Show us your Plates & Bowls

[steverob55]

Waiting on our Cali to come and starting to get a few essentials. Attention turns to dinnerware. I know it’s been discussed on here before, but looks like not for a while, so what can people recommend? Melamine? Bamboo? Van will be Starlight. This will be the first coloured item so want to start the theme off right!

 

[Dr-Snickers]

Waiting on our Cali to come and starting to get a few essentials. Attention turns to dinnerware. I know it’s been discussed on here before, but looks like not for a while, so what can people recommend? Melamine? Bamboo? Van will be Starlight. This will be the first coloured item so want to start the theme off right!

Great colour choice

I didn’t buy specifically for the van but was lucky that my Falcon Enamelcrockery just happened to match. I’ve used them for years, when we camped with our bell tent, and loved them. I like the fact that they are so slim, they stack and take up little space and that they can fit nicely in one of my under sink draws without rattling.

I have 4 dinner plates and bought 6 pasta bowls (see link) because they are so versatile and can be used as serving bowls too. TBH, I could use just the bowls for almost all meals and ditch the plates but I’d need more of them and don’t feel a need to spend more money!

One downside is that they can become hot to touch; perhaps not ideal with young children. The mugs are also very large and take up a lot of room, so I am trying different options to be more space efficient. Changed for my spare China mugs which hold a similar amount but are taller and narrower; unfortunately they make too much noise in the drawer, so still not found my ideal mug.

Falcon Enamel 22cm Rice/Pasta Plate (Set of 6) https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00KS12WIY/?tag=unique09f-21

 

[Hotel California]

Plastic .. Or China, metal and glass?

Hi all. Hopefully our T6 Ocean will arrive next month so I've been thinking about what extra plates, cups bowls and glasses to stock up on. Was originally thinking about China mugs and plastic for everything else but I'd be interested to hear what others use?

vwcaliforniaclub.com

This might keep you busy a while also

All geared up: my all-seasons all-purpose T6 Ocean interior & organisation :

I made me a summary of all the extra tunings, DIY's, extra equipment,... that grew onto the Auberg-ine, after experiencing all kinds of settings (as mobile office, as camper,...) and weathers,... Might be useful for the so many new newbies around here, even if of course very personal and...

vwcaliforniaclub.com

We started at first using melamine plates we had from camping in our LR Defender , but now have added a set of stone plates and bolws
Mugs thesame , a few melamine a few stone.
Drinking glas is plastic , wine glas is glas , champagne glas is plastic (but very stylisch doh) .
Changing things over time as you do at home i guess .

Start of with things you got allready , see what you needs are after a few trips and go looking for stuff later.

 

[Bellcrew]

Waiting on our Cali to come and starting to get a few essentials. Attention turns to dinnerware. I know it’s been discussed on here before, but looks like not for a while, so what can people recommend? Melamine? Bamboo? Van will be Starlight. This will be the first coloured item so want to start the theme off right!

We went for this set, "BRUNNER All Inclusive Melamine Crockery Set, Blue Ocean, 36 pieces". None slip bases and perfect colour for a Starlight van, still in excellent condition after 4 years use.

 

[LemonDrop]

Our melamine ones were ancient and I wanted to get away from plastic so went for these bamboo ones from John Lewis.

They look good and are nice to use but don't seem very hard wearing at all, they're already quite scratched after not much use.

Once they've had it I think I'll go for bog standard stoneware our mugs have lasted fine in the van, so we'll see...

 

[Ferryman]

I was looking at the same thing the other day seems there is a lot of quality variation in melamine.

The inside table is only 48x64cm and as there is 4 of us I was trying to find something that would fit but have a usable dinner size. Was wondering if square/rect might be the way to go and came across the ridge monkey plates. Main concern if and how neatly they stack. Not seen any mention of them up until now and I think I've been through most of the past threads so maybe there's a good reason for that!

 

[steverob55]

I found these yesterday. Has anyone had any experience of them? Seems good value and the colourway would work well with Starlight

Kampa Melamine Set - Apex

The Kampa Apex melamine set, part of the Heritage collection of melamine tableware, combines fun, bold colours with an eye-catching floral design. This 12-piece set, made of 100% melamine, is extremely durable and lightweight. Matching mug set available s

www.attwoolls.co.uk

 

[haydnw2]

The majority of the bamboo stuff seems to be a mixture of bamboo and melamine, and many companies will trade off the eco-credentials of bamboo without mentioning the melamine. The 'grain' is just a decal applied at the end of the process. Not necessarily an issue if you're aware and happy, but don't go thinking that everything labelled 'bamboo' is made exclusively from it. As with everything, there are differing degrees of quality/safety across the spectrum of producers:
https://tox.dhi.dk/en/news/news/article/bamboo-tableware-can-be-plastic-and-release-formaldehyde/ (the German PDF is worth a read)

[insert pre-emptive disclaimer about how everything is toxic in a high enough dose; we're talking about occasional use not everyday use; etc., etc.]

 

[Hotel California]

Main issue we had with melamine is the plates sligding on the table .
Look for those having rubber anti-slip underneeth .

