9 Tips For Buying Dinnerware At Costco

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With all the things you can get at Costco, is it really any surprise that it's also a great spot to pick up a complete dinnerware set? It's one of the few places in the world where you can fill up on gas, get groceries, a couch, some tires, and an inflation-proof hot dog. As such, adding a few plates and bowls to that eclectic shopping list isn't a big deal. Suffice it to say, if you're into one-stop shopping, getting a Costco membership may be worth it. If you aren't convinced, you might want to get into the hidden benefits that even the most die-hard Costco fans don't know about.

For those who have never set foot in one of its esteemed warehouses, you should know that there are a few tips and tricks to navigate the Costco experience successfully, and picking out the perfect dinnerware set has its own secrets as well. After all, the last thing you'd want after a long day is to get home and realize you accidentally grabbed the wrong Mikasa set. Or, that you now have plates in a color that will negatively affect your appetite. Don't worry, we'll explain all that further in just a bit.

You're looking over the dinnerware options at your local Costco, something that seemed like a simple task when you first walked in. But as you're examining the choices, you're finding words in the product description you're not too familiar with. Stoneware? Bone china? Are we having dinner, or about to take some kind of vocabulary test we didn't study for? Luckily, however, the answers are simple, and this is good information to know to make sure you're going home with the ideal set for you.

While it has a few different materials available, many of the dinnerware sets at Costco are either stoneware or bone china, with the former essentially being ceramic on steroids. Stoneware is a type of pottery fired at high temperatures, making it much harder to chip or crack than regular glass or ceramic. It's also great for locking in heat and cold, making it ideal for keeping your dishes at either temperature. Bone china is also a type of ceramic material partially made from animal bone that's been ground into ash. In spite of that slightly barbaric description, it's generally considered a bit more fancy than stoneware, although much more durable than your grandma's fine china. Both are generally microwave- and dishwasher-safe; however, keep your stoneware away from citrus-based cleaning supplies. In the end, your choice can simply come down to your preferred aesthetic.

It turns out that there's a lot of psychology going on at the dinner table, and it goes beyond stressing about your guests loving the brand-new recipe you've decided to try. According to proponents of color psychology, even something as simple as the color of your plates and bowls can impact a person's appetite, with red, orange, and yellow subconsciously increasing your ability to eat more. On the other hand, dishes with green and blue shades may reduce your desire to overeat. So, while the brighter colors might be more eye-catching and exciting, they could actually provide an extra challenge if your dietary goals involve losing weight. To make matters even more complicated, the color of one's plate can impact how someone perceives the food that's being served.

Even going with a seemingly neutral all-white arrangement has its drawbacks, because while it may not be playing any subtle mind games with you or your guests, the problem is that it's, well, pretty boring. To cover your bases, it may be a good idea to have a couple of smaller sets of vibrant colors to elevate the table for any occasion. Or perhaps a white plate with a different-colored pattern to break up the monotony. No matter how you approach it, Costco has the options to keep you covered.

You could have beautiful plates that are the envy of anyone who sees them. However, if you have to handle them like a precious museum artifact every time you get them out, they may not do you much good. Parents know all too well the pain of picking up the pieces of a beloved plate or bowl after it's slipped through a child's fingers. Even those without kiddos likely have a friend or two who are prone to an occasional case of the dropsies. That's not even getting into non-shattering issues, like chips, scratches, or even stains that render a dish unusable.

Once again, going off of what's available at Costco, it should be no surprise that stoneware is your best bet for durability. Since it's usually thicker than other dinnerware, it has a sturdiness you can actually see and feel, although the extra weight may not be preferable to everyone. It's also not above getting a scratch or two over time. While bone china may not have a look that would inspire confidence, it's less fragile than it seems, though it's more prone to chipping and shouldn't be the first choice for your kiddo or clumsy friend. Costco has a few porcelain options available, and that is probably your best bet for finding a middle ground between a dish's durability and weight.

When striking out on our own for the first time, we all want to show the world that we are capable, functional adults who can take care of ourselves. Costco has dinnerware sets that contain up to 40 pieces, so you may think it's a good idea to grab every type of plate and bowl you're likely to ever use in your life in one go. While that may end up working out perfectly well for you, it's a good idea to assess your usual dining situation before shelling out the cash.

If you are dead set on showing how well you can organize a fancy dinner party, or are the type of person who doesn't mind your sink filling up as you use all your plates and bowls, a 40-piece set could be ideal. Other than those situations, a smaller set of 16 items can easily be enough for up to 4 people, especially if you're good about washing plates immediately after using them. It should be noted as well that if you're an avid coffee or tea drinker, some of the 40-piece sets Costco offers don't come with mugs. To put it simply, you could potentially be saving money by making sure you're not getting more than what you need.

