Dinnerware information
« Previous Entries Next Entries »What is Faience Earthenware?
Sunday, February 15th, 2009Faience is an earthenware featuring a tin-enameled (stanniferous) glaze. The glaze produces an opaque white surface.
In the traditional manner of producing ceramic items, a clay vessel would first be fired to create the fired product – an unglazed fired product can be called biscuit or bisque. For Faience earthenware, the undecorated biscuit was [...]
Redware or Terra Cotta is a type of Earthenware
Friday, February 13th, 2009Redware, also known as Terra Cotta, has a distinctly red body, hence its name. The clay or paste is rendered out of surface clays. The Redware body is softest of all the Earthenwares and fractures easily.
Redware is a variety of earthenware whose body of soft porous clay turns red, orange, or brown when fired due [...]
What is Earthenware dinnerware and its pros and cons, strengths and weaknesses?
Thursday, February 5th, 2009What is Earthenware?
There are 2 basic definitions, depending on whom you go to for the information.
The history of ceramics would say:
Earthenware is a relatively soft, porous body that would not contain liquids without a glaze.
The ceramic and dinnerware industry would say:
Earthenware is any pottery body which, when fired, has a porosity of more than five [...]
What is dinnerware made of ? – or Dinnerware 101
Thursday, February 5th, 2009Almost all quality dinnerware produced today is made from either glass or ceramic coated with a glass like glaze.
Ceramic dinnerware (and ceramics in general) is usually divided into three common grades, and then subdivided within each grade.
The common grades of ceramic used for modern dinnerware and tableware are:
Earthenware
Stoneware
Porcelain
Each grade of ceramic is distinguished [...]
What is the meaning of Vitrified as it applies to dinnerware?
Thursday, January 22nd, 2009There are a couple of definitions for Vitrified.
A fully vitrified body is not porous, it is solid. Accordingly, it expands and contracts at the same rate, unlike a porous body that contains air and moisture. A porous body will weaken much faster than a vitrified body. Professional restaurant dinnerware usually is made [...]
What kinds of ceramics are used to make dinnerware or Ceramics 101
Thursday, January 22nd, 2009First, lets start with – What is ceramics?
A basic definition of Ceramic would be:
Ceramic – any of various hard material made by firing a non-metallic mineral, as clay.
Ceramics are dinnerware or objects that are made from baked clay. The production of ceramics involve mixing powdered clay, a tempering medium, and water to create a [...]
Knives, forks, and spoons
Sunday, January 18th, 2009Knives, forks and spoons – the perfect companion to your dinnerware. The dinnerware industry calls knives, forks, and spoons – flatware. Which I always thought was odd, for none of the pieces are flat. But that’s how it goes.
Industry facts about flatware or knives, forks, and spoons.
Usually people change their dinnerware more [...]
All types of bowls, and I still want more
Friday, January 9th, 2009 Big bowls, little bowls, serving bowls, dessert bowls. You can never have too many bowls. Bowls have so many uses, to serve, to hold, to mix in, to display in, and on and on. I love bowls. I love using them. I especially love displaying them.
Here is a list [...]
Mugs, coffee mugs, tea cups, and more mugs
Thursday, January 8th, 2009There are almost as many different mugs and cups as there are beverages to drink. Cups and mugs are both a handled container to hold beverages. Traditionally, a Cup is round and wide at the top, and round and small at the bottom, and is paired with a saucer. The saucer will [...]
The different kinds and sizes of plates in dinnerware
Thursday, January 8th, 2009Here is some general sizing information about dinnerware plates and what the dinnerware and tabletop industry means when they list different words to describe a dinnerware plate.
Plates – usually round, but can also be square or oval.
Dinner plate – usually 10” to 12” in diameter, but can be smaller. Some dinnerware manufacturers call a [...]