Along with a couple sets of Corelle dinnerware and a set of bone china dishes, I also own a near complete set of Pfaltzgraff Tea Rose dishes. Several years ago I bought the Platter to match the dinnerware. Pfaltzgraff sells many pieces to compliment the basic set of dishes.
About Pfaltzgraff
In the 1800’s the Pfaltzgraff family immigrated to the United States and have been selling quality stoneware for nearly 200 years. Their dishes are made of durable, chip- resistant stoneware. (Although I did get a chip in my gravy bowl!).
It is very versatile and can go in the oven, microwave, dishwasher, and even the freezer.
Tea Rose Platter
The Tea Rose pattern became available in 1985, and has since been one of Pfaltzgraff’s most popular patterns.
I fell in love with the Tea Rose design about 15 years ago when I saw these dishes at Costco. I have since slowly collected the matching serving pieces (they are quite expensive). The platter is simply beautiful! It measures almost 15″ in length, and is 10 1/2″ wide. The edges are curved up, and the platter itself is nearly 1/4″ thick – so it it quite substantial, and heavy.
The actual “usable space” for a roast or other large serving of meat (the very bottom of the platter) measures 11″ x 7 1/2″.
I really like the romantic design of this platter. The ends are gracefully scalloped. Pfaltzgraff calls this design traditional romance with a touch of country, and I would definitely agree.
The roses, blue flowers and green leaves are a delicate color, almost like a watercolor painting. They are subdued and pastel.
The retail for this platter is $27.50. This and other Tea Rose dishes can still be purchased directly from the Pfaltzgraff.com website.
Thoughts
While I truly love this pattern and the rest of these dishes, I am really disappointed in how poorly they fit into my dishwasher. I remember when I bought them, the dishes came in a serving for four, and the first time I loaded the dishwasher I knew that it would be a problem.
The platter is no exception. It is thick and heavy, and has a depth of about 1 1/2″. It doesn’t stand straight up in the racks like my Corelle dishes do, it leans forward and covers up the next available “slot” or rack in my dishwasher. I suppose I could wash them all by hand, but that is just too much work when I have been spoiled most of my married life with a dishwasher.
Another problem are the scratch marks that sometimes appear on the Pfaltzgraff stoneware. Not so much on the platter because it isn’t used as much as the plates are used, but the stoneware gets utensil marks on them that look almost like pencil marks. And unfortunately they do not come off in the dishwasher. The Pfaltzgraff company sells a product specifically for cleaning these dishes. A 10 ounce bottle retails for $4.99 (and it also cleans porcelain sinks!).
Closing Thoughts
The Tea Rose pattern is beautiful, and I feel proud serving dinner on these dishes. They are fancy enough for company, Thanksgiving, Christmas, etc. They require a little more care than Corelle, but they are worth it.
