When it comes to dinnerware, it’s vital you choose the right set for your home. You can’t just pick any old set from the store and expect it to match your oak dinner table perfectly. There is a nuance to the whole process.
For instance, a dinner table with a polished wooden finish will look terrible if paired with dark or bright cutlery. You need to pick dinner plates that fall somewhere in between. A soft white tone will do in this specific instance.
However, before you even start picking colours, you need to know about the types of plates that are available. After all, could you imagine the embarrassment it would cause if you served up the main course on a plate meant for bread?
It would be sort of pointless to examine the standard plate. Everybody already knows what to use such plates for. Instead, this article will briefly examine some overlooked pieces when it comes to dinner sets.
Three types of plates you didn’t know you needed
Every plate has a particular purpose. Some are meant to serve bread, while others are used for fruits and cheese. Mixing them up could potentially ruin the experience for any guests you invite. That’s not even an exaggeration.
You don’t worry just yet, though. All you have to do is to keep reading to know more about the types of plates you should use.
Bread plate
The entire purpose behind a bread plate is precisely what the term suggests. Traditionally served before anything else, people often eat bread to stave off immediate hunger while waiting for the next course.
Thus, it would be best if you didn’t stack loaves on top of each other. Two small loaves will do just fine if it’s an intimate dinner party of four. The phrase ‘don’t fill up on bread’ isn’t a redundant saying. It comes from this exact scenario.
Additionally, if you are serving butter to go along with it, use a separate dish. Preferably, it would be a small bowl.
Appetizer plate
An appetizer plate is often an overlooked piece when it comes to building a complete dinner set. However, these kinds of plates are critical to have.
Usually, when inviting friends over, most people stick to offering them a single plate for all their courses. That’s entirely acceptable if the guests are close friends or family. If that’s not the case, you must use a different plate for each course, especially for formal occasions.
An appetizer plate can come in handy when serving artisanal cheese or fruits. Additionally, if the appetizer is meant to be plated before being served, you can, again, use these plates.
Salad plate
When serving the entire table, salads should always be in a bowl. Your guests, though, should not eat it from regular dinner plates. Like every other course, salads have their own specific plate.
These plates have a distinctive upward curve near their edges. That’s not merely an aesthetic choice either. Most salads have ingredients that roll off the edge if served on a flat plate.
If you ever find yourself confused about the appearance of such plates, you only need to look for that curve.
In summary
When buying dinner plates, you need to consider the frequency at which you have people over. If it happens to be very often, you should at least have an appetizer and a salad plate in your dinner set.
With Australia’s biosecurity measures ending, it’d be safe to assume that you’ve already hosted a few dinner parties for visiting friends and family. If you missed any of the listed pieces at your last dinner party, ensure that the next instance is different.