Is Japanese pottery dishwasher and microwave safe? 磁器

Which finish is safest in the dishwasher and microwave?

Porcelain fires at 1,200 to 1,400 degrees Celsius, hot enough to vitrify the body completely and make it hard and impermeable even before glazing. A plain glazed piece tends to be the safest of the group, since decoration on top usually changes the answer more than the body underneath. The table below compares porcelain with stoneware, earthenware, donabe clay, lacquer and gold or silver decoration across our range.

Our catalogue contains 10 Arita-ware, 11 Kutani-ware and 2 Mino-ware listings whose title or body says porcelain. Named examples include the Fuchihana Flat Plate ($52.50) and Sakura-shape Plate ($78.80) from Arita-ware, the Chidori Round Plate ($34.85) from Kutani-ware, and the Nanpu Zephyr Plate Set ($49.99) and Shaded Kasane-gata Bowl ($41.99) from Mino-ware. They sit across our plate, bowl, teacup, teapot, vase, spoon and tableware listings. Care stays with the listing: our Fuchihana, Nanpu and Shaded listings say dishwasher and microwave safe, while Sakura-shape and Chidori recommend hand washing and allow the microwave.

Stoneware follows the same pattern in our range. The Hechimon Shigaraki tag demi cup ($39.99) is dishwasher and microwave safe by the maker's own listing, while another Shigaraki mug and dish set in the same range is not safe for the microwave or the dishwasher at all. The finish and the glaze decide it, not the clay body.

Earthenware is the more porous of the two classic bodies. Wikipedia's earthenware entry puts unglazed water absorption at 5 to 8 percent, well above a vitrified body. An unglazed piece needs a confirmed glaze before either appliance, so check the maker's own mark before the dishwasher, the microwave or the oven. We do not currently carry unglazed earthenware ourselves.

Donabe clay handles heat well, but detergent is another matter. Saji Pottery is the Mie Prefecture workshop behind our Blue Tokusa clay pot ($135 to $170). It says plainly of its donabe: "It is not a dishwasher pot." The same listing says the pot can go in the oven and the microwave, though not on induction. Our donabe seasoning guide covers washing and drying a clay pot by hand in full.

Lacquer is the least consistent finish we carry. One lacquered accessory, a set of chopsticks pairing Kutani pattern work with Wakasa lacquer, says the lacquer itself makes it dishwasher safe. That is a single accessory, not a rule for lacquered tableware. Check the maker before the dishwasher, the microwave or the oven on any other lacquered piece.

Gold or silver decoration gets the most consistent warning across our range. The Mino-ware Yohen Gold Accent plate ($32.00) recommends hand washing and keeps itself out of the microwave. Two other gilt or overglaze pieces we have listed give the same instruction: hand wash, and no microwave. Treat a gold or silver rim, stripe or accent as a hand-wash, no-microwave piece unless the listing says otherwise, and check the maker before the oven.

What is porcelain?

Porcelain is a ceramic material made by heating raw materials that generally include kaolinite in a kiln at high temperatures. Its strength and translucence arise mainly from vitrification and the formation of mullite in the body at those temperatures. Fired porcelain is completely vitrified, hard and impermeable even before glazing, with a white or artificially coloured body that can be translucent when thin.

How can you recognise the body?

Start with what you can see. A thin rim or cup wall may show light through it, because porcelain is translucent except where it is thick. A white body is typical, but colour alone does not settle it, since porcelain can also be coloured in the body. Porcelain rings when tapped, but tapping is not a reliable test for every piece.

How is porcelain decorated?

Porcelain does not need glaze to become impermeable; glaze is there mainly for decoration and to resist dirt and staining. It can carry underglaze pigments such as cobalt oxide or overglaze enamels. Arita's own association describes hakuji, white porcelain, as a white body with transparent glaze fired at high heat, while the Kutani association describes rich overglaze colours laid over porcelain.

Which Japanese kiln regions do we carry in porcelain?

Arita is on our shelf as porcelain; its association describes Arita as the birthplace of Japanese porcelain. Kutani is here too, and its association describes the ware as porcelain made from local porcelain stone with rich overglaze colours. We also carry Mino porcelain, and the Gifu tourism source describes Mino-yaki as a ceramics region with diverse forms rather than one fixed shape.

Where should you explore next?

For shape, start with our plate, bowl, teacup or mug pages. For regional context, see the Arita, Kutani and Mino kiln hubs. Browse the plates, bowls, teacup and mugs shelves for current groupings. For the other high-fired tableware body, see our guide to stoneware.

Quick answers

These are the questions people ask us most often about porcelain, answered briefly.

What is porcelain? Porcelain is a high-fired ceramic material that generally includes kaolinite and becomes hard, impermeable and translucent in thin sections through vitrification.

Does porcelain let light through? Sometimes. Porcelain is translucent except where it is thick, so a thin rim or wall may show light through it.

Can porcelain go in the dishwasher or microwave? It varies by listing. Our Fuchihana, Nanpu and Shaded listings say dishwasher and microwave safe, while Sakura-shape and Chidori recommend hand washing and allow the microwave.

Which Japanese kiln regions do you carry in porcelain? Arita, Kutani and the porcelain side of Mino, sold under the vendor labels Arita-ware, Kutani-ware and Mino-ware.

How should I care for overglaze porcelain? Follow the individual listing. The Chidori listing says its enamels are laid over porcelain and recommends hand washing to keep the painted surface bright; it says the microwave is fine.