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There’s a time and a place for Mom’s holiday set of silver-lined plates with images of holly and dancing reindeer. But when you need plates and bowls for daily use that are simple, straightforward, and understated, turn to Made In’s classic collection.
I’m not completely discrediting the more ornate styles (love you, Mom!). I get excited when a host or hostess whips out their very best china for elegant dinner parties and holiday celebrations!
And I fully accept that I (and not my two brothers) will inherit my mother’s dizzyingly colorful, intricately designed holiday-themed tabletop set.
Oh, dear…
But when you’re not tipsy on eggnog, eating a holiday ham and herbed stuffing on a lavish platter, you need to have a set of plates and bowls that is timeless and strong for everyday consumption of countless breakfasts, lunches, dinners, snacks, appetizers, and desserts!
The company’s design is modern, minimal, and chic. Fit for both home kitchens and restaurants (the company’s products are used by some of the top restaurants across the United States), it’s also constructed to be a collection with long-lasting durability.
Interested in learning more? Read on for our review of each item you can buy, as well information on the materials, design, and more!
What You’ll Learn: Made In Plateware
Where They Are Made
All of the items in this collection are made in Stoke-On-Trent, England.
With centuries of industrious history focusing on the production of ceramics and pottery, the city is known as the World Capital of Ceramics. Stoke-On-Trent has gained its reputation by creating and manufacturing these high-quality products. The residents in this area are even called “Potters!”
Made In has teamed with a factory that produces ceramic dinnerware for hotels and restaurants. In partnership with Made In, they aim to produce a collection fit for both home and restaurant use.
The Design and Material
Every bakery, restaurant, food photography, and cheese job I’ve had throughout the years has given me a very clear rule from the start: the final presentation should be about the food, not about the plateware.
The plate should serve as the blank, supportive foundation for the food – diners need to be able to have an immediate sensory connection to what they will eat!
Made In’s collection fits that description perfectly with its clean and simple design: all white, no textural details, and no images or patterns.
You do have the option of a red or navy rim available, but I like the minimalism of the undecorated, all-white selection.
The plates are ceramic, crafted from clay sourced within the United Kingdom. The material is fully vitrified, meaning that the plates are heated to the boiling point, then fired in a kiln.
Not only does this technique result in a smooth and glasslike surface, it also improves its overall strength and resistance to bacteria by eliminating the pores in the material.
The material has a high alumina content, which also helps to increase its strength, chip resistance, and heat retention – your food will stay warm on the plate for a longer period of time.
All of the pieces are safe in the dishwasher, microwave, and freezer. They are also oven safe up to 572°F.
The Glazing Process
In addition to the vitrification process, each item undergoes a glazing process. Glazing protects the surface from scratches, and furthers its resistance to bacteria.
A key feature is that the entire piece is fully glazed, even the whole back, including the “feet” at the bottom. This helps you safely stack your plates and bowls without any risk of scratching.
Beauty Marks – Not a Defect!
Hey… what are those tiny marks on my plate? Don’t start the return process yet! There’s a valid reason for those little spots:
As part of the full glazing process, each plate is suspended with multiple pins so that the glaze can be applied evenly on both sides. The small marks that you see are the locations of where the pins were holding each piece.
You can watch part of this procedure in a video uploaded by the company.
Made In also notes that the number and placement of the pins can vary between each piece.
These are not defects – they do not lower the pieces’ quality or durability, and they do not ruin their appearance.
In my opinion, these “beauty marks,” as Made In calls them, are unique to this collection – like freckles on a face, holes in cheese, or bubbles in glass-blown art!
What You Can Purchase
Made In completely covers all the basics for any meal. Each individual piece in the collection is available to purchase as part of a 4-pack set.
Appetizer and Dinner Plates with red rim, available from Made In
There are currently three design options: white, white with a red rim, or white with a navy rim.
Here are the available pieces that you can purchase now:
- Dinner Plates
- Appetizer Plates
- Entree Bowls
- Side Bowls
Serving platters are also available for sale individually.
Let’s go into a little more detail for each item.
Dinner Plates
The dinner plate has a diameter of 10 inches and weighs 1 pound, 7 ounces.
Dinner Plates, available from Made In
As the star of the main course, the dinner plate really benefits from the increased heat retention, with the ability to ensure your meal stays at the intended temperature throughout your dinner.
Appetizer Plates
The appetizer plate has a diameter of 8 inches and weighs 14 ounces.
Appetizer Plates, available from Made In
While intended for holding all your tasty apps and small salads, I’ve actually used the appetizer plates for the dessert course, as well! The size is perfect for serving slices of cake, cookies, and pastries.
Entree Bowls
The entree bowl has a diameter of 10 inches and weighs 1 pound, 14 ounces.
Entree Bowls, available from Made In
A unique and practical deviation from the dinner plate, and a design that I use constantly for my own meals, the entree bowl is suitable for a wider range of food choices.
