Shatterproof Dishes?

[Discovery 15797]

For "normal" usage I go with stoneware. Instead of buying "sets" I go to Replacements.com and buy plates, cups, bowls. (maybe i am a heathen, but I have no need for cup saucers, salad plates, and other such niceties.) In 20 years, I've only broken 2 dishes and chipped 1. I like styles where the plates have high rims (as illustrated by Cheechako), cups with flat bottoms, and bowls with reasonably flat bottoms.

In rough seas, you're going to be eating light and fast. Pet bowls take up a lot of space, but if that's your thing...good on you. Personally, in rough seas where I don't break out the stoneware I use a plastic Tupperware container that can be sealed if I need to stop eating to tend to something, or I eat "finger foods."

Also, underway...I put down rubber cabinet lining on cabinet tops, and as placemats to keep dishes from sliding around. (I also use this instead of felt between plates, pots, bottles, etc. to restrict movement and deaden sounds.)

I agree with a64pilot..the indestructible thing is way over exaggerated, especially considering that a huge majority of folks will never cross an ocean, and if you do ever encounter a 40+ knot sustained wind gale with confused seas offshore the last thing you're thinking about is eating.

[nwdiver]

I use enamel ware......but I don’t use a microwave, that and duralex glasses.

[s/v Jedi]

I hate the camping spirit which has no place on cruising sailboats imo. We actually brought our Wedgwood china aboard and never broke anything, not even during a cat.5 hurricane.

That said, if you want shatterproof then I recommend Dixie
https://www.dixie.com/GP-Family-of-B...unt/p/15289/06

[mvweebles]

We've used very high quality stoneware for 20+ years. Ours happen to be from Heath Ceramics in Sausalito. Square plates fit in cabinet nicely. We do have some melamine serving pieces for pot lucks and crowds.

One departure from normal home is we each have a 12 oz SS vacuum mug that we use for almost all drinks - coffee in the morning and cocktails in evening as they preserve ice in warm climates. We each have a large 40 oz SS vacuum bottle with large mouth for ice cubes for water.

[ranger58sb]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

Corelle is my favorite, it doesn’t feel like plastic and frankly I believe the whole has to be indestructible for a boat thing to be way over exaggerated. Only thing I can think of that we have broken over the last several months is a Pyrex pan that broke on its own in the oven the other day.
Nesting pots like Magma ones with detachable handles and one lid that fits several is good for saving space, we put a piece of felt between each one, cause there are small movements that over time will wear through the non stick if you don’t, so things don’t go flying around in our experience, but there is some constant movement that can cause wear if you don’t take steps, of course things have to be stowed so they can’t go flying around if you ever get into severe weather.

We use Corelle, too, I think two sets -- dolphins pattern -- plus some additional plain white serving pieces.

We got our nesting set of pots/pans way I think before Magma became a distributor. Great stuff, made at the same factory Cusinart uses (used?)... and Cuisinart marketed the sets for a while, too. I've added a few more Cuisinart-brand glass lids to ours. Our set came with only the "skillet" being non-stick, and it's held up well over the 20 years or so... but I think if I had it to do today, I might not get non-stick, and I might select the "induction" version in case we ever have to replace our electric cooktop.

-Chris

[pcmm]

We lived-arobard and sailed for years with "ironstone" table ware. The only item that broke was the tea pot when it went flying across the galley in a knock down. And at that the only part that broke was the spout. Tough dishes! We currently use Corelle almost as tough but much less expensive!

[BlackHeron]

Correlle is tough stuff. I've broken a few dishes and bowls on land with ceramic tile kitchen flooring, but not nearly as many as we have dropped. Even falling from countertop level onto ceramic tile laid on concrete slab only one in three would actually break. From dishwasher level they would be fine. I can't imagine they would break very easily falling onto a wood sole either hardwood through and through, or teak & holly veneer over IKEA-ply.

When a Correlle does break there usually are nit many large pieces. Small sharp slivers an inch long and 1/8th wide is typical I have found.

