Plates

A nice plate changes the way you perceive what's in it. Cooks have always known this — guests feel it without always expressing it.

There is a real difference between eating on any plate and eating on a chosen plate. Not in the taste of the dish — but in the experience of the meal, in the attention it is given, in the pleasure it takes. A beautiful plate with slightly irregular edges and a unique glaze, transforms an ordinary dinner into something neat. It's a detail, yes — but the details make the meal as much as the recipe. At Amberkiln, our selection of plates covers a wide spectrum of styles, materials and uses: flat sandstone plates, hollow porcelain plates, dessert plates made of artisanal ceramic, melamine dishes for the outside, plates with botanical, geometric or Japanese-inspired motifs — a table that reflects your personality.

Stoneware, porcelain, earthenware or melamine: what material for your plates?

The material is the first choice — the one that determines the character of your dishes and its fit with your style of table.

The sandstone is the craft material par excellence. Thicker and heavier than porcelain, it is better able to withstand the shocks of everyday life while maintaining a raw and authentic beauty. The glaze of sandstone — often reactive, with unexpected color variations — makes two plates of the same series never strictly identical. It is precisely this imperfection that is sought. The sandstone washes in dishwashers for most non-craft models, but some very fine pieces deserve hand washing to preserve their enamel. It supports the oven and microwave according to the models — always check the manufacturer's instructions.

The porcelain is thinner, lighter, more translucent. It is the material of the formal tableware, the one that comes out for special occasions. A fine white porcelain plate with a simple golden border, it is an unchanging classic that goes through the centuries without aging. Porcelain is also very resistant despite its delicate appearance — more resistant than earthenware in most cases. It supports the high temperatures of the dishwasher and oven (without metal parts).

The earthenware is more porous than sandstone and porcelain, and its glaze is more fragile with shrapnel. It is often associated with Provencal, Mediterranean or rustic styles — with hand-painted decorations, coloured patterns, slightly thick edges. It requires a little more care in the maintenance but brings a warmth and authenticity that the nobler materials do not always have.

The melamine is the material of unbreakable plates — ideal for outdoor meals, picnics, families with young children. Don't break up, don't run out too fast, wash easily. It does not go to the microwave or the oven, but for a terrace lunch or a garden meal, it is the most convenient solution. Our melamine models take on the same aesthetics as our ceramic dishes — botanical motifs, graphics, natural tones — so as not to sacrifice style to robustness.

Flat, hollow or dessert plate: how to make your dishes?

A complete dishware includes at least three formats:flat plate for main dishes (typical diameter 26-28 cm), thehollow plate for soups, sauce dishes and pasta (diameter 22-24 cm, hollow 3-5 cm), anddessert plate smaller (diameter from 19 to 22 cm, also used for entrances and cheese).

Many buyers today free themselves from the rigidity of the complete services matched to compose a mixed table — several different series that share the same tone, the same colour family or the same aesthetic. Flat plates in grey sandstone, hollow plates in beige sandstone and dessert plates with botanical motifs — if they are in the same palette, the result is more visually interesting than too uniform a service. It is the principle of "mix and match" that has established itself in contemporary table arts, and it completely frees itself from the dogma of the perfectly matched service of 12.

Some rules for the mixture to work: stay in two or three maximum materials, keep a consistency of tones (do not mix white-black with terracotta-orange), and choose a constant — for example, all your plates have a slightly irregular edge, or all have a matte glaze.

Patterns and colours: which plate for which table?

Theplain plate — matt white, beige, grey, terracotta, sage green, night blue — is the most versatile. It showcases the content (the dish) rather than the container, and marries with any table runner, tablecloth or set of tables. This is the ideal base for a table that changes its dress according to the seasons.

Themotif plate — flowers, leaves, Japanese-inspired, geometric patterns — is more assertive and creates a table immediately more personalized. She asks for more attention in association with the other elements of the table — she is usually married with tablecloths and towels that are united so as not to overload. A strong pattern plate can be the only decorative element needed on the table — everything else serves it.

Theplate with edged — gold net, black net, coloured edge — is halfway between the two. It brings character without the complexity of a complete pattern. A golden edge on a white background creates a plate that can be used in everyday life as well as at a party dinner.