The short answer is yes, Noritake is a good quality brand that is worth the price for those seeking elegant, durable dinnerware. With over a century of Japanese craftsmanship, their products are known for their high-grade porcelain and bone china, offering exceptional longevity when cared for properly.
Noritake represents accessible luxury in the dinnerware market, combining timeless design with robust construction that easily outperforms cheaper, mass-market alternatives. While their intricate, hand-painted patterns require special care, their reputation for heirloom quality makes them a sound investment for both special occasions and an elevated everyday dining experience.
How Is Noritake's Quality?
Noritake's quality is consistently high, built on a foundation of premium materials, meticulous craftsmanship, and stringent quality control. Here’s a detailed breakdown:
- Materials: The brand primarily uses high-grade fine porcelain and bone china. Their porcelain is vitrified (fired at high temperatures), making it dense, non-porous, and highly resistant to staining and cracking. Bone china collections offer superior strength and translucency despite being lightweight.
- Construction & Craftsmanship: Noritake employs advanced manufacturing, including kiln-firing at over 1300°C for maximum durability. Finishes are seamless, patterns are applied with precision, and features like reinforced rims make pieces chip-resistant. Many collections include sophisticated details like hand-painted gold accents and intricate embossing.
- Durability and Longevity: With proper care, Noritake dinnerware can last for decades and is often passed down as heirloom pieces. The glazes are designed to resist scratching from utensils and prevent crazing (fine cracks in the glaze) over time.
- Common Complaints: The most frequent issues are related to delicate finishes, not core construction. The hand-painted gold or platinum trim on some formal collections can fade or wear with repeated, harsh dishwasher cycles. This is common for any fine china with metallic details and can be avoided with hand-washing.
Is Noritake Good Value for the Price?
Noritake offers excellent value by striking a strong balance between luxury craftsmanship and price, delivering a product that consistently outperforms its cost in longevity and aesthetic beauty.
Price Positioning
Noritake sits in the accessible luxury tier. A 5-piece place setting typically ranges from $60 to $80 for everyday collections, while more ornate or hand-painted sets can cost $300 or more. Complete sets range from $200 to over $1,500. This positions them competitively against other premium brands like Wedgwood and Royal Doulton, often providing similar quality at a slightly more accessible price point.
What You're Paying For
The cost reflects superior materials, heritage, and meticulous production standards. You're paying for Japanese craftsmanship, durable vitrified porcelain or bone china, timeless designs that won't feel dated in a few years, and the peace of mind that comes with a brand known for quality control and longevity.
Where You Get Good Value
- Everyday Porcelain Sets: Collections designed for daily use offer fantastic value. They are durable, often dishwasher safe (without metallic trim), chip-resistant, and bring a touch of elegance to every meal.
- Classic Formal Dinnerware: While more expensive, Noritake's classic formal china sets are an investment. They hold their beauty for decades and are often less expensive than comparable collections from ultra-luxury European brands.
- Entry-Level Bone China: Noritake's less ornate bone china sets provide an opportunity to own famously durable and beautiful dinnerware without the highest price tag.
Where You Don't Get Good Value
- Delicate Trimmed Pieces (If Not Cared For): The value of expensive sets with gold or platinum rims diminishes quickly if you plan to use a dishwasher frequently. The extra cost is only justified if you are committed to gentle hand-washing.
- Replacement Pieces: As with any fine china, buying single replacement plates or bowls outside of a set can be expensive due to individual shipping and handling costs.
Noritake Quality by Category
Noritake’s reputation for quality is consistent, but different product lines are designed for specific uses.
Fine China & Formal Dinnerware
These collections are Noritake’s specialty, often featuring intricate patterns, precious metal accents (gold, platinum), and hand-painted details on bone china or fine porcelain. Durability is excellent, but these pieces are considered investments and should be hand-washed to preserve their ornate finishes. Priced from $100-$300+ per place setting, they are worth it for those seeking heirloom-quality sets for special occasions.
Everyday Porcelain Dinnerware
Designed for daily use, these lines offer practicality without sacrificing style. Made from highly durable, vitrified porcelain, they resist chipping and staining effectively. Most of these collections are dishwasher and microwave safe (check specific pattern guidelines). With prices around $50-$80 per setting, they provide outstanding value for anyone wanting to elevate their daily dining experience with dishes that last.
