Published on June 04, 2024 Whether I’m packing up an afternoon picnic or hosting a backyard cookout, I always make sure to have the best outdoor dinnerware on hand that are less prone to breaking but are still super pretty for entertaining! From reusable bamboo to French country-inspired melamine (my favorite!), here are the top dinnerware sets for dining outside.
My Top Picks:
Reviews of The Best Outdoor Dinnerware
1. My Favorite Outdoor Dinnerware: Better Homes & Garden Bamboo Melamine Dinnerware Set
I love this floral set because it’s just as stylish as it is functional! It’s made using shatter-proof melamine, which means that it looks fancy, but it’s totally kid-friendly, too. The pretty design is perfect for special occasions as well as everyday dining, not to mention every piece in this set is top rack dishwasher safe. You do receive four dinner plates, four salad plates, and four individual bowls. And if you’re not a fan of florals, there’s a linen-only pattern option as well! The Specs:
Material: Melamine Color(s) Available: Foral, Linen Set Includes: 4 dinner plates, 4 salad plates, and 4 individual bowls Dishwasher-Safe?: Yes, top rack Microwave-Safe?: No
What I Like:
Stylish Durable Dishwasher-safe
What I Don’t Like:
No cups included in set Limited colors
Buy the Better Homes & Garden Bamboo Melamine Dinnerware Set:
2. Best Plaid Outdoor Dinnerware: Hearth & Hand Tri-Stripe Plaid Melamine Salad Plates
Whether you’re hosting a backyard party or simply looking for your new favorite disposable dinnerware, these adorable Hearth & Hand plates from Target are winners. You can get both the round dinner plates and square appetizer plates as a set of 4 — and there’s even a matching serving bowl. So cute! Made from BPA-free melamine and bamboo, they’re a sustainable and pretty much unbreakable choice. They’re picnic perfect for serving yummy meals everyone will love, like my Grilled Steak Tacos. The Specs:
Material: Plastic and bamboo Color(s) Available: white and green plaid Set Includes: 4 plates Dishwasher-Safe?: Yes Microwave-Safe?: No
What I Like:
Affordable Great for parties Sustainable materials
What I Don’t Like:
Not a full set Not dishwasher-safe
Buy the Hearth & Hand Tri-Stripe Plaid Melamine Salad Plates:
3. Best Ceramic Outdoor Dinnerware: Selamica Ceramic Dinnerware Set
I’m loving this ceramic set from Selamica for dining al fresco! It comes with 4 sets of plates, salad plates, and bowls in four different blue patterns. That makes it super easy to mix and match them for your dinner guests. They’re made of ceramic instead of melamine, which makes them impermeable to liquids, stains, and odors, but they’re also at risk of breaking if dropped. Plus, these plates and bowls are dishwasher-safe as long as you use the top rack. I can absolutely picture eating my Grilled Corn and Zucchini Salad on these pieces! The Specs:
Material: melamine and bamboo Color(s) Available: Vintage Blue, Gradient Blue, Gradient Color, Assorted Colors Set Includes: 4 dinner plates, 4 salad plates, 4 cereal bowls Dishwasher-Safe?: Yes, top rack Microwave-Safe?: Yes
What I Like:
Colorful Mix and match Dishwasher and microwave-safe Environmentally-friendly
What I Don’t Like:
Can break if dropped
Buy the Selamica Ceramic Dinnerware Set:
4. Best Ruffle Plates: The Lakeside Collection Ruffled Dinner Plates
While not a full set, I love these ruffle dinner plates that are perfect if you want a little flair to your outdoor dining. The melamine material is durable and dishwasher-safe, which means no matter how messy things get at your outdoor soiree, clean-up will be easy breezy. The 10.5-inch diameter is a good size to plate a whole meal, and the white color will pretty much match everything. The Specs:
Material: Melamine Color(s) Available: White Set Includes: 4 dinner plates Dishwasher-Safe?: Yes, top rack Microwave-Safe?: No
What I Like:
Sleek Durable Easy to style with Dishwasher-safe
What I Don’t Like:
Ivory color may stain easily
Buy The Lakeside Collection Ruffled Dinner Plates:
5. Best White Outdoor Dinnerware: Kaloh Melamine Outdoor 16-Piece Dinnerware Set
This melamine set is made for the outdoors and could pass for an expensive indoor set any day of the week! Its sleek, neutral look is perfect for any outdoor setting, regardless of whether you’re eating at a picnic table or on a beach towel. The melamine material is durable and BPA-free, which is an important quality to look for in shatter-proof plates and bowls. It’s available in a range of neutral shades, including White, Charleston Gray, Black, and a sage-green hue called Celadon. Bonus: You can serve up my summer-ready Pasta Salad in the pretty pasta bowls it comes with! The Specs:
Material: Melamine Color(s) Available: White, Charleston Gray, Celadon, Black Set Includes: 4 dinner plates, 4 salad plates, 4 pasta bowls, and 4 cereal bowls Dishwasher-Safe?: Yes Microwave-Safe?: No
What I Like:
Stylish Matching serveware, mugs, and additional plates and bowls sold separately Durable Variety of colors available
What I Don’t Like:
Light colors may stain after repeated use
What Others Are Saying: The Kaloh Melamine Outdoor Dinnerware was named one of the best outdoor dinnerware sets by Food & Wine. Buy the Kaloh Melamine Outdoor 16-Piece Dinnerware Set:
Other Outdoor Dinnerware to Consider
Teivio Dinnerware Set
Williams Sonoma Sicily Outdoor Melamine Plate Set
If you’re looking to create an outdoor oasis that feels like an Italian getaway, then the Sicily Outdoor Melamine Plate Set will do just the trick. This dinnerware looks like the ornately decorated ceramic plates you’ll find in Italy, only these plates won’t shatter if you accidentally drop them. They’re dishwasher-safe and matching salad plates and serveware are available to purchase separately. That being said, the set only includes four dinner plates, so it’s not enough pieces to throw an entire party. The Sicily Outdoor Melamine Salad Plates, Set of 4 is available at Williams Sonoma for $59.95.
