Rachael Ray Round & Square 16 Piece Dinnerware Set

I have not reviewed anything I have purchased before from Amazon, but I decided that it was time for my first review. I have been looking for a nice set of orange dinnerware for more than a year to replace the dinnerware my wife and I inherited from her parents when we were marries many years ago. We have been looking for a nice orange set because many of the things in our kitchen are orange, along with the décor. Since we already had a set of Rachel Ray cookware which has served will for years without a complaint, when I came across the dinnerware I assumed they would be of equal quality. I tried to find a local store that carried them to see them in person, but I could not. When I purchased my sets I read all the reviews on Amazon, and most were glowing, with a couple of them stating that the dinnerware was susceptible to breaking and chips. Being the optimist I decided to trust the majority of reviews, and took the plunge, buying an extra if there was ever a problem in the future. Here are my thoughts after five months of use.*The Good*The set looks great. The dinnerware matches the color shown on Amazon, and it is a perfect fit in our house. The plates are huge, but the salad plates can be used for smaller meals.*The OK*All the dinnerware fits in the dishwasher, but the bowls do not fit well in ours. The plate fit in the lower rack, but they sit MUCH more upright then the other plates we use. Because of this we have to stack these plates from right to left in the dishwasher, and all other plates left to right - otherwise they hit each other (not a show stopper though). The bowls cannot be placed in the lower rack because of their shape so they have to go in the top rack. Unfortunately they take up way too much room in the top rack when laying flat. We just hand wash these when we use them, not that big of a deal. Also, as others have said the bowls stack badly. Due to the shape and thickness, the bottoms of each bowl do not neatly nest inside the one it is stacked into. Again, not a showstopper, but I do not like it. Lastly the plates are considered to be microwave safe, but the bare surface of the plates get hot enough when microwaving food that a hotpad is needed to remove them. Bare surfaces on our plates never got anywhere as hot as this set does.*The Bad (Very bad for my family)*When I purchased my dinnerware there were some reviews that said the items in this set broke too easily. I am not sure where these reviews went since I did not see them when I came back to post this review. Since most of the reviews were so positive, I assumed that maybe these reviewers were just handled their stuff poorly since most of the reviews were so positive. This concerned me though since I am not always the gentlest when I move the plates from one location to the other. Since I have owned this set I have managed to knock a huge chunk out of one plate by knocking it against the corner of the counter when moving it from the dishwasher to the cabinet above on the first day we used them. About a month later I managed to create a pencil tip sized chip on the edge of a second plate when I was stacking plates in the cabinet - while I was being very cautious due to the original plate I broke. A today my teenage son knocked the bottom lip of one plate against the one below during stacking and knocked out a dime size chip (see the uploaded picture). The really bad thing is that when you get a chip, even if it is small, the plate looks really bad due to the exposure of the white under surface when the orange color is chipped away. My family has damaged three plates in 5 months with one of them being unusable, one of the looks bad enough it should not be used, and the damage to the third being unnoticeable unless you know what to look for.*Summary*In the 20 years we used our previous dinner plates my family managed to chip two plates, and break one when it was dropped. For this set we have managed to break one plate and chipped one bad enough it looks ugly. At this time my wife is the only one we feel can confidently stack the dinnerware in the cabinets without fear. I do still unload the dishwasher at times, but I now feel like I am moving eggs, not plates. I told my wife that if I knew how easily this set was going to chip, I would never have purchased this set of dinnerware. I wish I could return them.*Final thoughts*If I had purchased this set to be used as something other than daily dinnerware I would have rated this set with four stars due to the other problems listed. But because they were purchased to be used as daily dinnerware, and cannot withstand what I consider to be normal wear and tear when being moved from the dishwasher to the cabinets without fear of damage (i.e. - the occasional knocking of edges together), I cannot give this set more than two stars. If you are confident that you and your family can handle the plates without any chance of banging the edges together when staking them, then maybe this would be a good set for you. If you are at all heavy handed, or have kids or a husband (me) that is, I cannot recommend you buy them. I wish I had read a review like this before I had bought multiple sets of this dinnerware. On the surface it looks like a great set of dinnerware, but it does not stand up to what I consider normal, daily use. If you buy them, post a review after using them for six months and let everyone know if you have a good or bad experience with them.

Rachael Ray products are fun to collect. Once I bought one I was hooked on transitioning all of the items in my kitchen. Orange is such a unique color to have in a kitchen, and having all orange cookware, bakeware, and server ware really gives a neat retro and modern feel.As for the dishes, they are very hefty. They are not thin like the products one would buy at an everyday retail store. They have such heft the plates feel as if they are serving chargers. The fact that they have this heft allows them to also be used seamlessly as serving dishes, which in my opinion, enhances their function. I have heard some people complain they are too heavy, but as for my family, the only time we really move the dishes is to take them to the table, or to load/unload the dishwasher.The mugs are also a great size. The wide handles allow my entire hand to be inserted and wrapped around the mug very comfortably. The white interiors add a bit of a pop of color when drinking coffee or tea. Adding to the retro feel, a dark colored drink such as tea or coffee, paired with the white and orange mug really make a nice color scheme.The bowls are of a decent size, the only tricky aspect about them, or this entire set, is storing them. Since the bowls have a square bottom and a round top they do not stack perfectly in the cabinet. When stacked they have a topsy turvy, Cat in the Hat kind of look that makes me think they are going to topple over any minute. I stack eight salad bowls on top of one another and while they do look as though they will topple, I have yet to have this happen.I would highly recommend this set to anyone who is a fan of the color orange, a retro/modern feel, or Rachael Ray products in general. I know some people mix and match Rachael Ray colors, but I have only purchased orange. I have to admit the table looks very neat when the plates are the exact same color as all of the serving dishes. I took food on these plates to family gatherings 4-5 times and have gotten at least two compliments on each occasion. I think the unique, yet familiar look of Rachael Ray products is really a favorite of many. I paid $49.99 for each set which breaks down to a little over $3 for each piece in the set, and I consider it an amazing value.*Note: I have accidentally banged several pieces against one another, against cabinets, in a stainless steel sink, and on a wooden table and have not had a single scratch or chip.

I am in love with my new Rachael Ray dishes!!! I searched everywhere, both in store and online for about five years for everyday dishes that I not only liked the colour of, but for dishes that met my standards. I love that the dishes have a bit of a lip on them to catch sauces, the small plate is great for salads and the dinner plate is large enough to have room for several food items. Plus they are microwave and dishwasher safe! Best purchase bar none for a long time!! Glad I waited to get what I want!! Amazon service was excellent too!!

Well through the reviews that I read I was debating on ordering those Rachel ray dishes, but viewing them so many times and liking them I decided to purchase them, best thing ever , fits in my cupboards, dishwasher not a problem, and the colour so vibrant love to see the food on them , actually I liked this product so much I just made another Rachel ray order .

I bought 2 sets of these dishes and I love them! I will be ordering another set. The color Orange is so vibrant and the dishes are great for everyday meals.

Love my new dishes!

Really like the color and the fun style.