Maxwell & Williams White Basics

Beautifully simple and elegant – Beautifully simple and elegant. The great thing with White Basics is that they never go out of style, and look like new out of the dishwasher. If you like chunky mugs with birds and trees and flowers, this is not your style. I am a tea drinker and these are perfect, fine China for the job. Better still, if you chip a plate or cup, they never seem… Read more

to go out of production. Harris Scarfe were fantastic in sourcing replacements and have a very generous home delivery option-as many packages from multiple shops to fill your order for $10.

Microwave and dishwasher safe lies – These plates were cheap. And once we started using them we could see why. The plates heat up more than the food in microwave ovens. They are so hot that they cannot be touched whilst the food remains cold. The plates have also started to develop hairline cracks after less than 12 months of use. Do not use these in a microwave or dishwasher.

Design changes so can’t replace – I bought lots of these on the basis that I could replace them or buy more if they broke. When I first came to do this they had changed the design. Show details

Just rubbish – Wish I had read these reviews before I bought these mugs I got. I bought 8 large mugs thinking they would last a long time, & if something happend to one I would have spares, but every one of them have chipped or cracked & one of them cracked on the handle. These cups got the same treatment as another brands, that is used every day & have survived… Read more

all 8 cups. I have tried to patch them up, but once they are used again, they chip or crack again. These are the weakest cups in my cupboard, it's like they are made of chalk, & wish I never wasted my money on them. I bought them from Myer less then a year ago.

Just Junk! – Of all the dinnerware I've bought this dinnerware set is just garbage. It chips so badly and gets worn down so quickly from the dishwasher that after 2 years you would think I owned it for 20 years. We dropped one of the dishes and it shattered so completely and left shards of the dish everywhere. Never have I ever seen something so badly produced. Really take this review to heart if you're considering purchasing this brand. Show details

Cracked and chipped – These plates crack and chip and we will not buy again. We only use them on special occasions but they are not survivable.

Bit disappointed – Bought maxwell williams caviar dinnerset was so excited to get a new dinnerset as our old ones were probably 20 years old. These new ones look great but i found they chipped really easy and the knives and forks scratch them badly which make a new dinnerset look tired and old. Show details

So disappointed – Bought 3 set of dishes in hope of these being my nice set of dishes. Chips easily, lacquer is gone and marks easily with knife marks. Would definitely not recommend. Show details

Gorgeous set, rubbish quality – These dishes barely made it past the year mark without being covered in chips and cracks. Disappointed as a loyal customer to this brand we now have to find something better as these dishes aren’t worth even a quarter of what we paid. Washed gently and put away carefully it’s hard to understand why they were so easy to crack. Even heard a few… Read more

crack In The microwave after being in for no more than 2 minutes. Not quite meeting that standard of being oven, microwave and dishwasher safe.

Worst dinner set I've ever owned – I purchased two sets from Myer nearly a year ago. After several weeks I broke a small plate and was going to replace it. I'm glad I didn't because over the next few months nearly half of the small plates and bowls have chipped. The hole set now has chips, cracked glaze and grey marks. I thought I was buying a good quality dinner set but obviously… Read more

price doesn't mean quality. This set isn't good value for money as the whole set now needs to be replaced.

Great customer service – I ordered two dinner sets but only one arrived. My query to Maxwell and Williams was answered immediately and I was provided with the tracking number for Australia Post. After several weeks Australia Post was unable to find the parcel and referred me back to the company. A replacement set was sent immediately at no cost to me. Thank you to Kay from customer service!

Marks easily – Purchased basic whites mugs, bowls and plates, after only a few weeks all have grey marks, even using cutlery on them marks the plates badly. What a waste of money

Chips badly – Sadly these sets chip terribly.. I bought 3 dinner sets from Myer and within 5 months of purchase 40% is chipped. I would never buy these again, they look great but aren't a decent quality .