Lekoch Bamboo Dinnerware Set
Gibson Home Canyon Crest Stackable Matte Melamine Set
Hearth & Hand Distressed Stripe Melamine Dinner Plates
These distressed melamine plates are great for dining outdoors, whether you’re camping or having a backyard cookout. This set of plates from Hearth & Hand is stylish, durable, and dishwasher-friendly, but if it’s dropped repeatedly, you may notice the coating starts to chip. However, there aren’t any matching bowls or smaller plates. The Hearth & Hand Distressed Stripe Melamine Dinner Plates are available at Target for $11.99.
Why You Can Trust Me
Hi! I’m Maria, the founder of Two Peas and Their Pod. I absolutely LOVE when the weather warms up, and it’s finally the perfect temperature to fire up the grill or put together a picnic basket. When it’s time to sit down to eat, I break out my favorite outdoor dinnerware because there’s no need to risk breaking your regular plates, bowls, and cups in the great outdoors. I’ve personally tried many of the outdoor dinnerware sets on this list and even included my favorites. To find the rest of my top picks, I read reviews through customer ratings and reviews and considered other trusted food blogs and publications to get a feel for how they stand up to the competition. I also considered factors like material, budget, and ease of cleaning.
Everything to Know Before Buying Outdoor Dinnerware
What to Consider Before Buying Outdoor Dinnerware
There are a few main things to consider before buying outdoor dinnerware:Material: Outdoor dinnerware is typically made of plastic, bamboo, bamboo and melamine, melamine, wheat straw, or enamel. Each material has its own positives — for example, bamboo and wheat straw tend to be sustainable and environmentally friendly, while melamine tends to be the most durable. If you plan to use your outdoor dinnerware on picnics or camping trips, you’ll want to choose a set made of a lightweight material like enamelware. Meanwhile, if you’re looking for stylish outdoor dinnerware that looks like it could be ceramic, melamine is probably your best bet. What’s Included: It’s important to read the fine print about what you’ll receive in your dinnerware set before buying it. Some sets only include 4 dinner plates while others will include as many as 8 dinner plates, 8 salad plates, 8 bowls, and 8 cups. With so many variations possible, you’ll want to be sure you’re buying the right set for your needs. Ease of Cleaning: Some collections are safe to put on the top rack of the dishwasher, while others recommend hand-washing only. If you’re planning on using your set for a big party and want to reuse them, it’ll be a pain to wash each piece by hand.
What is Melamine Dinnerware?
Melamine dinnerware is dinnerware that’s made using melamine, a type of plastic that’s reusable, durable, and typically dishwasher-safe. This is great for eating outdoors, where a drop on a deck or a stone walkway might happen.
Are Melamine Plates Microwave Safe?
Melamine plates are not microwave-safe. But I recommend serving a variety of cold salads and freshly cooked meals on them, so you shouldn’t need to reheat them!
Where to Buy Melamine Plates
I love to shop for melamine plates at different retailers to give a good variety for my outdoor entertaining. Here are my favorite places to shop:
Are Melamine Plates Breakable?
Melamine plates are shatter-proof. The newer they are, the more resistant they’ll be to breaking. Over time, the melamine will become more brittle, so it’s possible that your melamine dinnerware will eventually break and need to be replaced. Melamine can also become more brittle and prone to breaking after it’s heated, which is why you shouldn’t microwave it.
The Best Recipes for Outdoor Eating
Now that you’ve picked out the perfect outdoor dinnerware set for you, here are some delicious outdoor-friendly dishes to fill your plate with:
Grilled Steak Tacos Grilled Corn & Zucchini Salad Steak Kabobs Best Grilled Chicken Sandwich Turkey Burgers Easy Pasta Salad Potato Salad
Prices were accurate at time of publication.
