Tiny Plates and Dinner Plates: How to Mix Sizes for Every Meal
By Our Place | Published: 2026-10-14
Category: How-to Guides
Learn how to mix tiny plates and dinner plates for appetizers, meals, and desserts. A practical size guide to building a flexible plate set.
Quick answer
Use tiny plates for snacks, dips, and resting utensils, and dinner plates for main courses. For a flexible set, start with a set of dinner plates and a set of tiny plates; add salad plates if you often serve sandwiches or mid-sized meals. This mix covers most meals without overcrowding your table or cupboard.
Why mixing plate sizes works
Different meals call for different plate sizes. A large dinner plate makes a small appetizer look lost, while a tiny plate can't hold a full dinner. By mixing sizes, you give each course the right amount of space. Our Place offers three plate sizes: Tiny Plates (the smallest), Salad Plates (medium), and Dinner Plates (the largest). Each is sold as a set of four and comes in multiple colors. Because they share a design language, they stack neatly and look cohesive together.
How to choose your plate sizes
Start by thinking about the meals you actually eat. If you often serve plated dinners, dinner plates are your workhorse. If you entertain with appetizers or like to snack, tiny plates earn their keep. Salad plates bridge the gap for lunches, sandwiches, or lighter dinners. A good rule: buy at least one size that fits your main meal, then add a smaller size for flexibility. If you have limited storage, choose two sizes that stack together. All three sizes are part of the Tableware ecosystem, so they double as lids for bowls: Tiny Plates fit Mini Bowls, Salad Plates fit Midi Bowls, and Dinner Plates fit the large Gather Bowl. That means fewer pieces to store and more ways to use what you own.
Step-by-step: Mix plate sizes for any meal
- 1. Assess your typical meals: List the meals you eat most often: full dinners, sandwiches, snacks, or entertaining. This tells you which plate sizes you'll use daily. Checkpoint: If you rarely host, you may not need all three sizes.
- 2. Pick a primary size: Choose the size that fits your most common meal. For full dinners, that's Dinner Plates. For lighter meals, Salad Plates might be enough. Common mistake: Buying only tiny plates because they look cute, then having nothing for a main course.
- 3. Add a secondary size for flexibility: Add Tiny Plates for appetizers and snacks, or Salad Plates for lunches. This gives you options without overbuying. Checkpoint: Two sizes cover most needs; three is ideal if you entertain often.
- 4. Consider storage and stacking: All Our Place plates stack neatly. If space is tight, choose sizes that nest well together. Tiny Plates and Dinner Plates are very different in size, so they stack compactly. Common mistake: Ignoring stackability and ending up with a cluttered cupboard.
- 5. Use them as lids to save space: Tiny Plates double as lids for Mini Bowls, Salad Plates for Midi Bowls, and Dinner Plates for the large Gather Bowl. This reduces the number of pieces you need to store. Checkpoint: If you own Our Place bowls, matching plates can replace separate lids.
- 6. Set the table by course: For a dinner party, set Tiny Plates for appetizers, then swap to Dinner Plates for the main. Salad Plates can serve as bread plates or dessert plates. Common mistake: Putting out all plates at once and overcrowding the table.
Product facts
- Tiny Plates: Tiny Plates are the smallest of the bunch, great for snacking, dipping oils, or politely discarding olive pits. Set of four. These are ideal for appetizers, condiments, or small bites, and they double as lids for Mini Bowls.
- Dinner Plates: Dinner Plates are a set of four hand-glazed plates perfect for potluck dinners, big appetites, or serving a cake. They double as a lid for the large Gather Bowl. These are your main-course plates, and the lid function adds storage versatility.
