During the summer months, we're switching out our china and ceramic dinnerware for hard-wearing, unbreakable plates that we can tote to the beach, pack for picnics, and pull out for backyard entertaining. Here are 10 of our favorite plates (in wood and enamel) for long term use (as opposed to disposable paper and plastic).
ENAMELWARE
Above: West Elm Market's Enamelware Dinnerware is inspired by vintage enamel plates and made from steel with a porcelain-enamel finish that is shatterproof. The dinner plates, white with a black rim, are $40 for a set of four from West Elm.
Above: From Italian designer Stefania di Petrillo, the Variopinte Enamelware Plates are created by crushing natural pigments and mixing them with glass powder, all applied by hand to the metal before firing. The enamel is nontoxic and dishwasher safe; $26 for the blue and white dinner plate (top) at The Vitrine. See the full line at Variopinte (online ordering available).
Above: At Labour and Wait in the UK, Marble Enamel Plates in red are €8.50 each.
Above: The classic Falcon Enamelware Plates are available with a blue, red, or pigeon gray rim for €24.99 directly at Falcon Enamelware. A similar 10-inch enamelware Vintage White Dinner Plate is $6.29 at Kolorful Kitchen.
Above: Best Made Company's Seamless & Steadfast Enamel Steel Plates are made to be hefty and durable with a rim reinforced with a double dipping of enamel; $35 for two or $90 for six from Best Made Co.
WOOD
Above: Christine's favorite outdoor dinnerware are designer Tony Farrell's Wooden Plates. Farrell, a wood turner from Cork, Ireland, hand turns the plates using native Irish ash and finishes them with a natural oil; €22 from Makers & Brothers.
Above: The Tondo 6-Inch Plate (left) is made from acacia harvested in the forests of the Philippines under a local government reforestation program; $4.95 each from Crate & Barrel.
Above: Made from American blonde hickory wood, the Round Wood Cheese Plate can be used as a dinner plate or as a serving platter; currently on sale for $25.50 for the small plate from Canvas.
Above: Raw sculpted 7.5-inch Wood Plates are from Lost & Found in LA (currently unavailable, contact for planned restock dates and more information).
Above: From Colorado-based furniture maker David Rasmussen, Wud Plates in square cafe sizes and longer trays (shown) are $48 each.
Above: Brook Farm General Store's Wooden Plates are made from acacia and finished with nontoxic mineral oil and are available in three sizes: small for $12, medium for $17, and large for $22.
Above: Designed by Rino Ono in the Takahashi Kougei wood workshop in Hokkaido, the Cara Wood Plate is made from linden wood and finished with food-grade polyurethane; $55 for the small plate and $90 for the medium size from Muhs Home.
Looking for more beyond outdoor plates? Shop through all the flatware, cups, and dinnerware in Tabletop of our Shop section.