Poor quality – We had Maxwell and Williams coffee mugs that we loved and that eventually faded, but only after MANY dishwasher cycles. The "white basics" dishes I bought are poor quality. They are chipping and getting many permanent black marks (like scratches) on them after just a few months. I totally regret buying them.

poor quality – Looks good at first but poor quality. We've had this dinner set for only a couple of months. Already many pieces have been chipped or broken. The plates get cracks in them if you put them in the oven.

The glaze is gone – It is disappointing quality. The soup bowl and side plates have completely lost its glaze. I will have to replace them soon because the permanent stains are so irritating. I will have to replace the entire set of 12 settings. Grrrr!!!

Glaze mottled really fast – I bought a set of M&W Cashmere dinnerware and loved it when it arrived. But within 2 months the glaze on all the plates has mottled and stained. I'm going to take them back and get some Wedgewood White ware. Avoid.

Quite durable and easy to replace – We originally got ours (some as wedding gifts) about 14yrs ago. Over that time I've had to replace quite a few as they've got chipped, dropped or broken, so it's great that they are easy to buy as individual pieces. The plain white never dates or gets boring. I liked the fact that the plates and bowls are nice and big. They are relatively durable… Read more

(we don't have a dishwasher so have always washed by hand...(dishes that get chipped generally happened during washing). Now it probably sounds like I break things all the time...not really, it is over quite a few years, plus we have a couple of kids who do dishes these days, sometimes that means more breakages. I find the bowls and little plates seem to get chipped the most, maybe because they get most use.

Quite a while ago I went to an op shop, found a whole stack of Maxwell & Williams white basics, quite faded and obviously had been used in hospitality, but still in good condition considering. I also picked up a Corelle plate, I thought it was plastic because it's so nice and light in comparison, it feels fragile but it durable. So after many years of service from the Maxwell and Williams white basics I'm planning to switch to Corelle.

Maxwell Williams White Basics is good if you want something readily available and relatively durable, if you bang them they may chip, if you drop them (onto tiles) they will most likely break, and they won't stay pristine looking forever either. I think at this sort of price there are probably other options to look at as well.

Unbreakable Plates – These are the best cermaics I have had in my kitchen. Usually purchase S&P dinner sets and cutlery, however this was the best decision I ever made. Their cups dont break as easy in the wash, and with 5 kids, these really get alot of use.They were really affordable and would gladly recommend to family and friends. One cup fell out of the dishwasher… Read more

and didnt break. Easy to clean and dont break as easy as other ceramics Very Pricey at around $80 a box

Poor quality..wish we hadn't purchased – We too bought two sets less than two years ago and in very short order the glaze wore and mottled, and now there are grey stains under the remaining glaze. We would not recommend this product to anyone. In consideration of the fact that we had a set of Mikasa dishes for twenty years prior to this with no signs of wear, these dishes are a major disappointment!

Look great but not at all durable! – We were given two sets of the white basics as an engagement gift & at first they were great but after only a week or two they were starting to show signs of mottling in the glaze from the dishwasher, in spite of being dishwasher safe. Over a relatively short period of time (two years), the glaze on every piece had mottled & some felt different to… Read more

the touch - not rough but almost matte?

I considered two yesr to be a very short period of time for crockery considering I still have, in full, my grandmother's dinner set which she was given as a wedding gift in 1946...granted, I don't use it every day but it would have been used more in its 75 year life span that the M&W was in its 2 year lifespan!!!!!

I contacted M&W & was told that they don't give any guarantee of quality at the age that the crockery is...so to them, 2 years is an old set!!!!! Looks great. Poor quality.

Good for the price and you can always add more if you need to as they are always available – I bought this as I need lots of plates for a function we were having at home. They are a good size and available in a few sizes as well as durable. Great thing about these plates are that they are available always so if you break one you can replace it. Fair price for the quality, available always

great value for money – Solid pieces of kitchenware, nice sized plates which stack well on top of each other. The mugs are a little smaller than I like. Clean up well, dishwasher and microwave safe. Such a large range in this set, from everyday dishes to serving platters and cake stands. all great quality and looks really stylish. size of the dishes, microwave and dishwasher safe cups too small