# Dishware



## wchevron

anyone know where to get reasonably priced dishware. i'm looking for some with the rubber on the bottom to prevent sliding. a friend found a good deal at home goods but i haven't been able to find any.


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## eryka

You could try The Galleyware Company

We just bought inexpensive Corelle from Target, and nonskid placemats. I find the rubber on the bottoms of the dishes too tough to get really clean.


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## Plumper

I have heard of folks putting a small bead of clear silicon on the bottoms of their dishes to stop them from sliding.


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## TrueBlue

My wife is fanatical about spotlessly clean dishes, flatware and cookware . . . sometimes driving me close to the edge with her inspections after I clean up during and after meals. When buying our last boat, we picked out The Galleyware Company service for 8 in a solid Navy blue (our boat's color scheme), during the Spring sale at Defender.










Aside from some knife marks on the plates (have to slice steaks, you know), after 4 seasons of heavy use, they look close to new. The rubber ring bottoms on the bowls, mugs and plates, stay clean if you wash the food stains off right away. Great stuff and stays put on a rocking boat.


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## LarryandSusanMacDonald

Like Eryka we also use Corelle dishes. After 10+ years of living aboard we haven't broken one. They are lightweight and stack well into small places. We usually use placemats on the salon table and they don't slide around. 

I also recommend cookware with removable handles that stack into a small area. Our original set was Ingenio by T-fal and they lasted about 5 years and were beginning to wear the nonstick in the pans used every day. We bought a new stainless set at the Annapolis Boat Show last fall. It has one skillet with nonstick surface and the pots are just stainless. The handles recently stopped the "spring action" when opening up the claw to attach to the pan. I need to contact the company about replacement but other than the slight inconvenience of taking two hands to attach the handle we like them. 

Saltwater Suzi


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## sailingdog

A couple of caveats regarding dishes.

First, melamine dishes don't tolerate microwaving for long periods of time IIRC.

Second, Corelle is made of tempered glass and you should be careful not to scratch the surface, or it can result in the dish breaking into lots of tiny shards. You aren't supposed to use serrated knives on them for that reason.


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## Freesail99

> First, melamine dishes don't tolerate microwaving for long periods of time IIRC


I have melamine diskes and I have not, as of yet seen any issues with microwaving them. I have noticed that food seems to stick to them and requires more water to clean.


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## chucklesR

We left the rubber placemats on my teak table (oiled not varnished yet) for a couple days. The heat in the cabin 'melted' the rubber into the teak. It didn't so much melt as dissolve. Fair warning. I had to sand the table top to remove it.


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## eryka

LarryandSusanMacDonald said:


> I also recommend cookware with removable handles that stack into a small area. Our original set was Ingenio by T-fal and they lasted about 5 years and were beginning to wear the nonstick in the pans used every day. We bought a new stainless set at the Annapolis Boat Show last fall. It has one skillet with nonstick surface and the pots are just stainless. The handles recently stopped the "spring action" when opening up the claw to attach to the pan. I need to contact the company about replacement but other than the slight inconvenience of taking two hands to attach the handle we like them.
> 
> Saltwater Suzi


Hi Suzi, was this the Fagor set? We also bought this set at the boat show last year. HEAVY stainless! Didn't seem so bad at the tent, but my left arm was sore for 2 days after carrying it all the way to the dinghy on Back Creek. We added one of those silicone one-size-fits-all lids for the skillet, the only thing the set didn't have, our pressure cooker (also Fagor) and haven't needed anything else in the galley since. Good stuff!

We found the dealer very easy to work with - ordered new pressure cooker gaskets at the same time as we bought the pans - I'm sure you'll get good support replacing your malfunctioning handle.


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## sailingdog

Free-

A lot of the Melamine dishes and plates I've seen have warnings on them not to microwave them more than 60-90 seconds or so.



Freesail99 said:


> I have melamine diskes and I have not, as of yet seen any issues with microwaving them. I have noticed that food seems to stick to them and requires more water to clean.


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## Cruisingdad

wchevron said:


> anyone know where to get reasonably priced dishware. i'm looking for some with the rubber on the bottom to prevent sliding. a friend found a good deal at home goods but i haven't been able to find any.


Good luck, and I do not mean that meanly. It is just flat expensive... but worth it.

We have had both. Lived aboard with the galleyware stuff you describe. Absolutely loved it, but did not see the point of the non-skid since we didn't actually eat out of plates like that underway. Then on the next boat got cheap and bought cheap plastic stuff. Felt like I was camping out. Then Kris (my wife) threw that in the picnic basket and we bought some corelle? (sp???). My experience with it was not as positive as Eryka's. You see, I explained to my wife that corelle was a good substitute for the expensive stuff (Galleyware) and was not easily breakable and good for a boat. She explained we had kids. I said it was worth the risk. I cannot remember if it was the third or fourth broken plate/bowl, but she got her way and we got the good stuff. In all fairness though, I am not sure I actually saw any of the kids break the stuff so I have been concerned that I might have been hoodwinked by a restless wife and a late night excursion.

