PlatterPost is a home for anyone who has ever stood in a kitchen aisle holding two nearly identical dinner plates, wondering which one will actually survive a dishwasher, a toddler, and a decade of Sunday dinners. We test, compare, and write about dinnerware and tableware so you don't have to guess — from everyday stoneware to the fine china you save for holidays.
Our Story
PlatterPost started in 2021 at a kitchen table in Portland, Oregon, cluttered with mismatched plates from three different failed Amazon orders. Our founder, Maren Ellison, had spent a decade working as a buyer for independent home goods shops before going freelance as a product writer. She kept noticing the same problem: dinnerware reviews online were either paid placements dressed up as advice, or one-line star ratings with no real detail about weight, chip resistance, microwave safety, or how a glaze actually ages after real use.
So she started photographing her own plates after six months of use, noting which ones scratched, which ones faded, and which ones still looked brand new. Friends asked her to test their sets too. What began as a shared spreadsheet of notes turned into PlatterPost — a small, independent team now made up of a product photographer, a ceramics hobbyist with a background in materials science, and two contributing writers who have worked in restaurant supply and retail buying. None of us are chefs on television. We're people who eat dinner off these plates every night and wanted a resource we ourselves could trust.
How We Review
Every set or piece featured on PlatterPost goes through the same process before it earns a place in our recommendations.
- We buy most of what we test. The majority of our dinnerware is purchased at full retail price through normal consumer channels. When a brand sends a review sample, we disclose it clearly in the article.
- We use it like a real household would. Plates go through actual meals, actual dishwasher cycles, and actual microwave reheats over a minimum of four weeks before we publish initial impressions, with long-term updates added after three and twelve months.
- We test for the things that matter day-to-day. Chip and crack resistance after drops from counter height, glaze wear after repeated utensil contact, stain resistance with tomato sauce and turmeric, stacking stability, and oven/microwave/freezer safety claims are all checked rather than taken from the manufacturer's marketing copy.
- We compare like with like. A $20 stoneware set is judged against other everyday stoneware, not against bone china, so our ratings reflect realistic expectations for the price point.
- We re-test over time. Dinnerware lines get discontinued, reformulated, or quietly changed by manufacturers. We periodically re-check our top picks to make sure the product you buy today still matches what we reviewed.
How We Choose What to Cover
We prioritize dinnerware that real readers are actually searching for and asking about — durable everyday sets for families, stackable options for small kitchens, dishwasher-safe stoneware, chip-resistant melamine for outdoor use, and classic fine china for entertaining. We pay attention to reader questions in our comments and inbox, and many of our comparison guides exist because someone asked us directly which of two sets was worth the extra money.
How We Make Money, and Why It Doesn't Change Our Opinions
PlatterPost earns a commission when readers buy products through some of the links on our site, at no extra cost to them. This supports the cost of buying test products, running the site, and paying our small team fairly. Commission arrangements never determine our rankings or ratings — we have recommended products with no affiliate relationship at all, and we have declined to recommend products from partner brands when our testing didn't support it. If a brand sends us a complimentary sample, we say so in the article. If we haven't personally tested something, we don't review it as though we have.
What Makes Us Different
- Real-world, long-term testing rather than first-impression unboxings.
- Clear, specific details about weight, dimensions, materials, and care instructions, not vague marketing language.
- Transparent disclosure of free samples, affiliate relationships, and testing limitations.
- A small, named team of real people you can contact, rather than an anonymous content mill.
Get in Touch
We read every email. If you have a dinnerware question, a suggestion for something to review, or you've spotted something in one of our articles that needs updating, reach out through our contact page. PlatterPost exists because people wanted an honest second opinion before setting the table — we're glad you're here.