All About Stoneware

• Stoneware is a type of cookware made from a heavy clay. Stoneware is made at extremely high temperatures, similar to other ceramics like porcelain. Both materials surfaced 2,000 years ago in China, inspiring new industry. China's knowledge of the firing kilns for stoneware and porcelain clay gave them the bulk of the industry. When stoneware clay is fired to maturity, it becomes a piece of cookware that is popular due to its sturdy build and chip resistant exterior, used in homes for baking and serving dishes.
  
  

All About Ceramics

• Ceramics are said to be a "stone age material with space age qualities." A workable definition of ceramics is an inorganic and nonmetallic material. Traditional ceramics include clay, glass and cement products. Cookware is fashioned from ceramics because, while they are harder than steel and extremely heat and corrosion resistant, they are also light and abundant. Ceramics are seen in household windows, pottery, glassware, cookery, magnets, dinnerware, floor and decorative tiles, and even home electronics.
  
  

The Difference in the Chemistry

• Though stoneware is considered a ceramic or a piece of pottery, they don't mature in heat the same way. The difference is in the clay. When stoneware clay is heated, it vitrifies or turns to a glassy substance, at a very high temperature, usually around 2185 degrees Fahrenheit. The clay bonds tightly enough to hold water. While ceramics, made with a lighter clay, is heated to vitrification at about 1915 degrees Fahrenheit. Both become durable, but it is said that stoneware, because of the strong clay, is more chip-resistant.
  
  

Home Test

• There are a few easy steps to tell the difference between stoneware and ceramics. Let's use stoneware and porcelain as an example. Grab the piece you are curious about, whether it's a cup or a baking dish and check out the pigment. Stoneware is dense and porcelain is translucent. You can tell if it is translucent by holding it up to the light and observing if you can see through it. Another test is in density. Stoneware is dense and porcelain is relatively light. Another quick test is to check he bottom of the piece. Porcelain ceramics are fully glassed. Stoneware is usually unglazed and undecorated on the bottom.