While there’s no singular quality that makes a great dinner plate, you know when you have a less-than specimen: It looks cheap, and it chips and scratches easily. Among those that are well made, what you choose to set your table with is really up to personal preference. Do you like a heavier material, like stoneware or ceramic, or something lighter, like porcelain? Do you want a matte finish or a shiny one? A larger surface area or something smaller? A prominent rim or lip? Are you willing to shell out more money for handmade pieces, or do you prefer a cheaper set you can put through the wringer (and dishwasher) without worry?

To make up this non-exhaustive but still-extensive list of options, I surveyed over 50 chefs and recipe developers, home cooks and avid hosts, designers and prop stylists, and Strategist staffers. From there, I narrowed down selections to be accessible (meaning you won’t find any vintage china you have to hunt down on eBay or enormously expensive pieces here). Then I sorted them into two main sections: white and off-white, colored and decorative. All of these have been used by their respective recommenders for everyday table setting, eating, and washing — in many cases, for a substantial number of years — so you know they’re to be trusted. And if you’re in the market for bowls, you can find my guide to those here too.