Care and Use of Stoneware Pottery

Pottery is “cooked” in a kiln at over 2300 degrees Fahrenheit.  It is therefore known as “stoneware” as opposed to earthenware.  The rules below apply to our stoneware and can be used as general guidelines for most other folks’ stoneware pottery as well.

• I always suggest washing any new piece of pottery before you use it the first time.  If you got it at a festival, it has “fair” on it, and no one wants that.

• My pottery is dishwasher safe.  I would suggest putting it on the top rack and ensuring that it won’t clink around against other things.  That being said, I am pretty hard on my stuff here at home and it seems to survive.  Anything that is very large or fancy, I suggest hand-washing just to be on the safe side.

• All of our stoneware is microwave safe.  I’m known for having to warm up my coffee several times a morning.

• Baking dishes (bread bakers, pie dishes, casseroles, etc) are oven safe.  The proper way to cook with handmade stoneware is to put the food in the dish and then put food + dish in a COLD oven.  Preheat the oven with the dish in it.  Please do not shock your stoneware by thrusting it cold and unsuspecting into a pipping hot oven or by cramming it into the refrigerator when it is toasty.  It will be very angry with you indeed.

• Do not use stoneware on the stove top.  They are not designed to take continuous heat from the range.

Your pottery should be with you for a very long time.  Archaeologists dig pottery from tombs and caves on a regular basis, so you are contributing to some of the most reusable and sustainable utensils available!

Enjoy!!!