I've had Mikasa stoneware dishes for over 38 years and loved them, but was sick of them. I switched to Fiestaware because I thought they are timeless. But, they were really heavy, and didn't fit in my dishwasher....and they weren't oven safe like my old dishes. I searched and searched and found these dishes and I LOVE THEM. They feel smooth, and look timeless....even the blue which is the color I chose because I fell in love with the color and it wasn't quite as timeless as white or off white like my Mikasa dishes. I realize many who reads this, will disagree with me about blue versus white dishes , but I was first attracted to the blue dishes so that's what I got. Anyway - these dishes have the feel of a nicer quality dish/like china but they are more durable. What more can someone ask for. OH - they fit perfectly in my dishwasher...big plus. I wasn't sure the soup/pasta bowl was deep enough, but its perfect.