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FireKing Grill

Jadeite Dishes Identification & Price Guide

  • Collector’s Guide
    • What are Jadeite Dishes?
    • How to Identify Fire-King Jadeite Dish Markings
    • How to Identify Fire-King Jadeite Dish Patterns
    • Jadeite Dishes: Real or Reproduction?
    • How to Collect Jadeite Dishes
    • Do Jadeite Dishes Glow in the Dark?
    • Are Jadeite Dishes Safe to Use?
    • How to Care for Jadeite Dishes
  • Patterns
    • 1700 Line Jadeite Dishes
    • 2000 Jadeite Dishes
    • Alice Jadeite Dishes
    • Banded Jadeite Dishes
    • Breakfast Set Jadeite Dishes
    • Charm Jadeite Dishes
    • Jane Ray Jadeite Dishes
    • Philbe Jadeite Dishes
    • Restaurant Ware Jadeite Dishes
    • Sheaves of Wheat Jadeite Dishes
    • Shell Jadeite Dishes
    • Swirl Jadeite Dishes
  • Prices
    • Fire-King Jadeite Dish Price Guide
    • McKee Jadeite Dish Price Guide
    • Jeannette Jadeite Dish Price Guide
  • History
    • The History of Jadeite Dishes
    • The History of Fire-King Anchor Hocking (Part 1: Intro)
    • The History of Fire-King Anchor Hocking (Part 2: 1905-1969)
    • The History of Fire-King Anchor Hocking (Part 3: 1970 to 2022)
    • The History of Fire-King Anchor Hocking (Part 4: What Happened to Anchor Hocking?)
    • A Woolworths Tribute: The Store to Buy & Enjoy Jadeite Dishes
  • Blog
Home » Restaurant Ware Jadeite Dishes: Fire-King Pattern Identification Guide

Sep 08 2022

Restaurant Ware Jadeite Dishes: Fire-King Pattern Identification Guide

Fire-King Jadeite Restaurant Ware Identification Guide

How to Identify the Fire-King Restaurant Ware Design

Fire-King Restaurant Ware Jadeite dishes are easy to identify because they are about twice as thick as other Jadeite dish patterns like Jane Ray or Alice. Restaurant Ware is undecorated and has a clean, timeless appearance.

Fire-King Restaurant Ware Jadeite Dinner Plate
Fire-King Restaurant Ware Jadeite Dinner Plate
 

Earlier dishes were made the thickest, and are preferred by collectors. Later pieces were made slightly thinner and the dinner plate edges have a subtle beaded rim. An Anchor Hocking newspaper ad from 1950 describes Fire-King Restaurant Ware:

“Jade-ite Fire-King Restaurant Ware is the lowest-priced tableware service on the market. It undersells the usual vitrified [heat-proof] ware by about 50%. Heat-proof, it will not crack or craze from hot foods. Stain-proof, it’s smooth, hard surface will not discolor. Made of durable Fire-King Ovenglass, it is rugged and will take rough punishment. Non-absorbent, it is sanitary, easy to clean and keep clean. Colorful, it makes an attractive and appetizing setting for foods. Jade-ite Fire-King Restaurant Ware is supplied in complete service and is widely used by restaurants, cafeterias, lunchrooms, institutions, fountains, coffee shops, hotels, hospitals and other mass-feeding establishments.”

Source: Anchor Hocking Advertisement, Lancaster, Ohio. Lancaster Eagle-Gazette (Lancaster, Ohio), June 3, 1950, Page 130.

Fire-King Restaurant Ware Jadeite 3-Compartment Divided Grill Plate with Tabs
Fire-King Restaurant Ware Jadeite 3-Compartment Divided Grill Plate with stacking tabs.
The stacking tabs made it easier to stack all of these dishes in the restaurant.

Current Prices for Jadeite Dishes

Collector’s Notes on Restaurant Ware Fire-King Jadeite Dishes

Overall, Fire-King Restaurant Ware is a common pattern to find for sale and is generally the most popular pattern among collectors. Production began in the late 1940s and Restaurant Ware became Fire-King Jadeite’s best selling line. Affordable, durable, and its cheery green color made these Jadeite dishes a success coming out of the Great Depression.

An Anchor Hocking ad from 1949 announces The American Legion will be outfitted with Fire-King Restaurant Ware and Royal Ruby Anchorglass.
An Anchor Hocking ad from 1949 announces The American Legion will be outfitted with Fire-King Jadei-te Restaurant Ware and Royal Ruby Anchorglass.
Can you imagine seeing a huge dining hall filled with all those Fire-King dishes?

Because Jadeite dishes were used in institutions, Hollywood also uses them, like in the Netflix horror show, “Ratched”. The series is a spinoff of One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest and follows the cruel practices of Nurse Ratched in a 1940s California psych ward. Ratched TV Show Poster In episode 2, you can see Jadeite dishes being used in the staff room. Pictured is a Jane Ray creamer, and a mixing bowl in the background.

Nurse Ratched stares at Jadeite dish in the staff room at the psych ward.
Nurse Ratched stares at Jadeite dish (a Jane Ray creamer) in the staff room of the psych ward.

