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What is dinnerware made of ? – or Dinnerware 101
By admin | February 5, 2009
Almost 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 by the quality and purity of the clay used to form the product and the firing temperature reached in the kiln to harden the product.
The U.S. customs department classifies ceramic tableware based on two tests:
- water absorption
- light translucency
Generally speaking, lower firing temperatures can be equated with less density, less resistance to water permeation, and less resistance to cracking and chipping. Practically speaking, both stoneware and porcelain are so dense and fired at high enough temperature (over 2,100 degrees Fahrenheit) that water permeation is not a problem, and both grades, being high-fired ceramics, are resistant to cracking and chipping.
Topics: Dinnerware information, earthenware, porcelain, stoneware | No Comments »