They’re dishwasher safe, they match every tablecloth, and they’re so super versatile. 

A couple of years ago, one of my friends introduced me to the concept of using glass dishes as formal dinnerware. She owns a set of Spiegelau & Nachtmann Bossa Nova plates (they look gorgeous when stacked with a charger, dinner, and appetizer plate). 

Because glass doesn’t absorb, it could be considered the most kosher of materials. While you can ask your own LOR, some (some Sepharadim/more rare among Ashkenazim) use the same glass dishes for Pesach and year round. For those who don’t eat gebrokts but worry about having gebrokts on their dishes on the last day of Pesach, glass can also be the best option because it’s impervious. 

We know all these things about glass. What we don’t know is how beautiful it can be.

When I bought Lumina dishes by Godinger recently, I considered them a temporary option. They were inexpensive (4 dishes for under $30) and were a nice neutral to hold me off until I would invest in new, updated China. The truth is, though, once I set my table, I loved the glass so much I lost any desire for new, expensive dinnerware. They simply looked so beautiful in person and they make me excited to set the table (my real China never matched my tablecloths…these do!). The Lumina plates seem to be a copy of the more expensive but similar Iittala Kastehelmi. They also come in blue (haven’t seen them in person) and there’s appetizer plates, and soup bowls also available.

Not all glass dinnerware is cheap but their versatility still is a bonus. Villeroy & Boch Boston collection is a pricier option but also very beautiful. Alternatively the very large dinner plate (12.5 inches) can be used as a charger instead. The salad plate is here. Coordinating bowls are here.