We love to serve our guests in the best crockery sets we have. It is great to use them as it imparts an elegance to dining. Buying expensive sets is not enough. You also need to know how to take care of them. Here is an article telling you about crockery care.
Crockery includes kitchen and dining utensils made up of clay or high quality porcelain. Every woman loves to have it in her kitchen collection, be it expensive or reasonably priced. It adds to the overall presentation, when welcoming guests for lunch or dinner. Having crockery displayed in a systematic manner in your kitchen makes it look beautiful. Buying it is not all that you have to do. It is equally important to maintain it so that its look and finish does not fade away with frequent use. Here I present a few simple tips to take care of crockery.
General Tips
- Crockery should be used only for serving food and not for cooking.
- Wash used crockery as soon as possible.
- Do not use scrubbing pads to clean them.
- Some crockery is safe to use in a microwave. Though, keep in mind that any metallic design on the vessel may render it unsuitable for microwave use.
Using Dishwasher
- Most of us use dishwasher for cleaning our utensils. Before placing your crockery in the dishwasher, go through the dishwasher manual to check the required settings.
- Avoid sticking the crockery close to each other in the dishwasher.
- Set the dishwasher at optimum temperature as per the manual when washing crockery.
- Do not add excess detergent, as it may impart a dull finish to the crockery.
- Verify the usage of detergent for a particular crockery type because using wrong detergent may affect the shine of your super-vitrified glazed crockery.
Hand-wash for Crockery
- When washing china ware, it is recommended to hand-wash the crockery, rather than using a dishwasher because china ware is very delicate.
- Use a sponge to wash china ware using a mild detergent, so that scratches are avoided.
- It is always better to place a cloth in the sink, to minimize damage, in case the crockery slips off.
- After washing your china ware, dry it off using a soft cotton cloth or let it dry naturally.
- Never wash crockery and metal cutlery together. Metal utensils can cause scratches to the crockery.
- To clean dried stains, soak the crockery in soap-water mixture for sometime. Later, clean them using a soft sponge, rinse and dry.
- Soak cups with tea stains in four cups of water with 2 tbsp. of bleach. Wash off after sometime.
- Use a metal cleaner to get rid of scratches left by knives and forks.
Storage Requirements
- Store crockery very carefully in a place with minimum disturbance.
- It is better to use a closed cabinet for storage.
- Stack plates of similar size together, and do not build tall towers of crockery while storage.
- It is good if you place a soft and light cloth or tissue paper between the crockery to prevent abrasion.
- Never store cups in an inverted position as the cup rim may get damaged.
- Avoid hanging cups as it may loosen the cup handle.
Care of Antique Crockery
Antique crockery requires special care, as they are memoirs of the generations gone by, and will be passed on to the future generations of the family. It is usually found as china ware. As this crockery may be many years old, it becomes even more delicate and fragile. It may easily get chipped off or broken.
- It is better to wash every piece of antique crockery by hands rather than placing them in a dishwasher.
- Similarly, avoid placing them in microwave oven as high temperatures may not be suitable for them.
- Use mild detergents for cleaning, and let them dry naturally.
- As far as storage of antique crockery is concerned, utmost care has to be taken. Never stack them. Rather, place them individually as decorative pieces in a showcase for display.
- Handle carefully when using them for dining purpose.
Crockery can be used only when you have planned a meal at home. When planning a meal outdoors, you definitely cannot afford to take it along. In such a situation, you can always carry unbreakable outdoor dinnerware to enjoy a hassel-free gathering. Using crockery for a delicious lunch or dinner is an exquisite experience. But this experience is accompanied with a lot of care and maintenance of the crockery. I hope this article has provided you enough information on how to take care of your favorite crockery. Have a great dining experience!