October 2024, May 2023
Featured as the top pick on Wirecutter’s list of ‘The Best Dinnerware Set’ in 2023 and 2024, the Rim Line is a Heath staple. The distinctive exposed clay rim evolves beautifully over time, developing a patina that makes it velvet-soft with use. Read on to see what they had to say:
The Heath Ceramics Rim Line dinnerware set is an enduring classic—it’s just as timeless today as it was when it was designed by Edith Heath in 1960. Made by a small team, this handcrafted stoneware feels warm and homey but retains a refined quality. The unglazed stoneware rims are a key component of this collection’s earthy signature look. One tester said, “Each piece feels like an object of art.” Nearly all of our testers gushed over the colors and both the matte and shiny glazes of the Rim Line. We also like that this dinnerware looks hearty and substantial but is surprisingly thin, which makes it feel more polished. Even the underside of each plate and bowl is glazed (except for the foot, or the unglazed ring on the bottom of pottery), which adds to the overall quality.
The Heath Ceramics Rim Line dinnerware set is an enduring classic—it’s just as timeless today as it was when it was designed by Edith Heath in 1960. Made by a small team, this handcrafted stoneware feels warm and homey but retains a refined quality. The unglazed stoneware rims are a key component of this collection’s earthy signature look. One tester said, “Each piece feels like an object of art.” Nearly all of our testers gushed over the colors and both the matte and shiny glazes of the Rim Line. We also like that this dinnerware looks hearty and substantial but is surprisingly thin, which makes it feel more polished. Even the underside of each plate and bowl is glazed (except for the foot, or the unglazed ring on the bottom of pottery), which adds to the overall quality.
We have had various Heath pieces in the Wirecutter test kitchen since 2019, and we haven’t chipped or broken a single one. (Heath offers a one-year warranty on its dinnerware, should you encounter any manufacturing issues.) We appreciate that the various glazes in Heath’s collection lend themselves to mixing and matching to create an eclectic yet cohesive look. In particular, the Coupe Line, Heath’s first dinnerware line, introduced in 1948, is more streamlined and is fully glazed except for a thin area along the rim—the two collections meld beautifully, so don’t be afraid to combine pieces.
“The fact that Heath’s legacy is as old as it is and that they’re still basically creating the same forms and glazes like Edith Heath did is remarkable.”
Heath dinnerware pieces are expensive, but we don’t think you need to own a full set to enjoy them—single pieces from these collections could look great incorporated into other stoneware sets, as well. As Margaret Carney, PhD, ceramic art historian and the founding director and curator of the International Museum of Dinnerware Design, told us, “The fact that Heath’s legacy is as old as it is and that they’re still basically creating the same forms and glazes like Edith Heath did is remarkable.” Heath dinnerware has even been used by restaurants, including Alice Waters’s Chez Panisse in Berkeley, California.
Excerpt from Michael Sullivan's Wirecutter article, 'The Best Dinnerware'.
Continue reading the full review.
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Excerpt from Michael Sullivan's Wirecutter article, 'The Best Dinnerware'.
Continue reading the full review.
