Crockery is the main attraction of any dining table. Beautiful dinnerware enhances your meals, it is much more than just for serving food. It also sets the mood for your home dining experiences as well as expresses your personal style. Understanding and grasping the differences between the different types of dinnerware, from formal settings to elegant dinner parties to the day-to-day pieces for everyday use, is the key to selecting the right dinnerware.
Before you start wondering about patterns and colors, focusing your attention on what material you really like would be a helpful start. The main ceramic categories are stoneware, melamine, earthenware, bone china and porcelain.
Earthenware has an air of value, sturdiness and casual appeal. Being one of the oldest materials, it also gives your dinnerware heavier weight. To keep this dinnerware looking its best, it’s better to avoid unexpected temperature changes, like it won’t be microwave safe.
Bone china is often chosen for more luxurious tables. Bone is a durable, lightweight and elegant alternative for both everyday and special occasion dinnerware due to the fact that it won’t get chipped easily. It’s the strongest range of china, but unlike fine china, however, it’s microwave and dishwasher-safe.
Porcelain is a versatile material that has a non-porous surface and incredibly durable which results in high firing temperatures. Porcelain pieces are typically dishwasher, microwave, and oven-safe. Some porcelain dinnerware pieces contain metallic accents, so keep your eyes open as this makes these a microwave no-go.
Stoneware dinnerware sets have a special finishing glaze that gives a sleek look to the material and an impermeable finish, making it ideal for everyday use and family-friendly. Stoneware is harder, stronger, extremely durable and more temperature-resistant than earthenware. It is often used for kitchen items, such as casserole and oven dishes. Whereas It is usually much heavier than earthenware and when chipped will appear dark and gritty inside. If you opt for Stoneware, be careful not to expose it to high temperatures either hot or cold. Also, bear in mind that pieces with hand-painted designs may require hand washing.
Melamine dinnerware would definitely be an entertainer’s dream, being chip and shatterproof as well as harder to break. Melamine dinnerware is perfect for outdoor use especially if you love to have outdoor barbeques. Melamine dinnerware is not suitable for your oven or microwaves though but is typically dishwasher-safe.
Glazes, Patterns & Colors
Plain white crockery is although considered traditional, they are not only one style of dishware, of course. Incorporating a personal touch into your dinnerware set is simple. They come in a replete variety with colorful, patterned and textured designs and most of these are set in some way or another by a glaze – a coating which seals and protects the designs and makes the piece non-porous.
Consider going with pieces that are classic and timeless instead of trend-driven. If you are purchasing for longevity, solid or banded pieces with soft hues are stylish and versatile options. They make an elegant base when you wish to add more colorful accent pieces to your table, and they enhance the look of the meal as well
Conclusion
Earthenware and stoneware are certainly the more ordinary of all. Stoneware sets are more durable than earthenware, but will still need to be maintained and kept at even temperatures. When it comes to luxury crockery, the only options to consider are certainly porcelain or bone china, but even these two and their qualities can vary widely.
Mix and match different styles, and look for interesting textures and designs. It’s all open to personal taste, however this year you’ll see a lot of bold colors in crockery. From a variety of options to choose from, you are now equipped with the key guidelines to make the selection easier for you.
