You can get those enamelware plates that people take camping. They have them at cracker barrel.:LOLLike this
This is actually available

 

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Originally Posted by boongirl paper

OK, let me clarify. I'm looking for non toxic, break-resistant, reusable dishes

 

http://www.gsioutdoors.com/products/...are/04215.html
I really like the red.

This shows all of the pieces. Its enamel over stainless. I'd imagine that is safe and not easily broken.

 

good question Ruth. I'm also after the same thing. I was actually debating the correlle print I wanted. I just bought some glass-glasses at BB&B (12 for $10) and I just broke one

I'm trying to get rid of all plastic and thought corningware was the way to go. The camping ones look neat. I actually camp alot but use the lexan stuff (light weight and can handle boiling water but does have leeching issues so not everyday stuff). The only con with what the pp recommended is metal can't go in the microwave.
If it's just an issue with your son, my camping buddy uses pie tins for plates. Just make sure you get some with smooth edges. Only con is it gets hot when you put hot food on it.

 

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Awww, that skinks! I thought corelle had a replacement warranty though.

There a lots of companies who make break-resistant glassware, but I'd guess it's pretty much the same as corelle, so if he breaks that they probably wouldn't be any better. We used old-fashioned stoneware (dishwasher, mircowave, even ovenproof) kids never hurt it dropping it on the floor the only time anything cracked or broke was when it'd hit the ceramic sink too hard so I guess it's sort of break-resistant too.

I can't think of anything break-proof right now, but if you have any small stainless steel serving pieces like a small cheese plate or something he could use that to eat off of for now or a ss candy/peanut dish he could use for soup or such. Stainless steel is definitely unbreakable so he can't do any damage. I'll ask around though.

 

fiestaware is quite hardy

 

I don't have a picture, but my parents are from India, and they have a lot of steel dishes - flatware, serving stuff and drinking glasses. You can get them at the Indian store (I dont think that they are that expensive). The only thing is that they cant go in the microwave. But Ive never seen one break. We actually dented a pitcher by freezing water in it, and my mom took a hammer to the bottom of it. Good as new!!!

 

What about wood? I'm always finding wooden serving sets at thrift stores and garage sales.

 

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Originally Posted by CJNeeley Awww, that skinks! I thought corelle had a replacement warranty though.

My Corelle came with a replacement warranty. I am saving up the few items that have gotten broken, and I plan to send them back when I have enough to warrant the shipping expense.

 

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Originally Posted by bonbon mama fiestaware is quite hardy

We haven't been so lucky with the fiesta. DS has shattered several pieces so now I am in the same boat at the OP looking for something else. I was actually getting ready to buy some correlle when I saw her post. :LOL

 

Corelle has a warranty? Darn, I should have saved all the broken pieces!!! In any case, my experience with Corelle is that it's fairly sturdy until it's used in the microwave- then it becomes brittle and chips/cracks easily (and shatters when dropped to the floor.)

We keep kosher so I'd need to get new dishes, whatever style we end up with. Some materials can be kashered (made kosher) but not all of them. Wooden items from a thrift store definitely can't be.

Those ceramic coated steel dishes look promising- I can get them in 2 colors for meat and dairy. All of this is waiting until after we move though (a few more weeks!!)

 

I'd go with enamel, too. I like those alot. They have them everywhere. Lehmans has a nice selection (the Amish store - lehmans.com). I actually saw some at Walmart today too! Not full sets, I don't think, but a few things.

 

I've been looking at enamel mugs and plates for my kids, I've looked at Wal-Mart and Lehmans, lol. From what I have seen there are two kinds of edges - a rolled-over edge and a non-enameled metal band. The rolled-over edge seems sharp in places when you run your finger around the edge, and I don't think it would be good for kids. Just an FYI.

I did like that Lehman's had enough colors I could color-code my kids. I haven't made the switch because I've heard that enamel chips easily and the chips can be quite sharp.

 

okay, here's my experience. we have plastic

, wood, enamelware, and of course regular stoneware. i am not a big fan of the plastic, but will use it for cool foods since my theory is the hot foods leach more bad stuff. not sure on that, just going with my gut. the enamelware has not broken, but has chipped when dd2 flings it to the floor. then it gets kinda rusty underneath. stainless would've been better. i was grooving on these four acacia wooden bowls (bought new at the local kitchen store), but they've mostly all broken in two from being flung down. they did not shatter like the stoneware or glass, but still a pain. they were not super thick like some i saw so i'm thinking that might have worked better. you know what dd2 eats off of most of the time? a big heavy wooden cutting board. it's too big for her to throw down. we just wash it after each use.

hth

 

I love my stainless steel dishes, they clean up really well, and don't wear badly~ My father lived in Bangladesh and I have been in India, they use them almost exclusively in some areas. The only draw back is my dh hates the sound of metal utensils on metal plates~ And you can't microwave them.
But going strong for 3 years on myset! Even have stainless glasswear.
Mind you those can warp a bit.

 

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I picked up a bunch of wooden and metal dishes at a thrift store. I also bought some wooden dishes from a SCA event for very cheap. Ebay is another good place to check and so are yard sales.

 

How do metal and wood dishes wear? Do the metal ones look scratchy and peel?

Do the wood ones ger splinters? DO they have special care instructions?

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Sorry...I am desperate to rid the house of plastic...

 

Another approach: how about some sort of easy to clean/shake out rug on the floor around where your children most often eat - so that the dishes won't break when they hit the floor. A remnant of indoor/outdoor carpet would work well, get 2 so that while one is drying from being hosed off outside, the other one is in place.

We have cork flooring and so far so good, nothing has broken when it's hit the floor. DS is not going full force yet though, so we'll see what my tune is in a year or so. :LOL

 

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Originally Posted by greenmansions Another approach: how about some sort of easy to clean/shake out rug on the floor around where your children most often eat - so that the dishes won't break when they hit the floor. A remnant of indoor/outdoor carpet would work well, get 2 so that while one is drying from being hosed off outside, the other one is in place. We have cork flooring and so far so good, nothing has broken when it's hit the floor. DS is not going full force yet though, so we'll see what my tune is in a year or so. :LOL

Oh, goodness NO!!! That won't work here- it's hard enough keeping the kitchen floor swept without adding a carpet to trip over!! Add in the "running downstairs to hose it off" and forget it! Besides, anything thick enough to prevent breakage is likely to be too thick to easily hose off.

 

I like enamel wear as well. It won't last forever but you won't have litte kids dropping plates forever either. A benefit of the enameled stuff is that it is really light, so it should be easy for the little ones to handle.

Recently I saw some bamboo plates in a store. I though those looked pretty cool - lightweight and a renewable resource. I would think they would stand up to being dropped.

I am intrigued by stainless steel - I didn't know such a thing existed!