Fiesta Sunflower 831 4 Piece Place Setting

What's in the Box
1 place setting. Place setting consists of: dinner plate; salad plate; bowl; mug. 4 pieces total.

Product Description
Is it the bright, mix and match colors? Or the timeless yet nostalgic art deco design? Did you first fall in love with an old pitcher at a flea market, or with a gleaming new teapot at a department store? Are you passionate about one particular color or do you fall into "the more the merrier" camp? Avid fans of Fiesta have been collecting it for over six decades, making it one of the most popular china patterns in the world. One of the very best features of Fiestaware is the opportunity to personalize your addiction, um, collection.

I loved the way food looked on the black plates, and wanted dishes colorful enough to stand up to my deep red dining room. The dishes had to be tough enough to stand up to the menfolk, be dishwasher friendly and microwave safe. I soon settled on Fiestaware. I loved the assortment of colors and serving pieces and the possibility of mixing and matching colors and pieces. A big plus was the variety of places to order them online, allowing me to avoid the dreaded mall. I did make one trip to a local kitchen store to look over the colors in person, as I know the accuracy of color representation online is iffy.

I ordered 4-piece place settings from Amazon in plum, persimmon, turquoise, sunflower and cinnabar (I'm still waiting on the sunflower). I added a matching boullion cups, the pedestal bowl in plum, serving pieces from the Betty Crocker catalog in juniper, and dinner plates in chartreuse from Ebay. The colors are absolutely scrumptious, and with all those colors I can mix and match to suit my mood, my outfit, the dish I am serving, the weather or any combination of the above. The dishes are attractively designed, and fit well in the dishwasher. The mugs are amazingly comfortable to hold (I wasn't sure they would be), and the cereal bowls are generous in size. There are numerous shapes and kinds of serving dishes to accompany the dinnerware, which will make it hard to stop adding to the collection. And did I mention I love the colors?

Most of the place settings arrived very quickly, with the longest wait for the sunflower. Amazon shipped for free, and the boxes arrived in excellent condition with no breakage, just lots of cardboard to recycle, so no complaints on that. I've been using most of the dishes now for about a month.

Now for the downside, and I'm sorry to say there is one. Apparently Fiestaware has a long history of production flaws. Several of my dishes arrived with glazing flaws such as debris in the glaze, glaze pops and skips. Amazon exchanged quickly and easily, no complaints there, but one of the replacements, the persimmon boullion cup, arrived with an even worse flaw. It looks like Homer Laughlin China needs to do some significant work on their quality control. Others have mentioned that the dark colors show some scratches from use, and unfortunately I have to agree. To date, however, the scratches are not significant enough that I'm overly concerned, after all these dishes get used daily and tossed in the dishwasher.

On the whole, I love these dishes, and am happy with purchase. They were reasonably priced and will offer years of service. If the thought of a few scratches on the plates, or a few pieces with production flaws, concerns you, though, I suggest you consider different dinnerware. I'd give Fiestaware 5 stars if they could clean-up their production act; until then 3 will suffice.


This is NOT a knock-off.   August 22, 2001
C.D. (Carnation, Washington USA)
35 out of 36 found this review helpful

For those of you that are new to the Fiesta Ware line by Homer Laughlin Corporation (HLC), this is NOT a knock-off of the original production. This new line of Fiesta Ware - manufactured by HLC - is primarily produced with the original molds used to produce the product for over the past 60 years or so.

New Fiesta Ware is made of a vitrifed china which requires a higher firing temperature than the oringal line which was made of semi-vitrified china. Vitrified china appeals to the restaurant industry, a large part of HLC's customer base. (Next time you are in a restaurant, peek under the plate to see the name of the manufacturer - it will probably be HLC!) However, to accomodate shrinkages caused by the higher temperature, mold changes had to be done to the lids and 10.5" plates.

Restaurants use Fiesta Ware and other HLC china because of its durability. I have been using the new Fiesta Ware for every meal, every day for the past 13 years and have only broken a few things. (Thankfully, they usually survive the drop into my cast-iron/enamal sink without a scratch.)

As far as manufacturing flaws are concerned, you will find them. They may included variations in the depth of color or a glazed-over "bump" in the china. (Anyone that has collected older Fiesta Ware will tell you that these same flaws exist in the older pieces as well.) If you are particular, check your product! If you don't like it exchange it. However, I have found flaws to be more uncommon than common, and those that I find are fairly minor and not bothersome.

HLC has added new items to the line, again, mostly for the restaurant trade; however, they are welcome additions to any kitchen. My personal favorite is the 12" rimmed bowl which is great for a big serving of pasta!

Bottom line: In my opinion, this is a wonderfully durable, colorful and fun line of china - enjoy it for a long time!


A timeless classic!   September 19, 2000
KC (CA)
29 out of 30 found this review helpful

I've had my Fiestaware for over ten years now and I never get tired of it! I purchased it in my first marriage and got it all in the divorce. I have since remarried - when I was completing my bridal registry I had absolutely no wish to register for dinnerware. What can I say? A classic American design, and it comes in a rainbow of colors...you can keep all one color or mix and match (as I did). And these dishes are DURABLE -- I have not broken a single one! In addition, they are great sizes -- the cereal bowls, especially. And what a great value!


Great For Picnics or Cabins!   July 12, 2002
Barron Laycock (Temple, New Hampshire United States)
14 out of 14 found this review helpful

I am in the process of finishing a rustic little cabin in the northern woods of New hampshire, and we live pretty primitively on the weekends we go up to do work. These place settings come in handy because they are attractive, easy to use, and very easy to wash and clean. They are also quite durable, so the four sets we have show no signs of wear even though they are used quite regularly. I also like the fact that they come in a veritable rainbow of choices in terms of colors. If you have a use for casual dinnerware, try these out. I know you'll like them as much as we do! Enjoy!


Absolutely great everyday-ware!   September 20, 2000
13 out of 13 found this review helpful

This place setting is wonderful! Not only is it great looking, it's durable (I'm not the most careful dishwasher). I love the clean, simple designs. And while we have the white Fiestaware, I've seen the other colors and they would certainly brighten up any kitchen. I'd recommend this as great everyday-ware -- in white or any color!