A Guide To Buying Tableware
“All our tableware is made with passion, made to last with sustainability in our hearts, and we want you to love it too.“
Besides the delicious food, tableware is the main attraction of any dinner table. With this in mind, choosing the right dinnerware set for you and your family would be a fun experience.
So, let’s dive in and take a look at the best tableware materials, how to choose the best tableware set for your purposes, the beauty of mixing and matching tableware designs, and how to care properly for your tableware that lasts a longer lifetime.
What are the different types of tableware materials?
Next we will explain them one by one.
Fine China and Bone China
Fine china is made through a combination of mixed clays, kaolin, feldspar, and quartz. Each piece is carefully molded into the desired shape and placed under a series of firings at extremely high temperatures.
And Bone china is a lightweight, beautiful, and strong tableware material made from a mixture of China clay, China stone, and Bone ash. The process of making bone china starts the same way as fine china. But the firing temperature is relatively lower compared to fine china due to the bone ash material.
Bone ash gives the ceramic piece its milky white color. It’s easier to see the difference when you lift up a cup under the light. You will find that bone china is more translucent and will let more light in compared to fine china. Bone china is also lighter in weight and its glaze is far smoother compared to fine china.
Bone china is also highly durable and resistant to cracks and chips, making it a perfect choice for everyday tableware use. Bone china and fine china are both microwave safe, dishwasher safe, and oven safe.
Here at Becasa, we have an extensive range of stunningly beautiful and elegantly crafted Fine china and Bone china tableware sets that can be mixed and matched to create your own unique design flavour when it comes to your dining table. There are no rules to mixing china patterns and colours, but we recommend taking a base colour such as white and then adding colour with our patterned collections.
Stoneware
At the end of the manufacturing process for stoneware tableware, a special finishing glaze adds a layer of sheen, shine, and strength to the product. Not only does this give the product a smooth finished look, but it also makes it virtually impenetrable when it comes to drops, breaks, and cracks. Stoneware is a strong material, however, it can’t be exposed to high heat or freezing temperatures, so it’s important to take this into account when considering purchasing a stoneware dinner set.
Becasa has a fantastic range of stoneware tableware available. Let’s explore more dinner sets together.
Porcelain
Porcelain is traditionally made from a silicone material called kaolin that gives porcelain products their flexibility, plasticity, and strong structure. Porcelain tableware is also made from pottery stone, which gives the material its hardness and translucency, as well as its non-porous surface. Porcelain is an extremely strong tableware material, as it is:
- Capable of being fired at up to 1200 degrees centigrade
- Dishwasher safe
- Oven safe
- Microwave safe (however if the piece has a metallic accent, don’t put it in the microwave)
Becasa has been manufacturing ceramics and porcelain since 2002, so when it comes to porcelain tableware, we’re the highest quality choice. Our porcelain collections not only include a vibrant and colorful range of porcelain but also included rigorously tested porcelain that’s highly durable and perfect for everyday use.
Food is symbolic of love when words are inadequate
What is the best dinner set for daily use?
While choosing a tableware set for daily use, you’ll need to be focused on keeping things practical and ensuring the items you choose are durable. Your everyday tableware set will probably be exposed to chips, cracks, and breakages, so opting for beautiful fine china or bone china tableware set could be a good option. This material is world-renowned for its strength and durability, and is likely to stand up better to the chips and cracks it may be subjected to being used every day. This is especially true if your countertops are stone or granite and your tableware might be subject to some rough handling.
When it comes to the style and color of everyday tableware – the only limit is your imagination! You can indulge your creativity and mix and match pieces or sets to create a unique and beautiful table setting. Adding color, texture, and flair to your everyday tableware set makes every day feel that little bit more special. After all, life is an occasion, so why not love it!
With everyday tableware, you also want to make sure that you’re choosing a set that’s of superior quality such as our SWALLOW collection, which was specially designed for daily use.
It’s a much better idea to spend a little more and choose a tableware set that’s going to last you a lifetime, rather than skimping at the beginning and then having to fork out for a new set in a few years (not to mention the cheap plates that always seem to smash in the dishwasher!)
“Please always remember that any everyday tableware can also be used for formal occasions with thoughtful mix and matching with other formal tableware and glassware pieces.”
Cooking is love made visible
What is in a tableware set?
“A traditional set of tableware consists of a dinner plate, side plate, bowl, and a cup and saucer or mug. However, the type of tableware on a tabletop mostly depends on the type of food being served and whether the social gathering is formal or casual.”
How to select a tableware set?
There is no wrong or right way in selecting a dinner set. However, it is important to think of the various occasions and styles of occasions it will be used for, and the type of food that will be served in it. The personality of a tableware set has an important role in setting the mood of an occasion.
There are many different items that can make up a tableware set, such as:
- Dinner plates
- Multi-purpose bowls for cereal, soups, noodles, stir-fries, and so on
- Side plates for salads, starters, desserts, and tapas-style meals
- Bread and butter plates
- Mugs and teacups
- Saucers
- Trays
- Serving platters
- Knives, forks, and spoons
People who love to eat are always the best people
You can have your favorite pieces that you use every day, or you can have a special set that comes in handy when hosting friends and family. The choice is up to you!
A good idea is to buy a tableware set that accommodates the number of people in your household, such as the set for four people or the set for a single diner.
Becasa tableware sets come in a host of different sizes and configurations, ranging from two to twenty-six piece sets. Here are some examples of what is included in a variety of our standard tableware set sizes.
26-Piece Tableware Set
Offering complete service for four people, as well as a rectangular tray and oval platter to really enhance your table setting.
- 4 x dinner plates
- 4 x 9-inch salad plates
- 4 x bread and butter plates
- 4 x teacups
- 4 x saucers
- 4 x soup/cereal bowls
- Rectangular tray
- Oval platter
16-Piece Tableware Set
Perfect for everyday use and offering complete dinner service for four people.
- 4 x dinner plates
- 4 x 9-inch salad plates
- 4 x soup/cereal bowls
- 4 x mugs
4-Piece Tableware Set
The perfect tableware set size for one person, this size of the set includes:
- 1 x dinner plate
- 1 x salad plate
- 1 x soup/cereal bowl
- 1 x mug
Our most popular dinner sets
How to care for your tableware properly
Becasa china dinner sets are strong and durable in their essence, however, there are still measures you can take to make sure your tableware is serving your family and friends on your tabletop for years to come.
Here are some tips for washing your china tableware set
- Wash dishes straight away to remove any acidic or sticky food residue.
- When handwashing, wash each dish individually using a mild liquid detergent and a non-abrasive cloth. Having a plastic tub in the sink is also a good idea, as it will protect the china from the harsh stainless steel of the sink.
- If using a dishwasher, take care not to overload the rack, and keep metal items away from your fine bone china – even light contact can scratch, chip, or crack your dishes.
Here are some tips for keeping your china tableware in stunning condition
- Soak your pieces in white vinegar for three minutes before rinsing and towel drying them to remove hard water spots.
- Remove coffee stains from mugs (as well as fork marks from plates) by rubbing a paste of baking soda and water over the tableware before rinsing and drying.
- To prevent scratching and chipping your fine bone china tableware set, put it in a fabric storage case, or put segments of fabric, tissue paper, or napkins between each piece when stacking.
Becasa products absolutely last the test of time.
