Stone Lain Florian Porcelain Rectangle Service Platters

Muy feliz y finísimos

Super nice and aesthetic bowls. However very disappointed that I ordered these for my mom as a Christmas present, but two of the bowls were broken at the arrival:(

I chose the blue color based upon the photos in the description. I was really hoping for that intense royal blue but in reality they are more of a navy color. They’re pretty – just not what I was hoping for/expecting based on the seller photos. The trays are interesting and unique. The pebbled design probably makes these nice for serving wet dishes as the divots will catch excess juices or sauce. The sizes are on the smaller side so would be great when you’re only serving smaller amounts – dinner for two. They would also be very nice for serving appetizers at a drinks party.

The product description for this is a mess. It says that the Special Feature is that these are microwave safe, but scroll down further where it says ‘is microwaveable’ and it says no. Product care instructions say ‘hand wash only’ but scrolling down to where it says ‘is dishwasher safe’ and the description says yes. Given the gold edges I definitely wouldn’t put these in the microwave. If I was feeling particularly lazy I might throw these in the dishwasher but I’d say if you’re interested in keeping them as nice looking as possible you’d be better off taking the time to hand wash and dry.

***Nice big serving bowls***

We were looking for a set of serving bowls for hors oeuvres for dipping sauces and finger foods and, based on the pictures, thought these would be a nice small, manageable size. I’ve never been so happy to have been proven wrong: these things are actually quite big and function much better as “family style” main course and side serving dishes for sit-down meals. I’m not going to complain about that.

I’ve got nothing against getting more than I bargained for, and these did just that.

They may not be deep, but boy are they wide and they’re perfect for things like mashed potatoes, rice, salad, etc.

**Cool dimpled aesthetic***

When you’re looking into one of these large empty bowls, the dimple effect in the bottom is kind of entrancing. As you move your head back and forth the light plays off the bottom of these bowls, and it’s really quite pretty. It’s a look I’ll definitely take over a more quaint hand painted design and you can even feel the bumps as you clean the dish, it’s a really nice textural touch.

***Smooth finished feet on each bowl***

We have a big wooden-surface island in our kitchen and a big wooden dining table, and both scratch easily when confronted with stoneware. So one of the things I always look at on dishes like these is: how well were the feet of the bowls finished? I can’t tell you how many stoneware bowls we’ve gotten and then sent back when we discovered raw porcelain or ceramic chunks on the feet of the bowls or just feet where no effort was put into making them nice and smooth so they won’t scratch whatever they sit on.

And these pass that test. The feet of these bowls are all well sanded and smoothed down. While I’ll try to avoid it, I won’t have to cringe if someone slides the dish across the table or counter, because at least it won’t destroy the surface with every inch it travels.

***Dishwasher capable***

The first night we used these, I handwashed the two bigger bowls, but I wanted to see if they were really as dishwasher safe as the manufacturer claim. It’s one thing to not break in the dishwasher, it’s another thing entirely to not lose any of the luster or have the golden trim chip or fade. I knew it was something of a risk, and while I don’t plan on using the dishwasher to wash these on a regular basis, I wanted to know it they’d survive, and I figured risking the smallest of the bowl for science was worth it.

I’m happy to report that the bowl made it through with no damage to the gold trim, and no chips or scratches from being jostled against other dishes nestled up close to it in the dishwasher. It came out looking the exact same way it went in.

Still though, I really don’t plan on tempting fate there.

***Overall Value***

Had these been the smaller appetizer size I was expecting, I’d have questioned the value of them for $54 (at the time of review) but having used them and seen how much food they hold, three large family-style serving dishes for about $18 each isn’t bad at all, and they look quite good. On most nights, this set of three bowls holds the entire meal we’re serving and then some. That’s pretty impressive, so again, I’m quite happy with the size of the bowls for the price paid.

Broke