My wife is a bit of a klutz. We still opted for melamine on our boat. It makes a lot less racket when it hits the sole at regular intervals, and we got the square ones that fit exactly in the galley cupboard with no wasted space

[rbk]

We have used Corelle in the past but opted for melamine this time. Less dents in the sole when you drop them and less noisy on board in general. We rarely use a microwave even at home an don’t have one on board but we usually store leftovers in glass sealable containers and with planning could microwave in those then serve. I have also see Corelle break aka explode.

[roverhi]

When we bought the plates for our cruise we bought a set of stoneware with a Corelle set as backup. Found that we seldom used the ceramic stuff because of weight and fragility but used the Corelle out of convenience.

When we moved off the boat kept the Corelle and let the stoneware go with the boat. Wife bought new ceramic tableware but it sits on the shelf except when guests arrive as we're still using the same Corelle 40 years later. Have broken two Corelle bowls, not on the boat, in all those years of daily use when I dropped steel tools on them from a good height. They broke but didn't explode but did make for sharp not so small pieces like the glass they are derived from. Easy to clean in relatively large chunks unlike glass which often breaks into small near microscopic pieces that you only seem to find when embedded in the sole of your foot.

Haven't tried it but hear you can make the Corelle slip proof by squirting a little sillycone on the bottom, squishing it on wax paper and letting it set before peeling off the wax paper. Voila!! you have non skid Corelle. If anyone wants to try this, give us some feedback if it works.

[rbk]

Originally Posted by roverhi

Haven't tried it but hear you can make the Corelle slip proof by squirting a little sillycone on the bottom, squishing it on wax paper and letting it set before peeling off the wax paper. Voila!! you have non skid Corelle. If anyone wants to try this, give us some feedback if it works.

It does work but not as good with Corelle due to the flat bottoms and surface finish. Kids like to pick it off and it does eventually start falling off. Works better on stone wear with that unglazed rim (better adhesion). We ultimately ended up scrapping it off and went with non slip mats for eating and non slip liners in between each plate and bowl to stop the chatter when motoring or in choppy seas.

[Lepke]

I don't think you need shatterproof dishes. My current dishes, etc., are about 20+ years old and I have 2 chipped bowls. I've been on the water most of my 70+ years and have never broken/shattered any dinnerware. And I'm not particularly careful.

[wrwakefield]

John, We also use Corelle Ware on the boat [and before that in the house] for the past 20+ years. Mainly for its toughness and microwave and oven rating. It is also very thin and we can store more place settings.

They do break- like a frag grenade. This has only happened twice to us [about once every 10 years... ] Both times large diameter serving bowls cliped something hard [counter top or SS sink] on their way down. This would be disasterous in an emergency situution.

Two things we have learned over the years:

Don't store [breakable] dishes in an exposed teak rack mounted on a forward facing bulkhead. They will achieve escape velocity when you go hard aground at speed...

We find they stay put better in sporty conditions stored vertically athwartships [think dish drying rack.] The bottom of the cabinet above our galley sink was removed and refitted with a dish rack. This serves to allow freshly rinsed dishes to drip into the sink, and keep them in place- sometimes needing to quiet them with bits of foam pipe insulation or the like in rough conditions...

Best wishes finding what suits you best.

Cheers! Bill

[dfelsent]

We have both Corelle and melamine. And glass, crystal and plastic.
Very situational.

[wingssail]

We have a 12 place set of Correlle, 25 years now, lost one.

Corning ware casserole dishes

All-Clad pots and pans

A few stainless steel odds and ends and a couple of black iron pans.

We use glass ware drinking glasses & pottery coffee cups. Long stem crystal wine glasses & buy them by the box.

Plastic just does not cut it for fine dining.

43' IOR race boat circumnavigated and raced hard & put away wet, but we dine well.

[Rumpi]

What you eat from is personal preference and people have made everything work because that's what they love eating from.

If you are concerned about breaking, the two indestructable materials are metal and silicone. Silicone is microwave and oven safe and stays in place (there are even dishes with suction cup bottoms). Also easy to clean and does not make noises. Boat metal dishes are usually stainless.