 

[oryx white]

We use Lakeland bamboo plates and large bowls - they have an attractive glaze on them but are light, sturdy and unbreakable (at least, so far!).

 

[This Eva]

Main issue we had with melamine is the plates sligding on the table .
Look for those having rubber anti-slip underneeth .

We have the Bruner ones with no slip rings underneath seem very good

 

[Elly Swanson]

Have a look at Corelle dinnerware. Made from a mix of materials to create a unique 3-layer, thermally-bonded glass, that is lightweight and 3x more durable than ceramic. Very good quality and lots of designs. Here’s their website, but you can buy via amazon, etc.

Home | Corelle

corelle.eu

 

[Elly Swanson]

Ikea do Oftast. It has the same look and feel as bone porcelain, but is made of tempered glass. Have heard lots of campervanners saying how good/robust it is. It’s very cheap, is only available in white and oddly only the bowls are available to order online, you can only get the plates in store.

only plates and bowls, no matching mugs/cups.

Look what I've found at IKEA

IKEA Search puts the extensive IKEA range at user’s fingertips.

www.ikea.com

 

[GillianC]

Waiting on our Cali to come and starting to get a few essentials. Attention turns to dinnerware. I know it’s been discussed on here before, but looks like not for a while, so what can people recommend? Melamine? Bamboo? Van will be Starlight. This will be the first coloured item so want to start the theme off right!

I have a set of this.
Looks like ceramic but actually melamine and very light and robust. The pasta bowls are a great size.

Wayfair.co.uk - Shop Furniture, Lighting, Homeware & More Online | Wayfair.co.uk

Shop Wayfair.co.uk for A Zillion Things Home across all styles and budgets. 5,000 brands of furniture, lighting, cookware, and more.

www.wayfair.co.uk

 

[steverob55]

Have a look at Corelle dinnerware. Made from a mix of materials to create a unique 3-layer, thermally-bonded glass, that is lightweight and 3x more durable than ceramic. Very good quality and lots of designs. Here’s their website, but you can buy via amazon, etc.

Home | Corelle

corelle.eu

Do you have these? Like the designs but just wondering about the suitability for camping.

 

[Karlos]

We have melamine plates and bowls which have served us well for years, possibly 15 or more then proper mugs for brews and glass for tumblers, wine glasses and Champagne flutes which we pack carefully in their own designated Ikea box in tea towels under the kitchen.

 

[trev0rk]

I couldn't resist this, it is a really useful bit of kit. There is also room in the cool bag for matching mugs and a thermos.

Camper Smiles Dining Set with Cooler Bag | RAC Shop

Camper Smiles Dining Set with Cooler Bag. A 12-piece premium dining set, ideal for outdoor dining occasions whether it be camping, caravanning or a barbecue.

www.racshop.co.uk

 

[Denzilgts]

I can’t resist this one .. I know it’s not what you mean .. I make bowls , never took them in the van though

 

[TigerSki]

We have the dinner plates and bowls from this set and love them - makes me smile every time we use them!

Wayfair.co.uk - Shop Furniture, Lighting, Homeware & More Online | Wayfair.co.uk

Shop Wayfair.co.uk for A Zillion Things Home across all styles and budgets. 5,000 brands of furniture, lighting, cookware, and more.

www.wayfair.co.uk

We have bamboo beakers for cool drinks and Keep Cups for hot drinks.

 

[JaneJ]

Do you have these? Like the designs but just wondering about the suitability for camping.

We have Corelle and I think GrannyJen does too (see here #9). We find them very hard-wearing, pleasant to use, and space saving. The mugs are porcelain, not the same product, so not worth getting.

 

[Whitwellblue]

We just use ordinary ikea china - big plates, small plates, wide pasta bowls and some little bowls for pud etc. We already owned them, they stack in those white ikea lidded boxes, and we like eating and drinking from ‘real’ crockery and glasses.

 

[califan]

https://www.primaleisure.com/product/1880251/bamboo-8piece-dinner-set-for-two-polka-ochre
We have this set in the striped version, very resilient, light weight, good value and you can add pieces as needed. Though it looks like the dinner set is currently unavailable, other pieces are still available and discount available through C&MC. We also have pasta bowls from https://zuperzozial.com/ these are better quality/ feel, amazing resistance to staining, very tactile would upgrade to this brand if they had everything, as and when we need to change, but the prima range is lasting too well!! We do also have ikea mugs https://www.ikea.com/gb/en/p/dinera-mug-dark-grey-30362820/ and glass tumblers for G&T! There is something about drinking from stoneware or glass that is more pleasurable.

 

[Nick.C]

We went for the Outwell Lotus Bamboo dinner set, when we equipped our van a couple of years and they have been great. Just checked and it does include some melamine though.

 

[Stow]

Royal Doulton melamine; not that pricey and tough as nails with very little scratching and have survived a few seasons of two under 8s washing them up (ultimate test).
https://www.royaldoulton.com/en-gb/collections/pacific/pacific-outdoor

 

[Phil Vanlife Runner]

Another vote for Falcon Enamelware