It’s ideal for large rice bowls, stews, main course salads, or entrees served with a looser starch like polenta, grits, or any variety of mashed or pureed vegetables.
Side and Entree Bowls with navy rim, available from Made In
The wide base circumference and the shorter walls are designed with smart intentions: you can fit more food in the bowl, and you can easily and smoothly maneuver around the entire circumference with your silverware.
Side Bowls
The side bowl has a diameter of 6.5 inches and weighs 12 ounces.
Side Bowls, available from Made In
According to Made In, this bowl is ideal for everyday use: perfect for your breakfast cereal, soups, small salads, oatmeal, ice cream, and pudding.
Serving Platter
The serving platter has a length of 13 inches, a diameter of 10.5 inches at its widest point, and it weighs 2 pounds, 5 ounces.
Serving Platter, available from Made In
The oval shape of the serving platter makes it a sleek centerpiece at the dinner table.
Tabletop Set
Want to bundle your collection, and save some money? You can choose to purchase an entire tabletop set. The company offers two options: a 37-piece set, or a 74-piece set.
Tabletop Set, available from Made In
The 37-piece set is designed for 4 place settings and includes the following:
- 4 dinner plates
- 4 appetizer plates
- 4 entree bowls
- 4 side bowls
- 1 serving platter
- 1 flatware set
The flatware includes 4 place settings with a salad fork, dinner fork, table spoon, dessert spoon, and dinner knife – you can read more about Made In’s flatware in our full review.
The 74-piece set is designed for 8 place settings, and includes the following:
- 8 dinner plates
- 8 appetizer plates
- 8 entree bowls
- 8 side bowls
- 2 serving platters
- 2 flatware sets
Currently, you can only purchase the sets in either white or white with a red rim.
Build Your Own Tabletop Set
Need a little more freedom with what, and how much, you choose? You can customize what you buy by building your own tabletop set.
Rather than jumping from one product listing on the website to another, you can use the company’s set building tool that provides everything you need in one convenient location.
Just choose how many sets you need and the color for each individual item. You can customize the plates, bowls, serving platter, flatware, and glassware that you select.
Care and Storage Details
Due to the fully glazed backing, you can safely stack the plates and bowls in your cabinet.
Everything in this collection is dishwasher safe.
Shipping and Warranty Info
For shipping, the company will cover the shipping costs to locations in the contiguous United States for orders over $49.
Made In has established a one-year edge chip warranty – if any of your plates, bowls, or platters chip within your first year of purchase, the company will replace them free of charge.
According to the company website, edge chips are considered nicks in the plateware that are up to the size of a silver dollar.
In addition to the edge chip warranty, every item in this collection is covered under Made In’s limited lifetime warranty. You can read more about the company’s warranty policy here.
Practical, Beautiful, and Minimalist: What Your Everyday Plateware Should Be!
Even your daily plateware deserves a boost of high-quality lovin’ and a modern style!
Made In’s collection of plates, bowls, and platters embody well-made minimalism – they’re sleek and clean, and are built to last.
You might even want to use this gorgeous selection all year long, for everyday use as well as for the holidays and special events!
In fact, I encourage it.
Mom and her holly jolly Christmas-themed set might be a little jealous, but that’s alright. I’ll talk to her.
What do you think of Made In’s collection? Do you like the style choices for a simple and modern design? I’d love to know in the comment section below!
To update the rest of your dining and cooking accessories, take a look at even more Made In products next:
Photos by Nikki Cervone, © Ask the Experts, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. See our TOS for more details. Product photos via Made In Cookware. Sample products provided by the manufacturer. Originally published on April 9, 2021. Last updated on October 20, 2021.
About Nikki Cervone
Nikki Cervone is an ACS Certified Cheese Professional and cheesemonger living in Pittsburgh. Nikki holds an AAS in baking/pastry from Westmoreland County Community College, a BA in Communications from Duquesne University, and an MLA in Gastronomy from Boston University. When she's not nibbling on her favorite cheeses or testing a batch of cupcakes, Nikki enjoys a healthy dose of yoga, wine, hiking, singing in the shower, and chocolate. Lots of chocolate.
For everyday use dinnerware, it’s too much $$$. For a quarter of the price I can go Corelle of Fiesta, with the added benefit that I can replace individual pieces as toddlers brake them easier. Fine china on the other hand is worth the investment, but this is not competitive in the daily family use price range.
I was looking to change my dinnerware to round or coupe plain white. I had mentioned it to my son.
Well, he is a professional chef and introduced me to Made In. He gifted me the 4 dinner plates and Immediately , I ordered the 4 snack plates. I will use those for my dinner plates. Hoping to find mugs, too.
Pricey but beautiful-makes my food look more appealing. I don’t like eating from very ornate plates-my Blue Italian by Spode an exception on rare occasion. Current everyday plates are square and beige. They will be retired.
May consider the other pieces of Made In, but already have entree and cereal bowls that match the Made In white and that works enough for me.