Dinner Plates
Plastic dinner plates that look like china, from gold-rim and scalloped styles to compostable and wheat straw plates.
Price range: $33.99 through $45.99
Select options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page
Price range: $27.99 through $32.49
Select options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page
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Can you microwave plastic plates?
Not our plastic ones. Heat can warp them, and gold or silver rims are metallic, which can spark. They’re fine for serving a hot meal; just heat the food in something else first. The exception is our wheat straw plates, which are listed as microwave-safe. Check the product page to be sure.
What size is a dinner plate?
A standard dinner plate is about 10 to 11 inches across. Most of ours are 10 to 10.25 inches, which leaves a visible border on a 12- or 13-inch charger. Salad and dessert plates are smaller, around 7 to 7.5 inches. Our 9-inch plates sit in between and suit lunches and lighter buffets.
Do plate packs include dessert plates?
Many do. A lot of our 100-piece packs are 50 dinner plates (10.25 inches) and 50 dessert plates (7.5 inches) in the same design. Others contain dinner plates only, often 150 to a pack. The title and description of each product spell out the mix.
Can I reuse plastic plates?
Yes, if you hand-wash them. Most of our plastic plates aren’t dishwasher-safe, so wash them in warm, soapy water, dry them and store them flat. Stop using any plate that’s cracked, warped or cloudy. If you want plates for regular use, look at the wheat straw plates, which are listed as dishwasher-safe.
What are bagasse plates?
Bagasse is the fiber left over after sugarcane is pressed for juice. It’s molded into sturdy plates that handle hot and greasy food and can be composted after use. Most need a commercial composting facility, so check what your area accepts. To serve something hot, warm it in a microwave-safe dish first.
Which plastic plates look most like real china?
Choose a heavier plate with a high-gloss finish and a metallic rim. White with a gold rim is the most china-like. Scalloped, baroque and lace-edged designs add detail that reads as porcelain in photos. Pairing them with charger plates and metallic silverware makes the table look even more formal.
Plastic plates that pass for china
Dinner plates do the most work on a party table, and good plastic ones are hard to tell from china. Most of ours measure 10 to 10.25 inches, with 9-inch plates for lighter meals. Styles range from gold and silver rims to scalloped edges, baroque borders, hammered textures and translucent colors.
Check what’s in the pack
Many of our 100-piece packs are 50 dinner plates plus 50 matching 7.5-inch dessert plates, enough for a main course and cake for 50 guests. Others are dinner plates only. The product title and description tell you which. If you only need small plates, go straight to dessert and appetizer plates.
How many to buy
For a plated meal, count one dinner plate per guest plus about 10%. Buffets go through more because guests come back for seconds, so plan on about 1.5 plates per guest.
Plastic, bagasse or wheat straw?
Our plastic plates are made for serving. They take a hot meal, but they shouldn’t go in the microwave or dishwasher; hand-wash them if you want to use them again. Bagasse plates, made from sugarcane fiber, are the compostable choice and handle hot, greasy food. Wheat straw plates are made for everyday reuse and are listed as microwave- and dishwasher-safe. For a formal table, set any of them on charger plates. If you need silverware and cups too, a complete dinnerware set is usually better value.