There’s no doubt; Jadeite dishes can have a haunting appearance in the right setting.

Learn More: Spooky Stuff! These Jadeite Dishes Glow Under a Black Light

But not many dishes can pull double duty and be appropriate for Christmas, Easter, as well as nearly any occasion. Depending on your tablescape goals, Jadeite can take your entertaining in any direction.

Fire-King Restaurant Ware staged at Rocko's Diner, Mission, BC, Canada
Fire-King Restaurant Ware staged at Rocko’s 24-hour Diner in Mission, BC, Canada

The versatility and fascinating history of Jadeite dishes are what keeps collectors wanting more as prices continue to rise. The rare Jadeite dishes to collect for Fire-King Restaurant Ware are:

  • 8” luncheon plate
  • Small sandwich platters
  • Ball jug pitcher
  • 10 ½” dinner/serving plate
  • Large handled soup cup and saucer
  • The 9” flanged/flat rim soup bowl
  • 5” handled bowl
  • Gravy boat
  • 8 ⅞” oval plate (not partitioned). There are several Restaurant Ware platters close in size, so measure yours to confirm.
Fire-King Restaurant Ware Jadeite Flanged Soup Bowl
Fire-King Restaurant Ware Jadeite Flanged Soup Bowl

The 9 ¾” platter has been named the “football platter” by collectors. For you entertainers, this makes it the perfect dish to serve appetizers on for your next Super Bowl party.

Fire-King Restaurant Ware Jadeite Oval Football Platter
Fire-King Restaurant Ware Jadeite Oval Football Platter

The Ball Jug Pitcher is extremely hard to find and considered a holy grail piece to collect. Almost impossible to find in good condition; either the spout or handle seem to have cracks if they are listed for sale. While the ball pitcher belongs to the Restaurant Ware line, it is much thinner than the rest of the pieces. Beware of reproductions. Ball Jug Pitcher reproductions are sold on eBay, but their price is nowhere close to an authentic vintage one. Even authentic vintage pitchers with cracks can easily go for $400 USD or more. Restaurant Ware Jadeite dishes are our absolute favorite to collect. We love the thickness and durability of them, and their timeless design that can be dressed up or dressed down for any occasion.

Fire-King Restaurant Ware Jadeite 5 Compartment Wagon Wheel Plate
Fire-King Restaurant Ware Jadeite 5 Compartment Wagon Wheel Plate

Distinguishing between some of the Restaurant Ware mugs and cups can prove to be quite a challenge. The 7 oz Coffee Mug and the Extra Heavy 7 oz Coffee Mug can look almost identical, so use a scale to measure the weight. Even then, there can be slight variations in the weight due to quality control issues. We measured 5 different 7 oz Coffee Mugs and they weigh between 321g and 338g.

Fire-King Restaurant Ware Jadeite 7 oz Mug
Fire-King Restaurant Ware Jadeite 7 oz Mug

We measured our Extra Heavy 7 oz Coffee Mug and it weighs 437g.

Fire-King Restaurant Ware Jadeite 7 oz Mug (Extra Heavy)
Fire-King Restaurant Ware Jadeite 7 oz Mug (Extra Heavy). If you look closely, you can see the handle is slightly thicker than the regular 7 oz Mug pictured above.

The 7 oz Cup and Extra Heavy 7 oz Cup are also difficult to tell apart. There is not much of a difference in weight, but the rim of the Extra Heavy cup is noticeably thicker than the regular 7 oz Cup. We weighed our 7 oz Cup at 293g. Our Extra Heavy 7 oz Cups weighed between 297g and 312g.

Fire-King Restaurant Ware Jadeite Heavy Coffee Mug
Fire-King Restaurant Ware Jadeite Extra Heavy 7 oz Coffee Mug

Then we have the 6oz Straight Cups and the 7oz Tapered Cups. The straight cups have a wider base then the tapered mugs, but the difference is very slight. Even with the comparison shop below, they look almost identical. The easiest way to tell the difference is to measure how much water each cup holds. We would not have known the difference unless we measured.

Fire-King Restaurant Ware Jadeite Cups Comparison
Fire-King Restaurant Ware Jadeite Cups Comparison. These ones are really hard to tell apart. Measure the amount of liquid they hold, exactly, to be sure.

And then there is the 6 oz slim hot chocolate mug. This one is a bit easier to identify from the other Restaurant Ware mugs because of its dramatic tapered sides. But measure how much liquid it holds to be sure. This mug holds 6 oz, while the other similar looking mugs hold 7 oz.

Fire-King Restaurant Ware Jadeite 6 oz Slim Hot Chocolate Mug
Fire-King Restaurant Ware Jadeite 6 oz Slim Hot Chocolate (Cheater) Mug

We use our Restaurant Ware Jadeite dishes every day as our main dishes! They bring us endless amounts of joy to use them, and we encourage other collectors to use their dishes as well. You should be able to find enough pieces to complete a table setting as there are a wide variety of pieces available.

