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6 Safest Non Toxic Dinnerware for Healthy Eating

Whether you’ve invited friends for dinner, are serving a Sunday roast, celebrating a special occasion, or are just enjoying a meal after a regular workday, there’s likely dinnerware laid out.

Dinnerware could include salad plates and soup bowls with a fancier lean, or your everyday use plates that you have for a big table for place settings or a snack sitting on the couch.

According to your tastes, what you received on your wedding day, what happened to be in fashion at the time, or what may have been passed down from family members, it’s also likely your dinnerware is colored, decorated, or vintage. What may also be likely, but what you may not be aware of, is that your dinnerware – also referred to as tableware – could be toxic.

non toxic dinnerware

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6 Safest Non-Toxic Dinnerware Options 

Corelle White Frost Collection – MOST AFFORDABLE

non toxic dinnerware

Launched in 1970, Corelle is a dinnerware brand that uses three layers of tempered glass known as Vitrelle®. Durable, lightweight, and chip resistant, Corelle has long been a popular choice for dinnerware.

However, their products manufactured prior to 2005 contain lead, so it’s best to stick to their newer ranges. For a safer choice, stick to their white color ranges, such as the Corelle White Frost Collection, which can be used in the oven and microwave and is dishwasher safe and are a great option for an affordable price. 

The 18 piece set is usually around $60 and includes (6) 10-1/4-inch dinner plates, (6) 6-3/4-inch appetizer plates and (6) 18-oz soup/cereal bowls.

You don’t have to incur a huge extra cost to find safe and non-toxic dinnerware. Corelle is a clear winner where non-toxic materials and affordability intersect.

Edge Stoneware Plates Collection

Designed in Germany, the Edge Stoneware series is a European-inspired delight with clean lines. Their dinnerware features an inner glazing made with heavy-metal free materials that are stackable for easy storage.

Their dishware includes bowls, plates, serve-ware, serving platters, and mugs. The pricing starts at $49.

Edge makes high-quality investment pieces made of natural materials. When you purchase these, you are buying pieces you’ll have for decades, that might even become family heirlooms.

These dishes are made of eco-friendly materials and fired at high temperatures making them an incredible sustainable dinnerware option. Don’t save them for a special occasion! Use them daily to really get your monies worth!

non toxic dinnerware

Public Goods – BEST OVERALL VALUE

These 10.5-inch dinner plates are roomy and lipped, so your food has room to live on the plate and won’t slip off the edge while you’re enjoying a meal.

They are made from high-fire porcelain, their dinner plates are oven-safe to 350°F, microwave-safe, and freezer-safe. Their simple and sleek design makes them perfect for almost any occasion, from Tuesday night dinners to holiday feasts.

Public Goods has taken great care in new packaging methods to remove all styrofoam and bubble wrap from the packaging to be friendlier to the environment. In their marketplace you’ll find all kinds of home goods, safe dinnerware, ceramic bowls, and more.

This dinnerware is made from high-fire porcelain and without lead or plastic.

They have dinner plates, bowls, a serving platter, dinner bowls, mugs, and more at an affordable price point.

Material Kitchen – BEST AFFORDABLE LUXURY

Material creates thoughtfully designed and gorgeous pieces for your kitchen. They are obsessed with good design, high-performing products, and making “keep for life” dinnerware.

According to the brand, their products are tested for contaminates by a third-party to make sure they are all free of things like lead and are FDA-compliant.

Their dishes are truly stunning and make the perfect non-toxic addition to your table. 

They offer free shipping over $35, a 60-day trial period, and guarantee their products for life.

Glass Plates by Anchor Hocking  – BEST GLASS

American-made glass, Anchor Hocking uses high quality and sustainable materials and conscious processes, Anchor Hocking creates timeless and durable pieces perfect for the dinner table.

Microwave and dishwasher safe, Anchor Hocking’s products are free of lead, cadmium, and other heavy metals. 

Fiesta – MOST COLORFUL

Fiesta’s roots extend back to the 19th century, making pottery ware in East Liverpool, Ohio. The company has expanded into the 21st century, becoming a leading dinnerware brand supplying the restaurant industry. It has also become increasingly popular with home cooks and constantly pops up on bridal registries.

Formerly known as The Homer Laughlin China Company, the name was changed to The Fiesta Tableware Company, taking its name from one of its most popular dinnerware ranges, Fiesta.

Introduced in 1936, the range was an instant hit. It was discontinued in the 1970s but brought back in 1986 boasting lead-free glazes and a vitrified china body. By 1992, all the company’s products became “lead-free”. They are well known for their different colors, making them from food safe materials.

Fiesta dinnerware is safe for use in the microwave, oven, freezer, and dishwasher and still looks great on your dining table. 

non toxic dinnerware

What is Toxic in Dinnerware?

There is a lot to take into account when picking your dinnerware and finding a safe choice. The safest materials tend to be ceramic but the glazes can contain less-than-ideal contaminants.

Ceramics such as porcelain, stoneware, earthenware, and china are all commonly used for dinnerware and have been used to store and serve food for centuries. However, the glaze that completes dinnerware – giving it a smooth and shiny look, as well as enhancing bright colors and decorations – can make it toxic.

