Review of Corelle 16-pc. Dinnerware Set - Elegance

For those who don't know, Corelle is for the most part made of tempered glass. The process consists of a sandwich of three layers of glass pressed together under very high temperature and pressure. It's my understanding that the color and pattern is contained in the center layer which results in a vaguely different appearance than run of the mill earthenware, stoneware, or porcelain.

Pro
1. Lightweight and compact. Corelle dishes, because they are thin and very uniform in shape, weigh very little and stack extremely well -- almost too well. One cabinet shelf will hold a lot of dishes -- perfect for a boat, camper, small apartment, etc.
2. Extremely scratch, chip and break resistant. A tile floor will break one, but compared to stoneware or porcelain it's rugged.
3. Good in the oven, microwave, and dishwasher.

Con
1. My wife hates it. Her biggest complaint is the appearance. Sorry, but I have to disagree with another reviewer -- it wouldn't pass for bone china. It looks like, well, Corelle, and to my eye, that is not real good. I hate to say this, but the word "cheap" comes to mind. They won't be using it to serve visiting heads of state in the White House anytime soon. Let's face it, we all want our dishes to look good. For most of us it's an important issue. Matter of taste, I guess, but there you have it.
2. The plates are Corelle, but the process apparently doesn't work for pieces like cups, deep bowls, salt & pepper, etc. That's going to be stoneware. Not a big deal, but you lose the durability factor, and it doesn't look quite the same.
3. Once again, this is a little subjective, but the Pro Elegance set tends toward the small -- too small for my taste. And here is something that is not subjective -- the dimensions that Amazon (or Target?) lists for some of these pieces are incorrect. The bowl is 7.25", not 8.75". That is the difference between a cereal bowl and a salad/pasta bowl. The salad plate is also 7.25", not 8.75".

After my wife quit glaring at me for buying this Corelle set we wound up buying Martha Stewart basketweave porcelain in an after Christmas sale at Macys for less money than the Corelle. The Martha Stewart set (also reviewed on Amazon) has it's pros and cons, but it looks great, is noticeably larger, and we are much happier with it than with the Corelle. And, we don't have to wince slightly when we use it to serve dinner guests. Don't discount the wince factor -- it's pretty important.(-8

Click Here to see more reviews about: Corelle 16-pc. Dinnerware Set - Elegance



Buy Now