what are the pros and cons of using enamel plates etc

COOLTRIKERCHICK

I am getting fed up of plates and bowls etc being chipped:mad::mad:

ok my kids are now 17 and 19 yrs old:D and they still haven't stopped abusing my plates etc..

sooooo I want to change over to the OS style enamel plates, bowls, pie dishes etc..

apart from not being able to put them into the microwave, was wondering what the pros and cons are of using them.

Hopefully if I bought a set, that would be it, they would last me for ever:D

rachbc

We have them for camping - they do still chip - the enamel chips off then the metal underneath can rust. They conduct the heat so if you have a plate in your hands on on your lap it gets too hot to hold and the food in/ on them therefore also get cold quicker.

Pros - the pie dishes etc are great for cooking in and they clean up easily.

arbroath_lass

Rather than enamel what about melamine? Or I have some old Tesco Value plates that are virtually unbreakable.

Linda32

They do clean easily so thats a pro. I have a pie dish which I cook pasta bake in and it does clean very well.

The only thing I can think of as a con is there not very pretty, but I doubt that counts.

COOLTRIKERCHICK

I stopped buying nice plates etc a while ago, I was buying the supermarket value sets etc, but yet again they full of chips or broken..

I don't care what they look like:D, but then on saying that they would actually fit in with my potentially new kitchen look ( mish-mash old style)

Where would be the nest place to buy them??

edit... back to the pie dishes, are the cooking times the same, as if you were cooking in a glass/ pottery pot?

arbroath_lass

I've had a quick look and I can't see the value plates I got. I don't know what they're made from. They were almost like the Pyrex plates we had in the Seventies.

Although a quick google shows you can still get Pyrex plates on ebay etc.

arbroath_lass

The enamel plates I'd try outdoor/camping shops for them.

midnightraven3

poundland have then in various colours
http://www.poundland.co.uk/enamel-camping-plate-assorted-colours
and bowls
http://www.poundland.co.uk/enamel-camping-bowl-assorted-colours

i always make pies in enamel, and love it
but i would HATE the squeaking of cutlery on the plate when someone eats dinner from them

Chris25

I have several enamel pie tins & love them - even when they're chipped, they look great

I wouldn't like to use them for eating off though.

I think Arbroath lass' idea of using melamine is a good one.

Even though pyrex is very sturdy, when it does break, it splinters into hundreds of pieces - ok, bit of an exaggeration.

maman

It seems that people fall into categories as far as crockery is concerned:

• people like me and DH that break virtually nothing. I have pyrex pie dishes and jugs that are old and scratched but just can't bring myself to replace them. If it ain't broke don't fix it!
• people like my DD2 who is always breaking things. I know she had a full set of lovely crockery when she first set up home but hardly anything left now so she keeps buying more.
• people who are always wanting a change. I think shops thrive on these. There's encouragement to change your crockery for a new set every 'season'.

I've narrowed it down now to white stuff for every day. I've gradually replaced earthenware with bone china (Wilkos, TK Maxx and Asda) which seems more durable and not so heavy. On top of that. I'm old-fashioned enough to have a full set of 'posh' stuff for special occasions.

I don't think I'd buy any more enamel except for a pie dish as that might look 'rustic' and would be a lifestyle thing IYSWIM. I have an enamel roasting tin with lid. It's effective and has the bonus that it goes on the hob to make gravy. Can't microwave would probably be my main 'con'.

[Deleted User]

I agree with rachbc they still do chip and then rust which look even worse.I have one set of 'posh' plates that I bought in a junk shop 35 years ago on the Isle of Wight.They come out on high days and holidays :) in otherwords hardly ever.The everyday stuff I just replace from a boot sale when they get chipped.My DD bought me three plates from John Lewis' that I really like and I use them almost daily.They are bigger than a tea plate but not as big as a dinner plate and are just the right size for me.great way to cut back when your dieting ,smaller plate when full, pyschologically makes you think you are eating a bigger dinner than you actually are.So you are really eating a smaller portion.Now I live alone I don't have the problem of chipped plates so much,but then I also got rid of my dishwasher as it was rarely used and I wash up obnce a day last thing at night ,saves on water as well when on a meter. :):)