6.5" Appetizer Plates & Saucers

About our 6.5-inch Polish pottery appetizer plates

Shape 818 is the factory's code for this plate. It is made from the dense white stoneware clay of the Boleslawiec region, fired once to harden, decorated by hand with sponge stamps and brushes, then glazed and fired a second time at about 1,250°C. The second firing vitrifies the clay and fuses the pattern under a clear glaze, which is why a plate this small still feels substantial in the hand and why it shrugs off years of dishwasher cycles without fading or crazing.

Size

6.5 inches (16.5 cm) across the rim. The rim profile matches the 7.5-inch, 9.5-inch and 10.75-inch plates, so all four sizes stack and look like one set. The well is sized to seat the base of the 12 oz mug, which is why this plate doubles as a saucer.

Plate or saucer?

Both, and that is the point. Boleslawiec does not make a separate cup-and-saucer set for its mugs; the 6.5-inch plate is the saucer. Used that way it catches drips and gives you a spot for a biscuit or a spoon. Used as a plate it is the bread-and-butter plate in a formal setting, the dessert plate for a slice of cake, the appetizer plate at a party, or a child's plate. Many customers keep a stack by the coffee maker and another in the dining room.

Choosing a pattern

The plates come in the same families as the rest of the range. Traditional patterns (Peacock 56, Nature 41, Polka Dot 42, Stars 82, Daisy Dreams 120, Holly Berries 242, Peacock Pine 312, Floral Peacock Fiesta 912) are the classic cobalt-on-cream stamps and the most economical. "a" patterns (Floral Peacock 166a, Cobalt Swirl 174a, Blue Diamond Dream 217a, Star Flower 221a, Winter Night 243a, Blue Blossom 1154a, Cornflower Cloudscape 1219a and others) add extra colours and finer stamps. DU studio designs (Mosaic Flower DU60, Sweet Violet DU121, Floral Swirl Celebration DU126, Azure Daisy Delight DU207, Blue Blossom Elegance DU233) are hand-painted over the stamping. Unikat plates (Regal Bouquet 148ar, Floral Butterfly 149ar, Dreamscape 160ar, Bluebird Bouquet 214ar, Radiant Garden 262ar, Garden Meadow 296ar, Floral Garden 312ar) are painted freehand by one decorator and signed on the base. The pattern number in each product name is shared across every shape, so a 6.5-inch plate in 242 matches a mug, bowl or dinner plate in 242.

How to tell it is authentic

Turn the plate over. A genuine piece carries the factory backstamp of Zaklady Ceramiczne "Boleslawiec", a "Hand Made in Poland" mark, and on Unikat pieces the decorator's signature. The glaze is certified lead- and cadmium-free and food safe. Slight differences in stamp spacing and colour depth between two plates in the same pattern are normal; identical, perfectly registered patterns are the sign of a printed imitation.

Building a place setting

A five-piece setting is the 10.75-inch dinner plate, the 7.5-inch salad plate, this 6.5-inch plate, a soup or pasta bowl and a 12 oz mug. For a tea or coffee service, pair one 6.5-inch plate with each mug. Everything is sold individually, so you can add pieces whenever you like.

Care and use

Dishwasher, microwave, oven to 480°F and freezer safe. Avoid sudden temperature changes and keep it off the stovetop and out from under the broiler.

Frequently asked questions

What can I use a 6.5-inch Polish pottery plate for?

As a saucer under a mug, a bread-and-butter plate, a dessert or appetizer plate, a child's plate, or a small catch-all dish. It is the most versatile piece in the range.

Does this plate fit as a saucer under your mugs?

Yes. The well of the 6.5-inch plate is sized to seat the base of the 12 oz mug, and it works under the 8 oz and 16 oz mugs as well.

Are these plates dishwasher and microwave safe?

Yes. Boleslawiec stoneware is fired at a high temperature and glazed all over, so it goes in the dishwasher, microwave, oven and freezer without special treatment.

Are the plates lead-free?

Yes. The glaze is certified lead- and cadmium-free and meets US food-safety standards. The certification marks are stamped on the base of each piece.

Will a 6.5-inch plate match my other Polish pottery?

Yes, if the pattern number matches. The same number is used across every shape, so a 6.5-inch plate in 166a matches a mug, bowl or dinner plate in 166a.

Are the plates sold individually or in sets?

Individually. Buy exactly the number you need and add more later; the patterns stay in production.