These glazes often contain heavy metals like lead that can leach into food and drinks. While lead is a naturally occurring element, it can be toxic to humans. Its accumulated presence in the human body can cause lead poisoning and have serious health consequences, especially for children as they absorb more lead than adults do. 

Lead has been used in ceramics for centuries not only for bright colors and shiny surfaces, but because it seals the product and improves durability. This is generally safe, as long as the glaze is fired at the right temperature, binding the lead to the surface.

Problems occur when products are not properly fired, not tested, or improperly used, causing lead, as well as other heavy metals, to leach and other toxic chemicals into food and drinks. 

In 1971, the FDA started regulating lead levels in ceramics. Today allowable levels of lead have been established for glazed ceramic pottery (for food use), as well as silver flatware and tableware. However, lead is bio-accumulative  meaning it builds up in your body over time – so even trace small amounts of lead could be harmful if you’re using these plates for a long time. Continued and regular use of dinnerware containing lead may allow it to build up its presence in your body.

Furthermore, acidic foods and drinks like coffee, citrus, and wine can quicken the breakdown of glazes, as can heating up dinnerware especially to a high temperature, thus increasing the risk of lead leaching into your food and drinks.

Cadmium is another heavy metal commonly found in dinnerware. It is also bio-accumulative and can pose health risks. When it comes to dinnerware, it is usually found in glazed ceramics made in bright colors like red, orange, and yellow. Plastic dinnerware does not pass muster either, as it may contain bisphenol-A (BPA) and phthalates. It’s best to avoid these harmful chemicals and go with safer options to prevent health issues.

And don’t forget, it’s not just your dinner plates, butter plates (who knew that was something we needed!?) that can have these toxic chemicals, but your drink ware and coffee mugs, too.

Which Materials are Considered Safest for Dinnerware?

Ceramic dinnerware can still be used. After all, most dinnerware is made out of one kind of ceramic or another and no one material is perfect. Whatever you choose, ensure it is manufactured properly and choose strong, durable materials. Chips, cracks, scratches, and other forms of damage may also increase the risk of toxins leaching into food and drinks, so the better the quality, the safer the dish. 

Bone china is a good option because it is strong, durable, and does not chip easily. Stoneware is usually a safer option than earthenware, as the former is fired at higher temperatures, making it stronger and more durable. One of the safest options is glass, particularly soda lime glass, borosilicate glass, and glass ceramic. While it may contain lead, it does not easily or noticeably leach out.

Ikea dinnerware is made out of feldspar porcelain and should be safe provided you purchase products manufactured after 2010, which is when they stopped using lead. They have also banned BPA in their food contact products and while trace amounts of naturally-occurring formaldehyde may be found, it is never added to their products. 

But don’t stress, we’ve got some tips for you to look out for as well as 4 of the best non-toxic dinnerware brands to check out for some of the safest dishes for your dinner plate set.

13 Tips for Safer Dinnerware

If you’re concerned about your current dinnerware or are looking to stock your kitchen or dining room, here are a few tips to guide you in making safer choices.

The best part? You don’t have to use paper plates or plastic plates which are hard on the environment (hello, fossil fuels, you’ve got to go) and can still contain toxic materials, nor do you have to switch to an all stainless steel set and give off camping vibes. You can have safe, beautiful dinnerware for your home!

  • When shopping for dinnerware, choose lead-free or lead-safe options.
  • Look for dinnerware that adheres to FDA or California’s Proposition 65 standards.
  • Keep an eye out for labels such as “for decorative purposes only” or “not food-safe”.
  • The less decoration and color the better. Stick to clear or white varieties. 
  • Get a home test kit. You can find them at hardware stores, but know that they are not completely reliable.
  • Avoid vintage dinnerware, especially if it was manufactured before 1970. If you already own these, use them for decorative purposes instead.
  • Avoid storing food and drinks in glazed containers.
  • Avoid serving acidic food and drinks on or in glazed dishes.
  • Limit heating up food and drinks in glazed dinnerware. Do not use a high heat with glazed dinnerware.
  • Handwash glazed dinnerware instead of putting it in the dishwasher.
  • Do not use damaged dinnerware.
  • Avoid melamine and leaded crystal. 
  • Look for BPA- and phthalate-free plastics.

Final Thoughts on Non Toxic Dinnerware

Learning about what is in our dinnerware and how it affects our food and health has made me change our dinnerware out. This is a change all of us are happy with. Another benefit is that it has streamlined the look of our dinnerware making it feel cohesive all year round.

In my house, we personally use Corelle. I they are pretty durable (my young kids have broken 2 plates so far) and I feel comfortable using them for both cold and hot food.

I like that they are affordable. One day I hope to treat my family to East Fork Pottery but I will probably wait a few years until my kids are older.

What do you think? Which non-toxic dinnerware set would you like to try?


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About the Author

Nicole Booz

Nicole Booz is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of GenTwenty, GenThirty, and The Capsule Collab. She has a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and is the author of The Kidult Handbook (Simon & Schuster May 2018). She currently lives in Pennsylvania with her husband and two sons. When she’s not reading or writing, she’s probably hiking, eating brunch, or planning her next great adventure.

Website: genthirty.com