Best plates 2024: Plate up with our guide to the most stylish crockery to eat from

Beautiful plates make meals an even more enjoyable experience and can add a creative twist to your table. The best plates don’t have to cost the earth but should be durable and practical as well as stylish.

Whether you’re looking for matching sets or quirky individual pieces we’ve got you covered, with plates suitable for everyday use through to special dinner parties. We’ve tested and reviewed each plate – eating from them and making sure they survive their recommended cleaning processes. And with our cheapest option starting at £4, you’ll find a plate to suit every budget.

There are thousands of different options when it comes to buying plates, so how do you know what’s best to go for? Our buying guide below will give you pointers on what to look for when choosing a plate, or alternatively you can just skip straight to our recommendations further down the page.

Best plates: At a glance

How to choose the best plates for you

You might be thinking that one plate is much like the next, but there are a few key factors to consider when choosing.

How much should I spend?

As with most products, the price of plates can vary by quite a bit. It’s to be expected that very cheap plates won’t have as long a lifespan as those you pay more for, but there’s no reason why you shouldn’t choose cheaper plates for those you’ll only use occasionally.

We’d recommend spending a little more on your day-to-day plates, but none of the options on our list costs more than £20 for an individual plate, although some are sold in sets of four.

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What’s the most durable material for a plate?

Plates come in a variety of materials, but these are some of the most common:

Stoneware – Stoneware plates have a special glaze that gives a smooth finish but also makes plates impermeable. This means they’re ideal for everyday use as they’re extremely tough.

Bone china – Bone china is tougher than fine china, while still giving a more delicate feel to plates. It’s durable, lightweight and also chip-resistant.

Porcelain – Porcelain plates have a non-porous service and are highly durable due to high firing temperatures.

Melamine – Perfect for outdoor use, melamine plates are shatterproof and extremely hard to chip or break.

Anything else I should consider?

Not all plates are dishwasher-safe. Some more delicate plates, or those with painted patterns, can be hand-wash only. While this might be fine for occasional use, you probably want to ensure your everyday plates can go in a dishwasher.

Another thing to consider is that any plates with metallic details won’t be microwave-safe and only a few plates are considered oven-safe. If these are important factors to you, make sure you check the description carefully before purchasing.

We’d also recommend checking that a plate will actually fit in your dishwasher (we’ve done the work on that for you with our recommended plates) and that they’re chip-resistant even when stacked in a cupboard. Finally, while intricate finishes and glazes look beautiful, check that the plate doesn’t have too slippery a surface. You don’t want your food ending up on the floor.

How we test plates

We test each plate on this list by using it for several weeks. In particular we’re looking at the material of each plate, its durability and how they stand up to general wear and tear. We hand wash each plate, as well as run them through the dishwasher, if dishwasher-safe, to ascertain how easy they are to clean.

As well as durability, we also consider how stylish they are, whether they would work well in a variety of kitchens and whether they offer good value for money, especially where sets are concerned.

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The best plates you can buy in 2024

1. Morris & Co. Spode Cake Plates: Best cake and dessert plates

Price when reviewed: £50 | Check price at John Lewis

This delicate, stunning set is part of a wider Morris & Co. collection from Spode. Each plate has a different design from the archive of artist and designer William Morris, with Honeysuckle, Strawberry Thief, Blackthorn and Golden Lily prints in a pretty gift box.

We loved the gorgeous designs and the fact that, despite being made from incredibly thin porcelain, the plates are still microwave, oven and dishwasher-safe. These plates are also lightweight and easy to stack, taking up very little space in a cupboard or the dishwasher. We’ll be getting these out for tea and cake as often as we can. With their timeless, elegant design, the set is sure to bring some individuality to any table or setting.

Key details – Size (LWD): 20 x 20 x 2cm; Weight: 360g; Material: Porcelain; Dishwasher safe: Yes; Microwave safe: Yes; Oven safe: Yes (up to 220C)

2. La Redoute Onda Stoneware Flat Plates: Best dinner plates

Price when reviewed: £60 | Check price at La Redoute

With a Nordic design, these attractive, stoneware plates are hard wearing, making them the ideal choice for everyday dining. Each plate is also finished by hand, giving them all a unique look.

The enamel glaze gives the plates a rich, deep glossy colour but the surface isn’t slippery, and food doesn’t slide around the plate like you might expect. Each plate has a large surface area, with a small, raised lip around the edge, which offers space enough for even the largest appetite. They’re dishwasher and microwave-safe as well, though the enamel means you can’t use them in the oven. The set is also available in a beige colour if you prefer a more muted finish and are part of a larger range of dining products including bowls, smaller plates and mugs.

