CHINAWARE

China is a term used for crockery whether bone china

(expensive and fine), earthenware (opaque and cheaper) or vitrified

(metallised). Most catering crockery used nowadays tends to be

vitrified earthenware, which is very durable and haven been

strengthened. Crockery is also usually given rolled edges to make it

more chip resistant.

Chinaware is made of silica, soda ash, and china clay, glazed

to give a fine finish. Chinaware can be found in different colours and

designs which are always coated with glaze. Chinaware is more

resistant to heat than glassware. There are various classification of

catering china. They are:

Porcelain Porcelain is a ceramic material made by heating

selected and refined materials, which often includes

clay of kaolinite clay, to high temperatures. The raw

materials for porcelain, when mixed with water, form a

plastic body that can be worked to a required shape

before firing in a kiln at temperatures between 1200°C

and 1400°C. The toughness, strength, and

translucence of porcelain arise mainly from the

formation of glass at high temperatures and the

mineral mullite within the fired body.

Bone China Bone china is porcelain made of clay mixed with bone

ash. This is very fine, hard china that is very

expensive. The decorations are to be found under the

glaze only. The price of bone china puts it out of reach

of the majority of everyday caterers, and only a few of

the top class hotels and restaurants would use it. The

range of design, pattern and colour is very wide and

there is something to suit all occasions and situations.

Earthenware Earthenware may sometimes be as thin as bone

china and other porcelains, though it is not translucent

and is more easily chipped. Earthenware is also less

strong, less tough, and more porous than stoneware,

but its low cost and easier working compensate for

these deficiencies. Due to its higher porosity,

earthenware must usually be glazed in order to be

watertight.

Stoneware Stoneware is a hard pottery made from siliceous

paste, fired at high temperature to vitrify (make

glassy) the body. Stoneware is heavier and more

opaque than porcelain. The usual color of fired

stoneware tends to be grayish, though there may be a

wide range of colors, depending on the clay. It has

been produced in China since ancient times and is the

forerunner of Chinese porcelain.