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Downsizing is a big thing in our culture these days. From Marie Kondo’s decluttering movement to the rise of tiny homes to the booming business of used clothing, it seems excess is out of fashion. Your kitchen cabinets may be the next target, if social media has its way.
From the same line of thinking that brought you the spork, meet the latest dinnerware hybrid: the blate.
Blates are a combination of bowls and plates that have attracted some high-profile attention online. They have all the surface area of a dinner plate, with the protective lip of a bowl, all in a package that looks surprisingly sleek and attractive.
You can find some blates of your own on Amazon at pretty good prices. Here are a few of the best options we’ve seen so far.
MDZF Sweet Home Deep Porcelain Dinner Dishes
Versatility is the name of the game with blates and these fit that bill. These four porcelain dishes measure 8 inches across and are deep enough to be considered blates. They can be used in the microwave, freezer and dishwasher, and come in a mixed variety of understated matte colors. You can get the set for $36.99 at Amazon, with Prime delivery.
Dowan Pasta Bowls
Since the term “blate” has not yet caught on in the mainstream, you’ll find most of these handy dishes labeled blandly as “pasta bowls.” This set of six can be bought in black, white or light blue at a great price. Whether you’re serving pasta, salad, soup or dessert, these can handle it. The set is $35.98 at Amazon, but a 10% coupon is currently attached.
Stone Lain Stoneware Round Dinner Plates
If you’d like your blates to be more plate than bowl, this set of black matte stoneware dishes will be perfect. They come in a four-pack and are more than 10 inches across, with a generous lip. You could get them for $33.82 at Amazon as of publication time.
If you’ve been around a while, you may look at pictures of blates and wonder what the big deal is. After all, plates like this have been used for years for pasta service at Italian restaurants and they can be found under the header of coupe plates at most dinnerware stores, including Williams Sonoma.
Still, these food vessels have picked up a cult fandom on social media, where they are exclusively referred to as blates. In March 2021, a seemingly random tweet urging the world to “normalize blates” earned more than 2,300 likes.
We need to normalize blates (bowl plates)!!!! Im tired of my food falling off the edge!!! I want a plate with raised sides! NORMALIZE BLATES!
— astro bully angie (@teaxtarot) March 2, 2021
From there, articles popped up on food and lifestyle sites, furthering the interest in these unicorns of the kitchen. A recent TikTok flatly stating the brilliance of the blate has been liked more than 95,000 times. The maker of the video, @wanderlusqt, poses the controversial question, “Why do we even have plates?”
It’s like our entire culinary culture is being wrestled over — all because of these deep plates (or are they flat bowls?).
@wanderlusqt U should see my bowl collection #bowlsforlife #chicagofoodie #healthyfoodinspo #chicago
Hey, if you ask me, blates are a way better viral food trend than yet another pickle-flavored snack!
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