Key details – Size (LWD): 27 x 27 x 3cm; Weight: N/A; Material: Stoneware; Dishwasher safe: Yes; Microwave safe: Yes; Oven safe: No

3. ProCook Oslo Rim Stoneware Dinner Plate Set of 4: Best large plates

Price when reviewed: £48 | Check price at ProCook

This Scandi-style set of plates have a reassuringly solid utilitarian feel to them and offer a slightly larger surface area than most dinner plates, making them the perfect choice for those who like to pile their plates high. They have a contemporary muted oatmeal look, with a glazed finish to add a touch of elegance. They aren’t all style over substance, though. In testing, we found them to be extremely functional and well made, meaning you should expect to get many years of use out of them.

Made from durable stoneware, the plates are also dishwasher-, microwave- and oven-safe. We think they’re particularly suited for eating pizza off – a medium pizza fits neatly on them without any overflow. The plates are a little heavier than other brands, but this just adds to the feeling of good quality in our book.

Key details – Size (LW): 27.5 x 27.5cm; Weight: 950g; Material: Stoneware; Dishwasher-safe: Yes; Microwave-safe: Yes; Oven-safe: Yes

4. Mason Cash Linear Collection Set of 4 Blue Dinner Plates: Best plates for everyday use

Price when reviewed: £26 | Check price at Mason Cash

Mason Cash might be better known for its mixing bowls but the brand also offers beautiful stoneware dinner services. This set of four dinner plates comes in a gorgeous shade of blue, is extremely reasonably priced and ideal for everyday use.

The Linear Collection is both dishwasher- and microwave-safe and made from robust, chip-resistant stoneware. The glazed surface isn’t too slippery, meaning food stays firmly where you place it, and each plate stacks well. They aren’t too heavy either, and fit neatly in a dishwasher.

One downside is that each plate has a large, ridged lip, which does reduce the overall usable surface area. However, if that’s not a dealbreaker then this beautifully designed set will bring a simple elegance to any table every day of the year.

Key details – Size (LWD): 27 x 27 x 2.5cm; Weight: 760g; Material: Stoneware; Dishwasher-safe: Yes; Microwave-safe: Yes; Oven-safe: No

5. Le Creuset Stoneware Side Plate: Best premium plate for splashing out

Price when reviewed: £19 | Check price at John Lewis

The name Le Creuset is synonymous with high-quality cookware – its cast iron pots and pans are passed down from generation to generation. But the company also produces a stylish range of plates and bowls. This durable stoneware side plate is designed to retain heat with an even temperature, meaning your food stays hot for longer. It also has a recessed base and a raised rim to contain liquids, which is ideal for those awkward ingredients such as beans.

Like everything made by Le Creuset, the plate has some serious heft to it, weighing in at 540g. It’s also scratch- and chip-resistant, safe to use in the fridge, freezer, microwave and dishwasher, and you can use it in an oven heated up to 260℃ or a grill with a 6.5cm gap.

The plates come in a range of gorgeous colours, but we particularly like this vibrant cerise, which will add a splash of sophisticated colour to any table. The quality is undeniable and there’s a 10-year guarantee if anything goes wrong.

Key details – Size (LWD): 21.8 x 21.8 x 2.2cm; Weight: 540g; Material: Stoneware; Dishwasher-safe: Yes; Microwave-safe: Yes; Oven-safe: Yes

6. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew Living Jewels Butterfly Stoneware Charger Plate: Best for dressing your table

Price when reviewed: £12 | Check price at John Lewis

If you’re looking to wow your guests with a stunning dinner table setting, these charger plates will certainly do the trick. Traditionally, a charger plate is a decorative base setting that’s placed on the table before guests arrive. Each course is then served in a separate bowl or plate that’s placed on top of the charger plate. However, you can use these in any way you choose.

These plates take inspiration from artwork found in Kew Gardens’ archives and feature delicate butterflies on a darker background. They’re made from sturdy stoneware, which will help to retain heat and protect table surfaces from hot plates or bowls. However, we think they would also make an ideal serving plate – perhaps for charcuterie or mezze. The slightly raised and curved edge looks great as a decorative element but also means that you can fit plenty of nibbles on if you do choose to use it this way.

Key details – Size (LWD): 32 x 32 x 3cm; Weight: N/A; Material: Stoneware; Dishwasher safe: Yes; Microwave safe: Yes; Oven safe: No