1. KNOW YOUR CERAMICS

The dinner plates, bowls and mugs that you use everyday are the result of a long history.  Pottery dates back many centuries and was originally nothing more than base clay, mixed with water and shaped by hand, that was left in the sun to dry.  This type of pottery was common all over the world and was fragile and apt to become porous over time.

A short history

It was not until much later that potters learned that by heating the pots in an oven that they could improve their durability.  This had been discovered by the Chinese, who had been making a very hard, white substance called porcelain for hundreds of years before the first European traveller arrived, was immediately entranced by it and took samples back to his countrymen to see.

The fine and beautifully decorated porcelain from China created enormous interest in Europe, but the Chinese were not interested in trading in it, so various Europeans tried making it for themselves – over 200 years later they finally managed it!

In Europe the famous Meissen factories were founded in the early 1700’s, and in England Josiah Spode set up his famous Etruria pottery in 1769 making bone china, which was very different from the Chinese porcelain.

Raw materials

The term ‘Ceramic’ covers various materials, which are all widely available in the marketplace, but have different properties, as well as price points.

All ceramics are produced from the same raw materials, but different amounts of each are used for different products.  The basic raw materials are:

a.  Kaolin and Clay

These are the plastic components necessary for moulding

b. Quartz and Feldspar

These are the thickening components necessary for hardening during firing.

c. Bone ash – is added to bone china.

The differing percentages of how these raw materials are mixed define each type of ceramic.

Different types

a. Terracotta

This reddish clay is the most basic of pottery which is often left unglazed.  It is usually quite cheap and usually used for items such as wine coolers, chicken bricks and storage jars.

Clean terracotta by washing by hand in hot water WITHOUT soap or detergents, add a little vinegar or salt instead.

b. Earthenware

This is by far the most common type of ceramic in use in the UK today.  It is usually a warm red brick colour or a pale creamy yellow if left unglazed, but this would leave it porous and not waterproof.  Therefore, most earthenware is glazed to improve its durability.  It has a high percentage of clay in its mixture.

Whilst it appears to be thicker, heavier and stronger than other pottery such as porcelain and bone china, earthenware is actually rather fragile and can break or chip quite easily.

Domino range of tableware available from Lifestyle Products

Opaque to look at, this type of clay can vary due to the local clays available.  Most budget tableware imported into the UK is of this type.  The better quality stoneware has good oven proof properties. 

Stoneware is semi-vitrified (ie halfway to becoming glass) and impervious to liquids, so does not need glazing, though decorative glazes are usually added.  It is fired at a higher temperature than earthenware or terracotta to achieve its semi-vitrified state.

d. Porcelain and Fine China

Porcelain is the generic term for all white semi-translucent vitrified (ie glass like) tableware.  It is available as hard paste porcelain, used in general tableware and soft paste porcelain which, because it can be fired at lower temperatures, is more suited to fine figurine work.

It is non porous and acid resistant whether glazed or unglazed, and is harder than bone china.  It can withstand heat and can be used for oven to tableware in some cases.  However, it will crack if exposed to sudden changes of temperature.

Fine China is also white or semi-translucent in appearance has a superior glaze to porcelain. 

e. Bone China

Bone China is very similar to porcelain except that bone ash is added to the mix to produce a finer finish and the translucent property that is its hallmark.  Discovered by Josiah Spode in the 18th century, it is considered to be the most precious of all porcelains. 

The raw mixture contains 40-50% bone ash and is expensive to produce because each piece needs a lot of clear space around it when being fired.  This means it can only be made in smaller quantities. 

Bone china has a high degree of whiteness, extreme transparency, and is exceptionally strong.  The body is also totally non porous.  For these reasons bone china is normally found in the better quality ranges of china, although in recent years bone china mugs have become extremely popular and need not be expensive.

Caring for your ceramics

Most ceramic products, with the exception of terracotta, are suitable for dishwasher use.  However repeated washing in a dishwasher may fade the gold or platinum bands or coloured decorations.

To help minimise this effect stack your dishwasher so none of the pieces can knock against each other.   Do not wash in temperatures higher than 60°C and use a mild detergent.

If fine dinnerware is washed by hand, avoid any sudden temperature changes, such as putting a hot item into cool wash water and use a mild detergent.

In hard water areas, to avoid chalky deposits forming on your tableware, never allow water to dry on it.  Always wipe with a soft cloth after washing.  If tableware does pick up such deposits, they can easily be removed with vinegar.

Cooking with ceramics

a. Microwaves

Virtually all ceramic products are suitable for use in the microwave, as long as the cooking time is not too long, with the exception of those products that are decorated with any metal, e.g. gold, platinum or silver.

b. Oven to tableware

Oven to table white porcelain is ideal for cooking in, and some ranges are also guaranteed flameproof which adds to their versatility.

Ovenproof porcelain conducts heat very well, but should be used with a heat diffusing mat if you use it on top of a stove, or a heat conducting tray in the oven. 

Several ceramic oven to tableware products are sold with wicker or chrome baskets or stands to make the dishes more attractive to take to the dining table, these also protect the table from the heat of the ceramic product.

Although these products can all be used for various functions, a normal range will consist of:

- a roasting dish (deep sided large product for joints, roast vegetables etc.);
- a lasagne dish (again a large square product, but with shallower sides);
- fluted dishes for flans and pies (round in shape and shallow sides);
- a casserole dish, which can be round or square, but will have a lid;
- a souffle dish, which will be round, and have deep sides.