Klutzy me can appreciate the Corelle being offered.

Corelle owners: Tell me about your experiences with Corelle. I've found my dishes have held up pretty well for several years.
Everyone else: What pattern strikes your fancy?

I've had the Memphis pattern for 6-8 years and they wear like iron. Only drawback is that the coffee cups are ordinary ceramic, not Corelle, so they are easily broken.

Had stoneware from when I first went on my own (a long time, I'm retired). Just replaced my Pfaltzgraf with Corelle (garden sketch) last month. It's a bit of a culture shock to suddenly go to this thin stuff, but I do like it.

These packages are available almost anywhere for about $27, so it's kind of a wash, price-wise.

The downside (for me) about Corelle are the extra and serving pieces. Buying 8 pasta bowls, cereal bowls, or a couple serving bowls will cost as much as four full place settings. These in a matching pattern are very rare, but the more available white are easier to find and do match well enough.

Oddly enough, I like the mugs in these sets. They are good sized and the stoneware will hold the heat of your coffee much better than the vitrelle would. Not as indestructable as the dinnerware, but pretty sturdy stuff, with reasonable care.

I have the Cafe Red set (sans mugs). Got three sets for $15 each on clearance one summer. My 2 yo managed to break one of the salad plates by sweeping it off his high chair to the floor...it hit the laminate at just the right angle to shatter. My husband hit a bowl against the granite counter tiles a few weeks ago and again made a shardy mess.

I have also dropped plates and bowls without cracks/chips/breaks.

I love the set, though. I love the colors and the lightweight dinnerware. My stoneware that I replaced was only 4 years old and most pieces were cracked or chipped.

Huge, HUGE fan of Corelle here. More than the invincibility I just love how THIN they are. It's amazing how much less of a chore it is to do the dishes when the plates are light. Plus you can amass a much larger collection of dishes when you can fit 5 plates where you used to only have room for one bulky one. I have the Cafe Red set and I love it. Looks great.

While they're not the most ritzy dinner ware one can buy, they definitely hold up. My grandmother got a set of Corelle dinner ware almost 13 years ago and I claimed them when she died.. still going strong.

Country of origin, please?

cathigreen wrote:Country of origin, please?

Most likely, the plates are made in the US and the cups are made in China. Found this from an email from World Kitchen (the now owners of Corelle):

"Most of our Corelle dinnerware is made in the USA. All of the plates and bowls from the Livingware, Lifestyles, Impressions, Ultra and Corelle Square collections are made in the states. The mugs and glasses in our sets are made in China."

These dishes will outlive you. I'm using my grandma's (the white ones), and my parents are using the same set they've had since the 80s.

Before we had the corelle plates we went through a set of dishes every year or so (yeah we're pretty clumsy).

I cannot say that I would want to have the same corelle plates, bowls, etc. for 30 years, but they will likely last that long if you don't drop them. They'll get somewhat gray and worn with time.

That said, these are so much better than stoneware/ceramic. Lightweight, thin, and the best part: they don't make an awful noise when you slide them across your granite countertop or stainless steel sink. Boo to stoneware/ceramic.

This isn't a great price. Available at Corelle for $24.99

These sets can be had for $26-28 on sale. I would have picked up a set if they were a little cheaper.

Ninkumpoop wrote:I cannot say that I would want to have the same corelle plates, bowls, etc. for 30 years, but they will likely last that long if you don't drop them. They'll get somewhat gray and worn with time.

My family's been using the same Corelle plates and bowls for almost 20 years now and they don't appear grey or worn at all.

My wife and I have been using the Corelle Winter White since we were married in '85. We would buy an additional set when they were on sale or clearance to get the extra bowls and dinner plates. The older sets had the "teacup" size coffee mugs and saucers, which only gather dust and take up storage space for us. None of the Corelle has ever broken, but we have lost a few plates to family and church functions...even with our address label on the bottom. Now we take desserts on cardboard "Cake Boards" and people chase us down to ask if we want the boards back. LOL

No, it isn't fine china, but it is a good daily use dinnerware that won't break the bank.

