Dinnerware, flatware and glassware

Up to this point you may have found it perfectly acceptable to eat off paper plates, or out of the pot you cooked in, this can’t last forever. When your parents come for dinner (and they will), they’re going to want to see that you can put a table together. The best way to do that? Pick your tableware carefully. Tableware includes china, everyday dishes, flatware, and glassware, so you have a lot to mull over.

Over time, eating and serving utensils became specialized and beautiful. Cutlery, glassware and tableware are considered part of the total dining experience.

Dining supplies make a visual impression on your guests. Dinnerware, flatware and glassware present unique patterns and appearances and have an important effect on the perception of the meal itself.
Here you can learn tips about caring for your dinnerware, as well as how to choose the best pieces for your dining room. You will of course want to select  dinnerware that is practical, chip-resistant and appropriate for its applications in your home. It can also be beneficial to choose  dining supplies that complement your overall theme and ambience to create an effect that is unique to your home.

Tableware

Tableware includes hollowware, flatware, cutlery and crockery; the tablecloths, placemats and napkins that complement your table are an important part of the ensemble.

Hollowware refers to serving bowls and dishes, such as soup tureens, vegetable dishes, salt and pepper shakers, creamers, sugar bowls, and so on. The choices of style and composition are very broad. Sterling silver, pewter, glass, wood, silverplate the list goes on and on. Obviously, you’ll be looking for what best complements the tableware scheme that you choose.

Glassware and stemware add a touch of elegance to any table. Glass pitchers and colorful glassware bring informal chic to entertaining. Chargers made of pewter, condiment sets, and serving trays of tooled leather or bamboo, each set different moods. And don’t forget items such as chopstick rests, coasters, wine bottle holders and barware.

Ceramics hold an essential place at the table, styles that range from stoneware to traditional Thai celadon to Mexican Talavera. Guadalupe Servin’s, dishes with tropical motifs make each meal a celebration for the senses. Teatime calls for sleek ceramic cups and whimsical teapots. A generous amount of coffee mugs are welcome everywhere.

China

Dinnerware usually refers to fine china, although most couples also have a set of “everyday” dishes. Obviously, the china is more expensive, then the everyday dishes. Only you know what your priorities are. Theoretically, you can get as many goodies as you want; realistically, you’re going to buy the most practical items (such as dishes) first, and the less practical items (like the Elvis lamp you’re just dying to have) only if every other item has been purchased already. So if you have your heart set on both sets of dishes, but realize that you can afford only one, that set of everyday dishes will be yours in lieu of something else you might want even more.

There are two types of fine china: porcelain and bone. Porcelain is made from refined clay and minerals that make it nonporous, which means it cannot be stained by food. The main ingredient in bone china is bone ash. This china has an almost translucent glow. If you hold it up to light, you can see through it.

Plain Plates

“Everydayware” may seem self-explanatory, but there are actually several kinds to choose from, so your choice might be more complicated than you thought.

First, there’s stoneware. Like porcelain, stoneware is made from clay, but the clay is grainier and rougher, making it very durable. There’s earthenware. Earthenware is also made from clay, but it is less durable than stoneware, and it may be stained by food.

Then there’s oven-to-tableware. From the name, you already know you can cook with it. Oven-to-tableware contains a little porcelain and a mixture of other clays. It is usually guaranteed to be safe and untarnished by the oven for a certain number of years.

Glassware

Glassware is anything you drink out of or pour a drink from: beer glasses, wine glasses, cocktail glasses, champagne glasses, pilsner glasses, brandy snifter, water goblets, wine decanters, you name it. Your glassware can be as elegant as crystal, right down to everyday juice glasses. The main divisions for glassware are based on how it’s made and decorated.

Glassware can be hand-blown or machine-made. Pieces of handblown glass are so fine and delicate that they are considered works of art. If you live life like it’s a roller derby, you might want to take a pass on the artwork and go for something a little sturdier.

Full-lead crystal is the highest quality glassware you can buy. (The glass must meet standards for its lead content.) Although you might wonder how lead could make such a difference, it does provide an amazing sparkle and also makes the crystal softer, which aids in the creation of delicate designs.

Silverware/Flatware

What most of us know as silverware is referred to as flatware in the stores and by those in traditional circles. As you would expect, flatware is just about anything that you eat with, short of chopsticks: forks, spoons, knives, and even serving utensils. Since you won’t want to place your best china next to stainless steel utensils with plastic handles, you should put some thought into high-quality flatware.

The best flatware you can buy is made of sterling silver. Some families treat their sterling silver as an heirloom and pass it down through the generations. These days, many couples are bypassing the highest-quality silver and opting for something that is both elegant and less expensive.

There is no denying the elegance and style of sterling silver but don’t hide it away in a cupboard and use it only on special occasions. Regular use of your silver will help to bring out a special glow (called a patina) in the silver that is caused by small scratches. Since you can use it every day, and it tends, with good care,(hand wash only) to get better with use and age, you may consider forgetting the middle-of-the-road stuff and going with sterling silver as your standard flatware.

I know it is a lot to think about but I hope I have shed alittle light on the subject.

Tags: Blog, kitchen tips