Bone China, Porcelain and Looking After Tableware

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Bone China, Porcelain and Looking After Tableware

What the materials are, dishwasher and microwave use, gold trim and storage

Tableware is sold by material name and the differences are practical rather than decorative, since they determine how you can actually use it.

The materials

Bone china contains bone ash, which makes it unusually strong for its thinness and gives the translucency people associate with fine china. Porcelain is fired at high temperature, dense and hard-wearing.

Stoneware is heavier, opaque and the most robust for everyday use. Earthenware is fired lower, more porous and chips more readily.

Dishwashers

Most modern bone china and porcelain is dishwasher safe, and the qualifier matters — anything with metallic trim, hand-painted decoration or an applied overglaze frequently is not.

Use a lower temperature and a gentler detergent where you can, since dishwasher detergent is abrasive over years and dulls glaze and decoration.

Gold and platinum trim

Never put metallic-trimmed china in a microwave, where it arcs and can damage both the piece and the oven. Metallic trim also wears away in a dishwasher over time.

Thermal shock

Avoid sudden temperature changes — a cold plate under a grill, boiling water into a chilled cup — which is what cracks fine china. Warm plates gently.

Storage

Stack with felt or paper between plates, since stacking bare china scratches the glaze. Hang cups rather than stacking them, and do not store anything by its handle.

Chips and crazing

Fine cracks in the glaze harbour bacteria, so retire crazed or chipped pieces from food use. Repairs are for display rather than for eating from.

Everyday and best

Keeping a set for occasions means it is used twice a year and chipped in a cupboard. Using good china regularly is the point of owning it, and stoneware for children and everyday meals takes the pressure off.

Buy a few extra plates when you buy a set, since breakages happen and ranges are discontinued.

Buying second-hand

Discontinued patterns are widely available second-hand and replacement services exist. Check for crazing and chips, and avoid anything with worn gilding for food use.

Glassware and cutlery alongside

One all-purpose wine glass shape covers everything, and crystal with lead content should not be used to store drinks. Check whether cutlery is stainless or silver plated, since plated pieces wear through and should not go in a dishwasher.

Wash glassware by hand in warm water and let it drain rather than rubbing it dry.

Check whether a piece is oven safe rather than assuming, since most fine china is not.

Buying

Check whether a pattern is still in production, since replacing a broken plate from a discontinued range is difficult.

WHERE TO BUY

Ready to shop Royal Doulton DE? Use the link below to visit the official store.

→ Shop Royal Doulton DE — official site

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