Crystal & Glassware
While known for dinnerware, Noritake also offers high-quality crystal and glassware collections that mirror their brand standards. The glassware is known for its clarity, brilliant finishing, and elegant designs that complement their dinnerware patterns. They offer good quality and design for their price point in the premium glassware category.
Decorative Items & Vases
Noritake’s decorative pieces, such as vases and serving bowls, are made to the same high standards as their tableware. Featuring fine porcelain and elegant designs, they are beautiful and durable statement pieces. The craftsmanship ensures they function as both practical serveware and display-worthy art.
Our Verdict: Is Noritake Worth It?
Noritake is an excellent investment for anyone who appreciates quality craftsmanship and timeless design in their dinnerware. It successfully blends the elegance of fine china with the resilience needed for practical use, making it a reliable choice for creating a lasting collection you can use and admire for years.
Quality Grade: A
Noritake earns an A for its unwavering commitment to quality. The use of premium materials like vitrified porcelain and bone china, combined with meticulous Japanese craftsmanship, results in dinnerware that is both beautiful and exceptionally durable. Their finishes are smooth, patterns are precise, and the pieces are engineered to resist chipping and crazing, solidifying Noritake's position as a top-tier dinnerware manufacturer.
Value Grade: B+
Receiving a B+ for value, Noritake offers a fantastic quality-to-price ratio within the accessible luxury market. While not cheap, the price is justified by longevity - these are sets that will last for decades, unlike brands that need replacing every few years. For a similar cost, Noritake often provides better craftsmanship and durability than many designer-focused but less well-made competitors.
More Quality Brands Like Noritake
If you appreciate Noritake's high standards of quality and an elegant aesthetic, here are some other excellent brands that offer similar craftsmanship and style:
Wedgwood
Known for its iconic Jasperware and fine bone china, Wedgwood is a historic English brand offering heirloom quality. Their craftsmanship is legendary, with many patterns featuring intricate details and 22-karat gold trim, positioning them as a slightly more luxurious alternative with a deep heritage.
Shop now at wedgwood.com
Royal Doulton
Royal Doulton is another iconic English brand that masterfully blends modern designs with traditional quality. Their porcelain and stoneware collections are highly regarded for their durability and chip resistance, making them a fantastic choice for elegant everyday use.
Shop now at royaldoulton.com
Lenox
As a beloved American brand, Lenox delivers high-quality bone china that has graced White House tables. Many of their collections are made in the USA and are revered for being both dishwasher safe and exceptionally durable, offering excellent value and practicality.
Shop now at lenox.com
Mikasa
For those seeking stylish and durable dinnerware at a more budget-friendly price point, Mikasa is a strong contender. While not as finely crafted as Noritake, they offer reliable quality, with robust porcelain and stoneware sets that are designed for the rigors of daily family use.
Shop now at mikasa.com
Spode
Famous for its classic and timeless British designs, like the Blue Italian pattern, Spode's fine porcelain is both beautiful and resilient. It offers a touch of countryside charm backed by centuries of ceramic expertise and lasting quality.
Shop now at spode.co.uk
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Noritake dinnerware dishwasher safe?
Many of Noritake's everyday porcelain collections are dishwasher safe. However, for fine china with hand-painted details or metallic (gold or platinum) trim, hand-washing is strongly recommended to prevent fading and preserve the delicate finish over time.
Where is Noritake made?
Noritake is a Japanese brand, and its highest-end collections are still manufactured in Japan. To meet global demand, some lines are also produced in company-owned facilities in other parts of Asia, all of which adhere to Noritake's strict quality control standards.
Is Noritake bone china or porcelain?
Noritake produces collections in both materials. Its bone china is known for being lightweight, translucent, and incredibly strong. Its porcelain is vitrified, making it a dense, durable, and non-porous material perfect for both everyday and formal dinnerware.
Does Noritake china chip easily?
No, Noritake is well-regarded for its durability and chip resistance under normal usage conditions. Its reinforced rims and high-quality materials are designed to withstand daily use better than most average dinnerware brands. However, like any ceramic, a hard impact or drop can still cause it to chip or break.
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