Q Squared Melamine Dinnerware: The Brand Story, Safety and What to Buy
Q Squared is a New York melamine dinnerware brand founded by a mother and daughter, Nancy Young Mosny and Alaina Young. Its pieces look like fine china, porcelain and hand-thrown stoneware, but they're shatter resistant, BPA free and go in the dishwasher, so they work everywhere from a holiday table to a pool deck. The company now trades as Q Home, and its best known line is still Ruffle, the white dinnerware with the softly rippled rim.
Who is behind Q Squared?
Nancy Young Mosny was an editor at Glamour and later ran her own home decor boutique. Her daughter, Alaina Young, studied art history. Together they set out to make dinnerware that looks like the china you save for holidays but can be used every day without worry. They tested the line internationally before launching it in the United States in 2011, and the company is based at 1133 Broadway in Manhattan.
The "Q" stands for quality, and the brand's tagline is "effortless entertaining." The company now trades as Q Home, at shopqhome.com. It is the same company and the same collections, so if you see Q Home on a box, it's Q Squared.
From the shop: Parci Parla is a family business too, opened in Brooklyn in 2006. When we brought Q Squared back, we started with its two best-known collections: Ruffle and Potter Stone.
What Q Squared is made of
Most Q Squared pieces are 100% melamine, a hard, food-safe resin used in restaurant dinnerware. Q Squared hand polishes each piece to a high gloss, which is why the Ruffle plates read as glazed ceramic rather than plastic.
The Potter collection is made of Melaboo, a blend of bamboo fiber and melamine that is exclusive to Q Squared. The bamboo gives it a matte, slightly textured surface that looks like studio pottery. Potter launched in 2018 in two colorways; we carry Stone, a creamy glaze edged in soft gray.
Is melamine dinnerware safe?
Yes, for serving food. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has tested melamine tableware and found that very little melamine moves into food. It found measurable amounts only in acidic foods held at 160°F for two hours, far hotter and longer than a plate ever sees at dinner. Under normal use, the FDA estimated the level at about 250 times below what it considers safe.
The one rule is heat. The FDA advises against heating food in melamine, so it never goes in the microwave or oven. Warm food in a microwave-safe dish, then serve it on melamine.
Melamine vs. porcelain vs. stoneware
From the shop: The customers who buy Q Squared from us usually already own good china. They want something just as pretty for the backyard, the beach house or the kids' table, so the china can stay inside.
The Q Squared pieces we carry
Ruffle
Ruffle is Q Squared's signature: bright white, high gloss, with an irregular rippled rim like hand-thrown porcelain. It works with any color of linen or flower, and it mixes well with china you already own.
Potter Stone
Potter Stone is the earthier choice: a matte cream glaze edged in gray, made of Melaboo. It suits rustic tables, fall menus and anyone who loves the look of studio pottery but not the chips.
Every piece is sold in sets of four. See the full Q Squared collection.
Building a Q Squared table for four
Orders over $150 ship free in the U.S.
How to care for Q Squared
- Use the dishwasher. Q Squared melamine and Melaboo are dishwasher safe.
- Keep it away from direct heat: no microwave, oven, broiler or stovetop, and don't set a hot pan on it.
- Wash with a soft sponge. Scouring pads can dull the hand-polished finish.
Frequently asked questions
Who owns Q Squared?
Q Squared was founded by mother and daughter Nancy Young Mosny and Alaina Young. Nancy, a former Glamour editor and home boutique owner, has led the company as CEO.
Is Q Squared the same as Q Home?
Yes. The company now uses the name Q Home, at shopqhome.com, for the same melamine collections, including Ruffle and Potter.
Where is Q Squared based?
New York City. The company is headquartered at 1133 Broadway in Manhattan.
Is Q Squared melamine microwave safe?
No. Like all melamine, it shouldn't go in the microwave or oven. Heat food in microwave-safe cookware, then serve it on Q Squared.
Is Q Squared dishwasher safe?
Yes. The melamine and Melaboo pieces are dishwasher safe.
Is Q Squared BPA free?
Yes. Q Squared melamine and Melaboo are BPA free.
What is Melaboo?
Melaboo is Q Squared's own blend of bamboo fiber and melamine. It gives the Potter collection a matte, stoneware look while staying shatter resistant.
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