In general, you can distinguish between dinner plates, place plates, soup plates and dessert and cake plates. The place plate is considered a kind of underlay on the table, which serves as decoration, so that you do not eat directly from this type of plate.

The number of plates you need depends on two factors. Firstly, you should only buy as many plates as you can fit in your kitchen cupboards. Secondly, it can be useful to have several plates of the same type handy if you often cook for guests and eat together.

Plates come in many different materials. For the ones you use every day, I recommend ceramic or porcelain. This makes cleaning easier because you can put most plates made of these materials in your dishwasher.
Plates made of stone, wood or glass should be used more for decorative purposes. Frequent deep cleaning could damage the materials. Read more about the materials in the 'Materials, colours and designs' section.

As soon as the smallest family members take part in meals at the table, they want to eat as independently as possible. Since the adventure of eating is often not yet coordinated, I recommend unbreakable plates for your baby.
Plates made of washable and durable silicone are suitable for this purpose. Alternatively, you can also use plates made of plastic-like materials. However, you should make sure that the materials are safe for your child's health and do not contain any harmful substances such as softeners.

Yes, plates made of melamine can be harmful to your health. Melamine is an unbreakable plastic that contains formaldehyde. This ingredient can irritate your mucous membranes and skin if you eat from such plates regularly.
Don't let the sturdy features and bright colors fool you into thinking that these plates are particularly good for children. Instead, go for other materials. You can find more important information about melamine utensils on the official website of the consumer advice centre.

Special microwave dishes are particularly heat-resistant and can withstand temperatures of up to 200 degrees Celsius. These dishes are well suited if you want to cook whole dishes in your microwave.
Plates made of porcelain, ceramic or earthenware have a surface structure that is quickly heated in the microwave. This can damage the plate or even cause it to burst. You can use a glass plate for a short heating process in the microwave. Not every plastic plate is suitable for the microwave, only those with a special label.
Stainless steel, aluminium and other metals should never be placed in the microwave. Your food will not heat well on such plates and the materials may react with the waves of the appliance, damaging both the dishes and your microwave.

You can simply dispose of a broken plate in your household waste. If you have a whole set of broken plates, you should take them to your local recycling centre. Often, you don't have to pay for the disposal of a normal amount of broken plates.