How to Choose the Right Dinnerware

You have a few choices available if you’re in the market for new dinnerware!

Popular options include stoneware, porcelain and bone China.
You might be considering dinnerware for everyday use and some for special occasions.
Maybe you want something simple and elegant, durable and vivid.

Let’s take a look at the differences between the top types of dinnerware, and why Vegan Bone China may be the best choice for you.

Stoneware

Stoneware is a type of non-porous ceramic dinnerware, thicker than both porcelain and china. After firing, it takes on a stone-like appearance, and is often patterned or coloured. Then it’s glazed to a glossy or matte finish.

Earthenware is a variation on stoneware that’s made from clay. It’s also fired at a lower temperature and must be glazed or painted before using it.
Earthenware tends to chip and break more easily than stoneware.

Stoneware and earthenware have a rustic look that is distinct from porcelain and china. However, they are porous, so can be susceptible to bacteria, and temperature changes may cause cracks.
They can also scratch surfaces like your table if you use them without a tablecloth.

Stoneware:

Non-porous
Thicker than both porcelain and china
More prone to chips than other dinnerware and can crack under differing temperatures
May scratch tables and other surfaces

Porcelain

Porcelain is often referred to as china, and its production is similar to bone china. What makes bone china special is the addition of bone ash (more on that later), which adds strength and a translucent appeal.

Porcelain is generally thicker than bone china products, making it seem less elegant than bone china. While porcelain is more durable than stoneware and earthenware, and is non-porous, it’s heavier and more brittle than bone china. That means it is more prone to chipping.
It must also be treated with care in the microwave, as a long heating time could cause cracks.
What’s called “white” may actually have more of an off-white or gray appearance.

Porcelain:

Thicker than China
Lacks the strength and durability of bone china
Brittle and prone to chipping
Caution needed in the microwave

Bone China

Bone china is a traditional product used for dinnerware as well as tea sets. Bone china is made from china clay, china stone and bone ash. When fired properly, the end result is a “light, delicate material with a milky, almost translucent appearance.”

The end result is also durable, with a break and chip resistance among the best in ceramic dinnerware. It’s most often microwave and dishwasher safe. In the past, bone china was considered a treat to be used only on special occasions, but its durability and beauty make it suitable for everyday use.

Another product known as “fine china” doesn’t include any bone ash, but is not as stunning in appearance. Its starker, whiter tone is easy to differentiate from the translucence of bone China if you hold them to the light.

Bone China:

Thinner and finer than other dinnerware, but also stronger
Translucent appearance adds elegance
Unique characteristics are provided by the addition of animal bone ash
Often microwave and dishwasher safe

Cruelty Free “Vegan” Bone China

Part of the uniqueness of true bone china is the fact there are actual animal bones contained in it.
Phosphate derived from bone ash is what makes china the strongest material among ceramics.
It is chip resistant and durable and also features that stunning white, translucent appearance that makes it the most elegant tableware.

Bone china must contain at least 30% ash from animal bones, and usually contains up to 50% ash. The durability of bone china is based on the percentage of bone ash it contains.

If you’re not interested in having animal products in your dinnerware, at least if it isn’t necessary, then vegan bone china may be the choice for you.

We know what you’re saying: vegan bone china is a contradiction. We’re saying: Sort of.

Anders & White Vegan Bone China is made with the same care and attention to detail as “regular” bone china. Our production provides the same benefits that make China the dinnerware of choice for so many:

strength
resilience
beautiful vivid white appearance

Our dinnerware achieves that without the addition of up to 50% bone ash that’s in traditional chinaware.
Instead, non-animal sources are combined to produce fine, elegant and strong china, that’s dishwasher and microwave safe, with no impact to animals.
It’s made with minerals sourced from earth and stone, guaranteed to have no animal products.

That doesn’t mean you have to be vegan, vegetarian or an animal rights activist to wish for products that don’t contain animals.
If animal ash isn’t required—as is the case with our Vegan Bone China—you can enjoy a high quality product while respecting animals and the environment.

Anders & White Vegan Bone China is stylish and simple, and provides you the high quality you expect with the guaranteed vegan production you want.

Vegan Bone China:

Strength and durability of Bone China
Elegant and translucent like bona china
Dishwasher and microwave safe
Free of the animal products present in bone china.

Conclusion;
China Can be Your Everyday Dinnerware

There was a time when bone china was considered the “good dishes,” stored in the back of the cupboard and brought out once or twice a year for special occasions.

It’s time to break that mold and start using good dishes every day.
The quality of Anders & White Vegan Bone China means it can handle your weekday dinners and your New Year’s Eve party, as well as entertaining friends on the weekend.
It's also durable enough to be passed from generation to generation.

Anders & White add a contemporary feel to a classic look.
Your grandmother’s “best china” tended to be old fashioned in design, excessively floral or multi-coloured.
Our China has contemporary lines and finishing, and our “white” really is white. A fresh and clean design ensures your food is the hero!

Don’t be fooled into thinking you need two sets of dinnerware, unless you’d like two styles like the Coupe and Classica Vegan Bone Dinnerware Sets.
Anders & White Vegan Bone China still provides outstanding physical strength and chip resistance, as well as the white translucence that makes china stand out from other ceramics.

You don’t have to be vegetarian or vegan to love our china. You also don’t have to buy items that use animal products where you don’t need them. Be a friend of the earth while still enjoying your meals on the beauty of bone china, with Anders & White Vegan Bone China.