Years Made

Fire-King Restaurant Ware was first made in 1948, and had a long production run of 19 years until 1967.

Learn More: The History of Jadeite Dishes

Learn More: The History of Fire-King Anchor Hocking (Part 1 of 4)

Other Colors

Along with Jade-ite, Restaurant Ware was also produced in:

  • Anchorwhite
  • Azur-ite (blue)
  • Crystal
  • Rose-ite (we think this color complements Jadeite very well.)
  • Fire-King Restaurant Ware Jadeite Beaded Rim Bowl
    Fire-King Restaurant Ware Jadeite Beaded Rim Bowl

Fire-King Markings for Restaurant Ware Jadeite Dishes

Because of Restaurant Ware’s long production line, almost every Fire-King mark was used. Look for these trademarks:

  • FIRE-KING OVEN GLASS (oldest)
  • OVENFire-King Glass
  • OVENFire-King WARE
  • OVENFire-King WARE MADE IN U.S.A (1951+)
  • ANCHOR HOCKING OVEN Fire-King WARE MADE IN U.S.A (1962-1967)

Generally, the more details included with these markings, the newer the dish is.

Learn More: How to Identify Fire-King Jadeite Dish Markings

Fire-King Restaurant Ware Jadeite Saucer
Fire-King Restaurant Ware Jadeite Saucer

Fire-King Restaurant Ware Dishes Made in Jadeite

Fire-King Restaurant Ware Jadeite dishes to collect include: Bowls:

Current Prices for Jadeite Dishes

  • 4 ¾” fruit bowl
  • 5” handled bowl
  • 9” flat soup bowl
  • Flanged rim 8 oz cereal bowl
  • 10 oz breakfast bowl
  • 15 oz deep bowl
Fire-King Restaurant Ware Jadeite Fruit Bowl
Fire-King Restaurant Ware Jadeite Fruit Bowl

Cups:

  • Demitasse cup
  • 6 oz straight cup
  • 7 oz extra heavy cup
  • 7 oz narrow rim cup
  • 7 oz tapered cup
  • 7 oz coffee mug
  • 6 oz slim chocolate mug

Plates:

  • 5 ½” bread and butter plate,
  • 6 ¾” pie or salad plate
  • 8” luncheon plate
  • 8 ⅞” partitioned oval plate (the 10 oz Breakfast Bowl is meant to fit in the partition)
  • 9” dinner plate
  • 9 ⅝” 3-compartment plate (comes with or without tabs. Tabs made the plates easier to stack.)
  • 9 ⅝” 5-compartment wagon wheel plate,. The 6 oz slim chocolate mug is meant to fit in the middle).
  • 6” saucer
  • Demitasse saucer
  •  
  • 7 ½” saucer for handled bowl

Servingware:

  • Gravy or sauce boat
  • Ball jug pitcher
  • 9 ½” oval platter
  • 9 ¾” oval “football” platter (wider than the regular 9 ½” platter)
  • 11 ½” oval platter
Fire-King Restaurant Ware Jadeite Oval Platter
Fire-King Restaurant Ware Jadeite Oval Platter

Research Sources

Learn more about Jadeite dishes with these collector guides, available on Amazon:

Florence, Gene. Anchor Hocking’s Fire-King & More: Identification & Value Guide including Early American Prescut and Wexford. Collector Books, 1998.

Ross, David, and Joe Keller. Jadite: An Identification & Price Guide. Schiffer Publishing, Limited, 2014.

Wilkins, Jerry, et al. A Collector’s Guide to Anchor Hocking’s “Fire-King” Glassware.

K & W Collectibles, 1991 Mauzy, Barbara E. Mauzy’s Depression Glass: A Photographic Reference with Prices. Edited by Barbara E. Mauzy and Jim Mauzy, Schiffer Publishing, Limited, 1999.

Buy Jadeite Dishes on Etsy

Buy Fire-King Restaurant Ware Jadeite on Etsy

 
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Buy Jadeite Dishes on eBay

Buy Fire-King Restaurant Ware Jadeite on eBay

 
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Current Prices for Jadeite Dishes

Written by Britt Phoenix · Categorized: Fire-King Jadeite Dish Patterns

About Britt Phoenix

Britt is an enthusiastic Jadeite dish collector from Chilliwack, BC, Canada.

She enjoys building websites and helping other collectors learn about the value of their collection which motivated her to start FireKing Grill with her mom, and fellow Jadeite collector, Connie.

When Britt's not at the computer, you can find her cooking around the campfire with cast iron, or using her Jadeite dishes in the kitchen everyday.

Contact me...

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About FireKing Grill

FireKing Grill is a collector's guide for Jadeite dishes.

Learn about the history of Jadeite dishes, and who made them, like Anchor Hocking's Fire-King. Enjoy early access to our (work in progress) price guides for Fire-King, McKee and Jeannette.

Or check out how to identify Jadeite dish markings, get pattern identification guides, and be sure to follow us on Facebook and Instagram for some amazing tablescapes.

Join us at FireKing Grill to learn more about Jadeite dishes and get the most out of your collection! View our Posts....

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