Microwave Cooking for One by Marie T Smith

Shopping for Microwave Safe Dinnerware

Villeroy & Boch Dinnerware

In the village of Audun-le-Tiche in 1748 in the Duchy of Lorraine, the respected iron founder, François Boch, began manufacturing ceramic tableware — plates, cups, pots and tureens — in simple shapes and excellent quality. Businessman Nicolas Villeroy set up an earthenware factory in Vaudrevange — which is today called Wallerfangen — on the River Saar in 1791. He successfully printed tableware using copper-plating, a decisive precondition for cost-effective serial production.

In 1809 Jean-François Boch purchased the former Benedictine abbey in Mettlach on the River Saar. In the baroque building he set up a highly-modern, extensively mechanized system of tableware production, designing many of the production machines himself. His inventions smooth the way for manual ceramic manufacture to be replaced by industrial production. Today, the baroque building is the corporate headquarters of Villeroy & Boch. A new type of earthenware which is bright white and extremely hard is developed at the Boch factory in Mettlach in 1829. It is so similar to porcelain that it is called porcelain stoneware. No other competitor is in a position to produce anything like it.

In order to survive on the European market, the two rivals Jean-François Boch and Nicolas Villeroy merge their works to form one business enterprise. The Villeroy & Boch company is born in 1836 and its rise to market leadership of the European market begins. Villeroy & Boch expands its product range. The first jointly established factory is a glassworks — the Cristallerie in Wadgassen, whose products still complement the tableware range today.

Since 1748, Villeroy & Boch has been distinguished as the largest producer of ceramics in the world, setting the dining tables of the Vatican in Rome and the palaces of Europe's royalty. Production is carried out in 21 production facilities in twelve European countries. Villeroy & Boch products are marketed in 125 countries. If you're looking for modern, uncomplicated designs in tableware for everyday living, consider Villeroy & Boch.

The Villeroy & Boch Patterns

There are quite a number of current Villeroy & Boch patterns at any given time. We provide pictures of the dinner plates so you can see what the pattern looks like if you're not sure what the name of a pattern is. Pictures slow down the loading of pages in your browser, so we have divided the current Villeroy & Boch patterns into two sections at this website. If you know the name of your pattern, click on it directly below. If you want to browse the pictures of the available patterns, click on the purple box above the list of pattern names to see previews before selecting the pattern.

Retired Villeroy & Boch Patterns — Has your pattern been discontinued? Here are some solutions to find pieces to complete your set.

Microwave Egg Boiler — Hard or Soft boiled eggs in minutes from your microwave!