If you're planning to be the one among your friends and family to always play host and want to stock up on dinnerware to handle it all, really consider the types of get-togethers you're looking to have. We've already covered some strategies for a more traditional sit-down dinner affair, but what if you've got a group that prefers to congregate around the TV set? Or one that likes to be mobile and prefers their menu to be of the finger-food variety? At that point, handing a bunch of bone china plates to everyone is begging for at least one of them to be chipped. Similarly, handling heavier stoneware plates could prove to be cumbersome.

So, instead of stocking up on just one type of dinnerware, it may be worth it to get a smaller set for everyday use and pick out a few specialty items for parties, such as a serving set or a collection of matching bowls in various sizes. Being able to pass around snacks or having them out on a table for people to come and graze on at their leisure will help create a more relaxed gathering. It'll also help you avoid this mistake that can derail your dinner party.

It pays to be a member of the Costco club. Even though you'll have to spend some money to get that coveted Costco card, it can actually help you save cash in the long run. Since we're already on the topic, let's use dinnerware sets as an example. Maybe after considering all the necessary factors, you decide to embrace your inner Martha Stewart and host a classically fancy dinner party, with the plates and bowls to match. But the likely difference between you and Stewart — besides the fact that she's faced a bit more controversy throughout her career than you probably have in your life — is that she's got plenty of money to throw at a dinner party set that might seem to be a little out of your price range.

However, a bit of research will show you that the price tag that's giving you pause is actually a steal when compared to what that same set is going for on the manufacturer's website. Those savings aren't limited to one brand, as there are multiple instances where you can save money by purchasing the set straight from your friends at the warehouse. So, while the set you want may not exactly be cheap, it's a good way to get that special, fancy feeling while avoiding the extra expense.

At this point, you're a quasi-expert on dinnerware materials, and hopefully feeling much more confident about making the right purchase. Unfortunately, the work isn't entirely done yet. Even if you've fallen in love with the idea of a certain set, don't grab the first one you come across without diving into product reviews to get the full picture. If you're someone who constantly finds themselves reheating leftovers in the microwave, you'd definitely be interested in a set of plates and bowls labeled as microwave-safe (what does it really mean?). However, it'd also be good to know that someone on Reddit detailed their experience with that same set and complained that the bowls got super hot after being microwaved.

Or maybe you're all about plate durability, and the thought of a stoneware set staying with you through the years is the selling point. A quick check of the reviews can help you see if it's the real deal or if there've been complaints about the dishes being scratched easily. Perhaps there's another set you've got your eye on that looks great, but has received complaints about stains and discoloration, despite being labeled dishwasher-safe. All that to say — it's likely that there isn't a perfect set of dinnerware with absolutely no complaints, but it's still worth it to get all the info so you know what to expect and, hopefully, avoid an unpleasant surprise.

You may think that after buying a huge dinnerware set from Costco, you're ready to run home and start putting those new plates and bowls to work, but there's an important step you may be missing. Unless you plan to munch on something you can eat with your hands, you're going to need to grab an additional set of utensils to go with all that dinnerware. Even in its massive 40-piece boxes that contain every possible plate, bowl, or mug you can think of, there is nary a spoon or fork to be found in a Costco set.

Fortunately, you won't have to go off to a whole other store just for silverware. Costco has you covered with flatware sets ranging from a box of 65 assorted forks, knives, and spoons to a whopping 120-piece set that'll give you weeks of use before having to wash a single piece. You likely won't need that many utensils unless you're running a catering business out of your house. However, for anyone looking to stock up, it might be nice to know that, no matter how many spoons and forks you're inundated with, there are silverware storage hacks out there to save you drawer space.

It's a small detail and may seem obvious to some, but it's still worth saying: Make sure you pay close attention to the name when you're picking out a dinnerware set. Let's say it's the end of the day, you're finishing up your shopping trip at Costco, and you're just ready to get home, heat up some leftovers that have hopefully been stored correctly, and post up on the couch. At that moment, though, you pass by the dinnerware section and remember your friend going on and on about the new 40-piece bone china Mikasa set they grabbed at Costco. You happen to be in the market for some new plates, so you (gently) throw the first 40-piece bone china Mikasa set you see in your cart, and off you go. Eventually, your friend comes over once they've heard you joined the Mikasa party to examine your purchase, only for them to tell you that you got the wrong kind.

Is that exact situation going to happen to everyone? Of course not, but the point is that with small differences in the names — like with a Mikasa Ciara and a Mikasa Samantha set, for example, or a Fortessa Sound and a Fortessa Modern Coupe set — it's worth paying attention. You can save yourself the hassle of a return trip by taking an extra second to make sure you're grabbing the exact dinnerware you intend to get.