12 Melamine Dinnerware Sets That Look Surprisingly Expensive

It’s not just the plates you eat off of that benefit from melamine construction. Your serving platter can function as your centerpiece, like this Sicilian-inspired maiolica design. It’s great for serving appetizers to a large group or piling it high with fresh produce and skewers.

Segmented dinnerware, like this chip and dip set, is so handy for family snacking. You can fill each compartment with your desired snacks and take it with you through the house. Plus, the smaller pieces are much easier to store and clean in the dishwasher.

Drew Barrymore’s melamine collection is shockingly affordable. This $7 sardine tray actually has a sweet backstory—it’s inspired by Barrymore’s two daughters, whom she has a sardine tattoo in honor of.

For maximum convenience, this reusable serving set comes with its own lid and utensils. Not only does the acacia wood lid match beautifully with the olive detailing on the outside, but it has indents for your serving utensils, so you can bring everything outside in one go.

Outdoor grilling deserves a little more attention than a beat-up foil pan. This melamine prep tray set helps you separate raw from cooked barbecue essentials. With a rustic design, they look like well-loved cookware but work like brand-new.

Speaking of grilling, this is the ideal condiment station. Fill each cup with ketchup, mustard, and barbecue sauce, and the fluted edges make it look a little more elegant. And it’s dishwasher-safe, so any hard-to-remove sauces will disappear without much elbow grease.

Melamine plates work especially well when serving rowdy kids—if a food fight breaks out, these dishes won’t break. They’re BPA-free and easy to clean. Add the bear decal and ears, and lunchtime just got even cuter.

If you show up to the picnic with your offerings plated on this, you’ll become the most popular person in the park. The bold, colorful stripes are just too fun to resist, and the melamine is scratch-resistant, so it’ll last for many gatherings to come.

This is the kind of plate you want to serve at teatime, with a delicate hand-painted bird at the center and a ruffled marigold border. You don’t even have to be outdoors to enjoy them. Imagine them adorning a breakfast nook.

For when the menu is a little too heavy for plates to hold, your dinner bowls can be just as beautiful and sturdy. This gray-green set from Wayfair is stackable and made from plant-based material that has a matte finish.