Almost all dinnerware is made from ceramic, glass or plastic. Since Signature Housewares only handles ceramic or plastic products this section will limit it’s discussion to those materials.
Ceramic (ce.ram.ic): any of various hard, brittle materials made by firing a nonmetallic mineral, as clay.
The common grades of ceramic used for modern tableware are earthenware, stoneware and porcelain. Each grade of ceramic is distinguished by 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 tableware based on two tests: water absorption and 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 a high enough temperature (over 2100 degrees F) that water permeation is not a problem and both grades, being high fired ceramics, are resistant to cracking and chipping.
The following section offers more information on each grade of ceramic.
Earthenware: any pottery body which, when fired, has a porosity of more than five percent (5%). This usually means ware fired below 1100 Celsius (2012 Fahrenheit). Due to the lower firing temperature, Earthenware bodies are not as dense as a high fired ceramic body, have higher porosity and are not as durable and resistant to chipping as a high fired body. On the other hand they are lighter in weight due to less density and can be decorated with brighter colored glazes due to the lower firing temperatures.
Stoneware: a hard strong and vitrified ware, usually fired above 2100 degrees F, that contains a high percentage of clay (usually 90%) and a low percentage of non clay materials. Due to the make up of the clay and high firing temperature stoneware is a dense, strong and durable ceramic that is especially appropriate for functional ware because it stands up well to constant use and frequent cleaning.
Porcelain: true porcelains use a combination of pure white clay and an equal amount of non clay material (silica and feldspars), are fired above 2300 degrees F and are translucent where thin. It is a very hard and dense ware after firing. Porcelaneous is a term used to refer to a grade of ceramic between stoneware and true porcelain that uses less non clay material (about 30 % vs. 50% for true porcelains) and is commonly used for tableware. Porcelaneous may look like true porcelain but is not translucent where thin. Both are high fired, dense, hard and very suitable for everyday use.
Plastic and Melamine Dinnerware
Plastic dinnerware is normally associated with children’s products due to it’s resistance to breaking. Recently this category of product has seen growth in more adult applications such as outdoor entertaining and dining or poolside use. Plastic dinnerware now comes in standard sizes and shapes and can be of surprisingly high quality with very fashionable colors or designs.