Average homeowner waits 30 years to use their finest dishes

Homeowners want every day to feel like a special occasion. A new study has found the average homeowner waits nearly three decades before breaking out special occasion items — so what’s stopping them?

The recent poll of 2,000 U.S. homeowners found that, across every generation from Gen Zers to baby boomers, two in three (68%) said they wish they could live every day like a special occasion, and 58% said if it were practical, they'd use their "special occasion" items every single day.

A majority of homeowners (79%) have items they hold dear, set aside only for special occasions, and 69% of whom reserve fragile and intricate items such as dishes and glassware.

Commissioned by SMEG USA and conducted by Talker Research, the study revealed that 64% of homeowners have never touched these special occasion items, leaving them to collect dust waiting for the “right” moment.

In fact, 54% have never even used a "special occasion" item because the right moment hasn't yet come up.

The study found one possible explanation: 48% state that they don’t use their special occasion items every day because they are worried about damaging them, and 45% say they’re impractical to use daily.

Four in 10 people (42%) believe that many of their dishes and glassware need to be washed by hand — especially items like vintage dishware, dishes made from unique materials and items made from sterling silver.

While 29% said they wash these things by hand after every use, a majority (57%) choose to wash their rare dishes and glasses on a regular basis, regardless of whether it was used or not. One in five (21%) wash them monthly, while 36% wash weekly.

Many admitted to owning items that they know could technically be put in the dishwasher but still choose to wash by hand.

"Don’t let the fear of cleanup and maintenance take away from your joy in using the special items from around your kitchen," said Mattia Sala, product manager at SMEG USA. "Beautiful dishes, glassware and cookware can help make an ordinary day feel extraordinary, and modern kitchen technology makes it easier to care for these cherished items."

Homeowners choose to save special items, like dish and glassware, for the bigger highlights in their lives. According to the study, this includes special occasions like holiday gatherings (70%), anniversaries (65%), getting married (57%), milestone birthdays (56%) and graduations (50%).

When thinking about the future, 83% of people with special items said they'll pass them down to their children, grandchildren and other family members. In fact, 41% have purchased items with the intention of making it a family heirloom.

Some respondents shared that their heirlooms-in-the-making included candy dishes, crystal glassware and vases.

Sala continued, “An easy place to begin making ordinary days feel extraordinary is in the kitchen – by doing simple things such as using your collectible cookware on a quality range designed for outstanding cooking results, chilling your finest vintage to perfection in a wine cooler that looks sleek in your kitchen, and using your favorite stemware to elevate a weekday meal.”

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“Then, enjoy the benefits of loading it all into a well-quipped dishwasher that can handle everything from the bulkiest pots and pans to delicate items so that you have more time to enjoy the finer things in your life every day."

WHAT DO PEOPLE BRING OUT THEIR VERY BEST DISHES FOR?

• Holiday gatherings - 70%
• Anniversaries - 65%
• Getting married - 57%
• Milestone birthdays - 56%
• Graduating - 50%
• Getting engaged - 41%
• Having a kid - 41%
• Buying my first home - 36%
• Having guests over - 36%
• Funerals/wakes - 32%
• Getting a new job, promotion or raise - 32%
• Moving in with my partner - 16%
• Getting divorced - 10%

Survey methodology:

Talker Research surveyed 2,000 American homeowners; the survey was commissioned by SMEG and administered and conducted online by Talker Research between Aug. 21 and Aug. 27, 2025.

We are sourcing from a non-probability frame and the two main sources we use are:

• Traditional online access panels — where respondents opt-in to take part in online market research for an incentive
• Programmatic — where respondents are online and are given the option to take part in a survey to receive a virtual incentive usually related to the online activity they are engaging in

Those who did not fit the specified sample were terminated from the survey. As the survey is fielded, dynamic online sampling is used, adjusting targeting to achieve the quotas specified as part of the sampling plan.

Regardless of which sources a respondent came from, they were directed to an Online Survey, where the survey was conducted in English; a link to the questionnaire can be shared upon request. Respondents were awarded points for completing the survey. These points have a small cash-equivalent monetary value.

Cells are only reported on for analysis if they have a minimum of 80 respondents, and statistical significance is calculated at the 95% level. Data is not weighted, but quotas and other parameters are put in place to reach the desired sample.

Interviews are excluded from the final analysis if they failed quality-checking measures. This includes:

• Speeders: Respondents who complete the survey in a time that is quicker than one-third of the median length of interview are disqualified as speeders
• Open ends: All verbatim responses (full open-ended questions as well as other please specify options) are checked for inappropriate or irrelevant text
• Bots: Captcha is enabled on surveys, which allows the research team to identify and disqualify bots
• Duplicates: Survey software has “deduping” based on digital fingerprinting, which ensures nobody is allowed to take the survey more than once

It is worth noting that this survey was only available to individuals with internet access, and the results may not be generalizable to those without internet access.