Corelle Livingware webpage:

http://www.corelle.com/livingware

photobobk wrote:Had stoneware from when I first went on my own (a long time, I'm retired). Just replaced my Pfaltzgraf with Corelle (garden sketch) last month. It's a bit of a culture shock to suddenly go to this thin stuff, but I do like it.

Same here. I've always had stoneware and decided to buy the Classic Cafe Red. I've always heard good things about Corelle. But it's going to be an adjustment to get used to how thin these feel in comparison.

I've got the Corelle winter white dishes my parents got in the very early 70s, expanded by some pieces I found later at garage sales and a couple of serving pieces I bought new. They don't break unless they hit something at just the wrong angle, but if they do that, they tend to shatter into tons of little shards. And at least with winter white, you can likely replace or supplement with exactly matching pieces decades later.

One thing I was delighted to discover a few years ago: Corelle sells white plastic lids for their standard cereal-size bowls. They latch, though they're not air-tight, and are great for going from table to stackable fridge storage (or vice versa).

SO EXCITED TO SEE THIS ON WOOT!!! Been looking for an inexpensive Corelle set for some time. Alas, there are no square ones

I love my square white set, have used them for years and they look the same (did not turn gray as earlier post described). I too am disappointed that no square sets are offered and the deal is not too exciting although decent.

Bought winter white in the 70's as bachelor. Married wife of 37yrs, who doesn't like 'em so have been passed on to our grown children. Hard to break and if you do shatter one you used to be able to send a chip that said correll on it and they'd send you a new one.

randolphaknight wrote:if you do shatter one you used to be able to send a chip that said correll on it and they'd send you a new one.

I did not know that, but i'd probably get cut picking through the shards so i wouldn't take them up on that offer.

I, too, have a partial set of winter white and a few have shattered over the years. You can't beat the space saving stackability, the durability or the look, IMHO.

We have had Corelle for decades. It is great stuff. However, if you do break it (and we have broken any number of items), it will shatter in dangerous long shards and dangerous tiny shards. The broken pieces spread so much farther than you can imagine. When it's newer, you can drop it and it probably won't break, but as it gets older, it seems it becomes more brittle.

phoenixocean wrote:SO EXCITED TO SEE THIS ON WOOT!!! Been looking for an inexpensive Corelle set for some time. Alas, there are no square ones

But I've seen same prices on sets in WallyWorld, and at least you get more selection there. Not sure I'd qualify these as "inexpensive"...

mamaflynn wrote:We have had Corelle for decades. It is great stuff. However, if you do break it (and we have broken any number of items), it will shatter in dangerous long shards and dangerous tiny shards. The broken pieces spread so much farther than you can imagine. When it's newer, you can drop it and it probably won't break, but as it gets older, it seems it becomes more brittle.

TOTALLY AGREE!!! It has been our experience also. If dropped in the kitchen, pieces will "fly" under stove, dishwasher & fridge, etc. Some of them you won't find unless you (eventually) move the appliance. AND the edges are reallt sharp & will cut like a scalpel, so keep kiddos away and also keep bare feet away if there is a break (AKA shatter...). They are tempered glass, and eventually the tempering weakens, with age and also with dishwasher cycles. Do not use heated drying, and life will extend somewhat. And if you can keep from dropping on ceramic or porcelan tile floor, they will also last longer. Those floors are murder on any dishes dropped, including Corelle.

lstaff wrote:I did not know that, but i'd probably get cut picking through the shards so i wouldn't take them up on that offer.

I, too, have a partial set of winter white and a few have shattered over the years. You can't beat the space saving stackability, the durability or the look, IMHO.

I wasn't aware of that either - should read the box now, I guess. Unfortunately those we had shatter didn't have any pieces large enough to hold the work Corelle on them.... FWIW Wonder if they'd accept all the shards in a bag he he...

