate for the main dish, a covered bowl for rice, a pitcher for water or calamansi juice, and a teapot for the end of the night. See the Pitsel, Tasyo and the teapot.
Matching, or not
Handmade stoneware varies from piece to piece, so a perfectly matched table is not the goal. Choose one shape language and let the glaze move: Sand plates with Rust bowls, or the whole table in Sand with one dark serving piece in the middle. It reads as considered rather than bought as a set.
Care after the party
High fired stoneware is dishwasher and microwave safe. Avoid sudden changes in temperature, like a cold plate straight into a hot oven. More in Care & Use.