The Durability of Porcelain Dishes: A Comprehensive Guide
Navigation
- What Makes Porcelain Durable?
- How To Care for Porcelain Dishes
- Tips On Buying and Using Porcelain Dishes
- Conclusion
Porcelain dishes are known for their beauty and abilityto withstand high temperatures, but what about their durability? This comprehensive guide will examine the strength and longevity of porcelain dishes, helping you determine if they are the right choice for your kitchen.
Whether you are looking for everyday dishes or something more formal, this guide will provide all the information you need to make an informed decision.
What Makes Porcelain Durable?
Porcelain dinnerware is made from a special type of clay that comes from China and the Limoges region in France.
Porcelain is double-fired in kilns that register at least 2,372* F. Firing at this temperature makes the Porcelain dinnerware as strong as, if not stronger than ordinary glass. Since the Porcelain is heated to such extreme temperatures during the creation process, the durability of Porcelain can withstand the temperatures in Microwave Ovens and Dishwashers.
As with all types of dishes, if handled incorrectly, Porcelain can chip, crack, and even break. Porcelain Dishware is still more durable than tempered glass or plastic when it comes to high temperatures.
Before purchase, it is always best to verify whether the Porcelain Dinnerware Set is made from porcelain clays, and does not contain any silica, quartz, or feldspar. These ingredients in the clay will make the Porcelain dishes much less durable.
How To Care for Porcelain Dishes
Caring for your Porcelain Dinnerware Set is not much different than your other dishes. Porcelain is both delicate and durable, but must be handled correctly. There are guidelines that will assist you in keeping your Porcelain dishes and dinnerware safe.
1. Please do not drop it. As with any dish, plastic included, it can break when dropped. Gravity will take its toll on Porcelain.
2. Avoid extreme temperatures. Although Porcelain is dishwasher and microwave safe, there are temperatures that will damage the porcelain. Do not place the Porcelain dinnerware in the freezer, directly on a flame, or in the oven. Drastic and immediate temperature changes will damage Porcelain. In other words, if the Porcelain dinnerware is hot and it is placed into the freezer, there will be damage as in cracking and breaking. Even taking a plate from the refrigerator and placing it in the microwave can break the Porcelain.
3. Clean the Porcelain right away with only a mild soap or detergent. The time that it would need a stronger detergent is if the dish sits with food remaining on the dish. It would also take greater strength to scrub the food off.
4. Never use a metal scouring pad or scraper on the Porcelain when cleaning it. Never use a metal utensil or spatula to scrape the dishes. When washing Porcelain dishes in the sink, it is best to use a plastic basin in the sink to wash the dishes. Always place and wash one piece of Porcelain dinnerware in the wash basin at a time.
5. Never leave food remaining on the Porcelain dishes overnight. Especially acidic foods or sauces. These can eat away at the Porcelain.
6. When using a dishwasher to clean the Porcelain dinnerware set, leave space between the pieces. The force of the water spray in a dishwasher can make the dishes bump into or clang against one another, causing damage.
7. When storing the Porcelain Dinnerware sets in the cupboard, most people will use a napkin between each item. The napkin acts like a cushion between the pieces, protecting them.
8. When you see gray or red marks on the Porcelain dishes, that is a sign of a metal utensil or scraper being used on the dish. The colored marks are deposits of nickel that will remain on the Porcelain. Do not fear, though, these marks can be removed by using Bar KeepersFriend cleanser or a mix of Cream of Tartar and water.
Tips On Buying and Using Porcelain Dishes
Purchasing your Porcelain Dinnerware Sets can be a dilemma. The designs on many sets are extremely beautiful. However, these sets are known to become unavailable over time. In other words, a few years later, you may have one dish that chips, cracks, oreven breaks.When it is a design on the plate, finding a replacement could be almost impossible.
Purchasing plain white porcelain dinnerware setsis always a good idea. The simple white color is always available, so the dishes can be replaced easily.
Porcelain can be both economical and used for fancy meals. The plain white can be used for a simple breakfast cereal in the morning and still look exquisite on the Dining Table for a Holiday meal.
Porcelain dinnerware sets can make a table look casual for everyday use, and yet, come the Holidays, a Porcelain Dinnerware Set can be seen as elegant and highly formal. Much of this is due to how the table is set, if you use a full table setting this will give the formal appearance. Meaning that stacking the plates and then a bowl, along with a cup and saucer as one setting is the formal look. The dinner plate alone or the soup bowl alone is more of the informal appearance.
Conclusion
We know that thereis an almost unlimited option of tableware settings available for purchase. Porcelain makes the best choice as it can double as a formal dinnerware setting, as well as a simple dinner for the family on a weeknight.
Porcelain dinnerware sets are easy to clean, durable and gorgeous, whether they have a design or not.
If you compare the weight of stoneware versus Porcelain, you will find that the Porcelain is much lighter. This means that even younger children will be able to carry the Porcelain, as long as they are careful and have guidance.
When accidents happen, and they will, porcelain can be easily replaced for the most part. The suggestion of a plain white setis always a more economical decision based on the replacement needs. Designs and patterns will oftentimes fade away after a year or two on the market, making those patterns harder to replace.
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