For those of you without gray marks on their Corelle, quit using plasticware! Apparently the gray marks are from metal contact, such as cutting:
http://www.corellecorner.com/corelle-wear-and-tear.html

I've had a core set for over twenty years, and amazingly I don't think any of the pieces have broken. I have stuck with plain white and add a few different style plates and bowls, thus I can mix and match.

Sigh. NOW you tell me.
I am literally right now dishwashing a brand new set of dishes that I got yesterday - uncertain whether to get them or the Corelle. But the latter felt so light, we were certain that they were more fragile...

Rats.

Have a few pieces of Corelle plates. I grew up with them, so I didn't appreciate them until I went to my friend's house who were using the stoneware (holy balls they were heavy.)

As for these, though, they aren't cheap at all... Amazon has them for cheaper if you're only going to buy one set.

Ninkumpoop wrote:I cannot say that I would want to have the same corelle plates, bowls, etc. for 30 years, but they will likely last that long if you don't drop them. They'll get somewhat gray and worn with time.

That said, these are so much better than stoneware/ceramic. Lightweight, thin, and the best part: they don't make an awful noise when you slide them across your granite countertop or stainless steel sink. Boo to stoneware/ceramic.

Bartender's Friend is your friend too.

Not only is it great for cleaning stainless steel, it removes metal marks from dishes. I assume it does the exact same thing for both, removes a small layer of metal.

Bought my first set around '73 right out of college to use in my my first apartment states away from home. The pattern was called Spring Blossom green. Married thirty plus years later we still use them every day. The pattern is long retired, but we have been able to add to our collection over the years on eBay. They still look like the day I bought them.

lroller wrote:Bought my first set around '73 right out of college to use in my my first apartment states away from home. The pattern was called Spring Blossom green. Married thirty plus years later we still use them every day. The pattern is long retired, but we have been able to add to our collection over the years on eBay. They still look like the day I bought them.

...and "yes" We do occasionally use Bartender's Friend on them to remove the small metallic marks you get from those attacking their steaks with vigor.

Corelle is the greatest, if you are concerned about storage. I ordered 2 sets back in 2009 to replace some thick, heavy stoneware. The 2 sets left soooooo much room that eventually I ordered another the following year, plus a bunch of other matching bowls and plates

In 2 nice stacks are currently:
12 dinner plates (Amazon/set)
12 3/4-inch bread-and-butter plates (Amazon/set),
12 18-ounce soup bowls (Amazon/set)
7 20-oz pasta bowls (I believe; Walmart)
2 1-qt serving bowls (Amazon)
2 28-oz soup/cereal bowls (Amazon)
6 8.5 salad/luncheon plates (ShopWorldKitchen)

I gave the mugs away.

Only 1 piece has shattered (20 oz pasta bowl). I was pulling a plate and lost hold of the bowl. I shattered all over the kitchen counter and floor. Razor sharp pieces EVERYWHERE. My only negative comment about these pieces.

I've used Corelle for over 12 years. I love the stuff and its lasted me through 5 moves with only 1 shattered plate and 1 broken saucer. The stuff is amazingly sturdy. I'm picking up a box to match the pattern I already have.

I have had Corelle for more than 30 years, and they haven't broken yet! I also inherited my mother's Corelle, which is about 5 years older than mine. My only complaint is that I never have a need for service for 16!

Ninkumpoop wrote:For those of you without gray marks on their Corelle, quit using plasticware! Apparently the gray marks are from metal contact, such as cutting:
http://www.corellecorner.com/corelle-wear-and-tear.html

Also from washing them next to aluminum or steel pans or lids in the dishwasher.

inkycatz wrote:Klutzy me can appreciate the Corelle being offered.

Corelle owners: Tell me about your experiences with Corelle. I've found my dishes have held up pretty well for several years.
Everyone else: What pattern strikes your fancy?

I got a set of Corelle as a housewarming present. In 1971. In 2010, I was more than tired of it and bought a different set. In that time I had one plate break. Rephrase - they don't break, they shatter. Into millions and millions of pieces that stretch 15 feet. Spring blossom green. Mother and sister also had a set. Everything from placemats to salt and pepper shakers.