7.5-inch Salad & Dessert Plates

About our 7.5-inch Polish pottery salad plates

Shape 814 is the factory's code for this plate. Like every piece of Boleslawiec stoneware it starts as white clay, is fired once, decorated by hand with sponge stamps and brushes, then glazed and fired again at about 1,250°C. The result is a hard, non-porous surface with the pattern sealed under the glaze, so it will not scratch off, fade in the dishwasher or react with food.

Size

7.5 inches (19 cm) across the rim. The rim profile matches the 9.5-inch and 10.75-inch plates, so the sizes stack neatly and look like one set on the table. The plate also fits as a lid on the 6-inch bowl.

What the 7.5-inch plate is for

In a place setting it is the salad or dessert plate that sits on or beside the dinner plate. On its own it is the size most customers reach for every day: breakfast toast, a sandwich at lunch, a slice of pie, cheese and crackers, or a small appetizer course. It is also the most common first Polish pottery purchase, since it shows off a pattern at a modest price and matches everything else in that pattern later.

Choosing a pattern

The plates come in the same families as the rest of the range. Traditional patterns (Peacock 56, Nature 41, Daisy Dreams 120, Holly Berries 242, Peacock Pine 312, Floral Peacock Fiesta 912, Stars 82) are the classic cobalt-on-cream stamps and the most economical. "a" patterns (Floral Peacock 166a, 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, Woodland Garden DU116, Sweet Violet DU121, Floral Swirl Celebration DU126, Spring Swallow Serenade DU182) are hand-painted over the stamping. Unikat plates (Regal Bouquet 148ar, Floral Butterfly 149ar, Poppies 150ar, 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 7.5-inch plate in 166a matches a dinner plate, bowl or mug in 166a.

Building a place setting

The classic four-piece setting is a 10.75-inch dinner plate (or the lighter 9.5-inch luncheon plate), this 7.5-inch salad plate, a soup or pasta bowl and a 12 oz mug. Add a 6.5-inch appetizer plate for a five-piece setting. Everything is sold individually, so you can buy four salad plates today and complete the set over time; the patterns stay in production.

Care and use

Dishwasher, microwave, oven to 480°F and freezer safe. Avoid sudden temperature changes (refrigerator straight into a hot oven, for example) and keep it off the stovetop and out from under the broiler. The glaze is lead- and cadmium-free and meets US food-safety standards.

Frequently asked questions

What size is a Polish pottery salad plate?

The standard Boleslawiec salad plate is 7.5 inches (19 cm) across. We also carry a 6.5-inch appetizer plate and 9.5-inch and 10.75-inch dinner plates in the same patterns.

Can I use a salad plate as a dessert or appetizer plate?

Yes. The 7.5-inch plate is the all-purpose small plate: salads, desserts, appetizers, sandwiches, toast and cheese. Most households use it more often than their dinner plates.

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.

Will a salad plate match my dinner plates?

Yes, if the pattern number is the same. The number is used across every shape, so a 7.5-inch plate in 217a matches a 10.75-inch dinner plate, bowl or mug in 217a.

Are the plates sold individually or in sets?

Individually. Buy exactly the number you need and add more later; the patterns stay in production, so matching a set years later is rarely a problem.

Why do two plates in the same pattern look slightly different?

Because each one is stamped and painted by hand. Small differences in spacing, brush strokes and colour depth are normal, and are how you can tell genuine Boleslawiec from printed imitations.