What is porcelain?
History of porcelain
Porcelain has been manufactured in Asia for around 3,000 years. In Europe, the material probably became known in the 13th century through the trade reports of the Venetian merchant Marco Polo.
Since that time, porcelain has also been very popular in Europe and was considered a special commodity. However, the first European porcelain was not manufactured in Europe until 1708 in Dresden. This led to the establishment of the first European porcelain production facility in Meissen in 1709, which is still in operation today. Meissen porcelain is still famous today and stands for German craftsmanship.
How is porcelain made?
What is porcelain actually made of? A base material is produced from kaolin, feldspar and quartz. The porcelain manufacturing process can then be divided into several steps.
Step #1: Make the blank
There are various methods for shaping porcelain clay into the desired form. Liquid porcelain material can be shaped using automatic lathes or poured into a mould. Dry, powdered porcelain clay is usually pressed.
Step #2: First firing
Once the blank has been created, the so-called bisque firing (also known as annealing or biscuit firing) takes place. This lasts 18 to 20 hours at temperatures of 900 to 1000 °C. It is typical for the porcelain pieces to shrink during this firing. To prevent the products from shrinking unevenly, it is particularly important that the firing temperature remains constant during this step. The end product of the bisque firing is a porous piece of porcelain, also known as a shard.
Step #3: Glaze and second firing
Now it's time for the glaze. Since the porcelain piece is very porous at this stage, the glaze bonds with it particularly well. Once the piece has been glazed, it undergoes a glaze firing (also known as a final firing) at temperatures between 1,100 and 1,480 °C. During this step, which takes up to two hours, the glaze melts, bonds with the porcelain piece and forms an outer skin that protects the finished porcelain and makes it impermeable to water.
Step #4: Decoration and decoration firing
If required, decoration can be applied to the porcelain piece, for example painting or printing. In this case, the decoration is fired, causing the glaze to melt and the decoration to sink into it. This ensures that the applied colours and decorations are permanently protected and do not fade – even when the porcelain is cleaned in the dishwasher.
Did you know?
Even today, porcelain production still involves a great deal of manual labour!
What types of porcelain are there?
Porcelain can be divided into several subtypes. To compare porcelain, the break is often examined: that is, what a break looks like when a piece chips or breaks off.
Hard porcelain & soft porcelain
Porcelain is mainly made from kaolin, quartz and feldspar. Hard and soft porcelain differ in terms of the kaolin content in the porcelain mass. Soft porcelain has a lower kaolin content and is fired at a lower temperature, while hard porcelain has a higher kaolin content and must therefore be fired at higher temperatures. Hard porcelain is more compact, with a smooth, brittle break. Soft porcelain is more delicate than hard porcelain. However, the material is lighter and more transparent, so that thin-walled tableware in particular appears translucent and particularly elegant. Soft porcelain has a grainy fracture.
Premium porcelain
Premium porcelain has a particularly densely fired body. This gives it even greater edge impact resistance than classic porcelain, makes it particularly resistant to cuts, scratches and breakage, and allows it to be stacked easily.
Bone china
Bone china is one of the highest quality types of porcelain. It is slightly translucent and has a characteristic ivory colour. These properties are the result of the complex manufacturing process, which involves the use of animal bone ash.
In this magazine article, you can learn more about bone china. You can also learn about the differences between ceramic and porcelain and decide which material is best suited to your business.
Did you know?
All our porcelain products are regularly tested in accordance with EU Regulation (EC) No. 1935/2004 and are therefore food safe.
Porcelain material – properties
Porcelain is extremely robust, durable and hygienic. This makes it the ideal material for tableware in the catering industry. Porcelain tableware has the following characteristics:
Dishwasher safe: Porcelain is generally dishwasher safe. This preserves the shape and colour of porcelain tableware, even for decorated and coloured items.
Microwave safe: Porcelain can be used in the microwave without any problems. The exception is tableware that has been treated with the crack glaze process.
Oven-safe: Porcelain can also be used in the oven. Please note that porcelain may only be heated to a maximum of 300 °C. For earthenware, the maximum temperature is 280 °C.
Porcelain – Cleaning and Care
Porcelain is a very robust and easy-care material. Porcelain tableware is therefore ideal for everyday use in the catering industry. With the right cleaning and care, your tableware will last even longer.
Tips for cleaning porcelain:
Proper cleaning: Be sure to use the correct amount of washing-up liquid to maintain the shine of your porcelain and prevent limescale stains. You can also use vinegar water or lemon juice to remove stubborn limescale stains.
Get rid of discolouration: Tea or coffee can cause unsightly stains on porcelain cups over time. You can easily remove these stains with baking soda or tooth cleaning tabs: dissolve the baking soda or tabs in hot water and soak your dishes in it overnight.
Removing cutlery marks: As the surface of porcelain is harder than the metal of cutlery, cutlery marks may occur. These are grey streaks that become visible on the glaze. These marks can be easily removed with a special cleaning agent for porcelain or a gentle scouring agent.
Caution: Avoid sudden temperature changes! Temperature shocks can damage porcelain. Therefore, you should not rinse hot plates with cold water, nor should you suddenly heat cold plates.
Our tip
Avoid sudden temperature changes! Temperature shocks can damage porcelain. Therefore, you should not rinse hot plates with cold water, nor should you suddenly heat cold plates.