So what do you take out of that? I will always have the Galleyware stuff and the corelle did not work for us - but we tried. Not to counter Eryka because she and LASM give great advice on this board... they just don't have my boys I guess (or my wife who hates to lose an argument!!).

- CD

PS Check with Sailnet and see if they can swing you a deal. Their prices have become quite competitive on many things. Next stop, if that does not work would be Defender. Last stop, West. The positive of West, though, is that you can see the many different designs and buy what you like.


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## Cruisingdad

SD,

Is corelle (sp?) melamine or whatever you describe? WHen we used it, we microwaved it all the time. No issues. I am not saying you are wrong, I am simply stating my experience.

- CD


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## sailingdog

Corelle, IIRC, was a trademark of the Corning Glass company, and refers to their line of dishes that are made from Corelle, which is basically tempered and laminated glass. From the Corelle website:



> About Corelle Products*Materials*
> 
> *VitrelleTM glass* - the original Corelle material that is known for its strength, durability and versatility.
> *Vitrelle 1*:
> 
> Our Vitrelle and Vitrelle2 products are made in a hub lamination process that thermally bonds three layers of glass together. The core glass in the middle and a top and bottom layer of very clear skin or glaze glass. This lamination results in glassware that far exceeds the normal strength of any single glass composition. Simply put, lamination does for glass just what it does for wood. It yields a finished product that is much stronger than the individual components from which it is made. We are so confident in the strength and durability of our dinnerware , we offer a THREE YEAR warranty against breaking and chipping to the Vitrelle glass dinnerware and will replace any item under normal household use that does.


Melamine is a plastic resin. From the Wikipedia entry on it:



> *Melamine resin* or *melamine formaldehyde* (also shortened to *melamine*) is a hard, thermosetting plastic material made from melamine and formaldehyde by polymerization. This plastic often is used in kitchen utensils and plates (such as Melmac and is the main constituent of high-pressure laminates, such as Formica and Arborite, and of laminate flooring. Melamine-resin tile wall panels can also be used as whiteboards. Melamine resin often is used to saturate decorative papers that are directly laminated onto particle board; the resulting panel often is called _melamine_ and often is used in ready-to-assemble furniture and inexpensive kitchen cabinets.


Not the same thing at all... one is made of laminated glass, the other is plastic resin.

Melamine resin dishware isn't really all that safe for use in Microwave Ovens... as seen here, here, and here. Corelle, AFAIK, is perfectly safe for use in the microwave oven.


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## eryka

Cruisingdad said:


> ...did not see the point of the non-skid since we didn't actually eat out of plates like that underway...


This is so true. It made me smile a wistful, reminiscent smile, for which, in honor of the day, I am giving you a pos rep.  We had recently graduated from day sails only, where the only meals you ate underway were sandwiches for lunch, to longer trips with multiple overnights.

Forget "the good dishes" - the best meal I've ever eaten was a styrofoam cup of hot Campbell's tomato soup that someone handed me when I came on watch at 0200 on a crystalline, cold, October night.

There are some times when you eat for gourmet pleasure and other times when you eat strictly for 'body maintenance.'

PS: Not sure what to say about your bad Corelle experience, but then again we're adults only on our boat (at least until after the second round of rum punch!)


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## TrueBlue

Cruisingdad said:


> We have had both. Lived aboard with the galleyware stuff you describe. Absolutely loved it, *but did not see the point of the non-skid *since we didn't actually eat out of plates like that underway. Then on the next boat got cheap and bought cheap plastic stuff. Felt like I was camping out.


I suppose there are as many opinions on this topic, as there are boat builders. 

We've owned several boats of various sizes and displacements and are currently looking for the next little ship to throw our money into. The first cruising size boat we bought was of relatively light displacement but still had full galley and dining facilities in the cabin. For dinnerware, we used our old, solid white Corningware Corelle set, saved from our newlywed years.

When anchored overnight in calm Bays and coves, the set served us well . . . that is, until a mammoth twin-engined, semi-displacement flybridge sportfishing vessel cruised by. We grew to expect it to be piloted by a tanked-up skipper, running at full throttle and throwing huge wakes across the anchorage. Our smooth bottom plates, cups, bowls and saucers, would end up on the cabin or cockpit sole, conglomerated with food, drink and thousands of sharp glassy shards.

Fast-forward to our last boat, an 18,000 lb, 33 ft Nauticat with a 5k lb keel. An uninitiated person may think that a heavy coastal cruiser would remain stable at anchor. In reality, round bottom displacement vessels will roll when hit broadside by waves - resulting in the quick removal from horizontal surfaces, of any objects without rubber bottom grips.

For this reason, and not for use while underway, Galleryware style dinnerware is a smart choice.

Of course, if the boat will be a marina queen - utilized mostly as a dockside condo, then any cheap stuff from Walmart or Target will suffice.


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## TSOJOURNER

There is this caulk called "Windjammer" available at home centers that makes a decent nonskid. It comes in a pressurized can with a variety of nozzles. I have had some luck spreading it on the bottom of dinnerware as nonskid.You have to be careful when washing as this caulk is removable. It works to keep other things in place while underway that don't need to be permananently affixed. It also did a great job sealing drafts on my very old home windows.


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## wchevron

thanks for all the replys, i think i'm going to bite the bullet and buy the galleyware.


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## MMR

*'nother alternative*

I got the "Unbreakable Dinnerware" on Plow and Hearth website. Its got a nice hefty weight to it, but still unbreakable. Comes in white and pretty Caribbean blue. Worth checking out.


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## ADMTROX

MMR,

Is it safe to put in the microwave? Good looking dishes, did you get the blue or the white?


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## MMR

*Microwave SAFE!*

Just boiled some water in one of the bowls, so YES, microwave safe. I got the white, but am still wistfully looking at the blue. I REALLY like the heft of these. Don't feel like lightweight melamine.

pssssssssssssss...looks like they're on SALE, too!!!


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## ADMTROX

I was looking at the blue and wondering if it would be something that you would get tired of. Might be worth doing white, with just a few pieces of the blue. Good looking dishes!


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## MMR

I'd thought of mixing and matching too (still might) but down that path lies TWO COMPETE sets and much mocking by husbands!


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## ADMTROX

Mocking by husbands would just make me feel that all is normal with the world.


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## xort

I want to be able to use a nice sharp steak knife and not scratch up the plate. Which stuff stands up to that?


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## TSOJOURNER

> melamine.





> ...after weeks of coverage of the tainted pet food that has killed countless pets from kidney failure, it's come to light that the chemical pesticide that harmed the animals was melamine - the same chemical that is in the melamine resin that my son's plates are made of...


I'd be a little hesitant about getting it hot at all. Microwaving it is just asking for trouble....


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## artbyjody

I do two things:

1. I carry the plastic disposable plates - so when underway, breakage is not the issue.

2. For mooring and anchoring - if conditions are fair then I use regular household dinnerware. 

The latter is because to me dining is a mood oriented event. Plating is as essential as the food that is presented upon such. This carries over from my RVing and if you properly stow such, everything is usually good. Use non-skid place matting and the worst you will encounter is that food slides off the plate in the worst of it... and if it is the worse condition nothing screams plastic disposable that can actually be washed and re-used.


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## eryka

artbyjody said:


> The latter is because to me dining is a mood oriented event. Plating is as essential as the food that is presented upon such.


I'm with you; plasticware makes me feel like I'm camping out (thus the Corelle). We use oversize, extra-deep bowls for soup & stew, filled half full to allow sloshing room, and a main salon table with very tall fiddles. And if conditions are too rough for even that, energy bars to tide you over


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## Sapperwhite

TrueBlue said:


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This is going to make some people a little miffed. Every spring, the West Marine in Havre de Grace has a "side walk sale" for one weekend only. For the most part it's a bunch of junk, BUT they always have a big bin full of this stuff (same brand, many colors and patterns). For that one weekend you can buy these place settings for $1 each piece. On my boat I can serve 4 for under $20. I think the normal price is something ridiculous like $8 ea piece. Mine are 2 sets white, 2 sets blue.

They also sell all kinds of different plastic tumblers, cups, wine glasses, and even those silly martini glasses for $1 each.


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## TrueBlue

Sapperwhite said:


> This is going to make some people a little miffed. Every spring, the West Marine in Havre de Grace has a "side walk sale" for one weekend only. For the most part it's a bunch of junk, BUT they always have a big bin full of this stuff (same brand, many colors and patterns). For that one weekend you can buy these place settings for $1 each piece. On my boat I can serve 4 for under $20. I think the normal price is something ridiculous like $8 ea piece. Mine are 2 sets white, 2 sets blue.
> 
> They also sell all kinds of different plastic tumblers, cups, wine glasses, and even those silly martini glasses for $1 each.


You sure they were Galleryware, with rubber rings over the bottoms? Here's a pair of our mugs with removable rings . . .








We've got so much of this stuff - plus 2 sets of Galleryware blue anchor flatware, gotta make sure our next boat's interior is blue.


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## Sapperwhite

TrueBlue said:


> You sure they were Galleryware, with rubber rings over the bottoms? Here's a pair of our mugs with removable rings . . .


Yup, Galleyware brand, rubber rings and all. $1 each piece. I don't have the mugs though, I have regular ceramic mugs that I've gathered over the years; South of the Boarder mug, Sapper Tab mug, Turkey Point Lighthouse mug, Skull shaped mug, etc etc.


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## chucklesR

Obligatory mocking 

What's wrong with paper? There is no dishwasher on the boat you know (other than US)


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## ADMTROX

The big problem with paper is that you end up with so much trash. Not a problem for those that can see your boat from the house!


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## TSOJOURNER

Thinking about those dabs of silicone on the bottom of the platters:

I can see the argument that it's next to useless when underway, as one won't eat from those platters, but wouldn't it make it rattle less while in the cupboard?


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