Kitchen guides and care
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About Us
The collection covers tabletop and kitchen essentials, from ceramic dinnerware to cookware, bakeware and serving pieces. Choose a material and size that fit the way you cook and serve.
Dinnerware
Compare plates, bowls and dinnerware sets by material, dimensions and how many pieces are included. Check the item care instructions if you use a microwave or dishwasher regularly.
Cookware
Start with the cooking method you use most. Compare skillet diameter, depth, handle design and cooktop compatibility. Check whether the material or coating has specific cleaning instructions.
Product Use and Care
Find the material listed on the item or its packaging, then choose the corresponding guide. Use the product’s own appliance and temperature instructions.
Dinnerware Use and Care
Ceramic and porcelain
Stoneware, fine ceramic, porcelain and china may be marked for microwave and dishwasher use. Confirm the marking on your piece, especially when it has decorative trim.
Glass and melamine
Keep soda-lime glass dinnerware out of the oven and microwave unless the item explicitly says otherwise. Keep tempered opal glass out of the oven. For melamine marked dishwasher-safe, use the top rack and keep it out of the oven, microwave and freezer.
Pre-Seasoned Cast Iron Use and Care
Cook and handle safely
Wash before first use. Preheat gradually, use oven mitts for hot handles and put the pan on a trivet. Lift it off the cooktop to protect the surface.
Clean and dry
Let the pan cool, then hand wash with warm water and a nonmetal brush. Dry it completely and wipe on a very thin coating of oil. Keep it out of the dishwasher.
Seasoning
If the seasoning needs restoring, follow the item’s instructions. Use a thin layer of oil and let the pan cool before handling it.
Enameled Cast Iron Use and Care
Before cooking
Wash and dry the cookware before its first use. Use the item’s stovetop and oven limits and check the lid separately, since a glass lid can have a lower heat limit.
During use
Use mitts to handle hot cookware and place it on a trivet. Use wood, silicone or heat-resistant nylon tools to protect the finish. Avoid heating an empty pan.
After cooking
Let the pan cool before washing. Use a soft sponge and mild detergent. Keep hot cookware out of cold water, and keep harsh abrasives away from the finish.
Ceramic Nonstick Cookware Use and Care
Cook with the right tools
Use a burner that fits the pan base and choose cookware tools that the manufacturer lists for the coating. Keep sharp tools and metal utensils away from the coated surface. Avoid preheating an empty pan until it overheats.
Wash after cooling
Let the pan cool, then use warm water, mild detergent and a soft sponge. Avoid abrasive pads. Check the item’s oven limit and the separate limit for its lid.
Stainless Steel Cookware Use and Care
On the stove
Preheat over low or medium heat and choose a burner that fits the base. Add a little oil or butter and avoid heating oil until it smokes. Keep the pan out of the microwave.
After cooking
Use mitts to move hot cookware and let it cool before cleaning. Hand wash with warm soapy water and a soft cloth or sponge. Check the item before using a dishwasher.
Bakeware Use and Care
Identify the material
Check the exact item for temperature and appliance compatibility. Follow separate instructions for ceramic, glass and metal.
Metal bakeware
Hand wash aluminum and carbon steel pieces when specified. Keep oven-only pans off the stovetop.
Wood Kitchenware Use and Care
Hand wash wooden pieces without soaking them. Keep them out of the dishwasher and oven. Dry them before storing. If the wood feels dry or rough, follow the item’s oiling instructions.
Glass Drinkware Use and Care
Check the label before washing glass drinkware in a dishwasher. Keep ordinary soda-lime glass out of a microwave or oven unless it is specifically rated for that use.
Serveware
Choose serving pieces by the shape and portion of the food you plan to put on the table. Check the dimensions of each piece before building a spread.
Platters and serving bowls
A platter gives sliced food room to spread out. For salad, a deeper bowl leaves space to toss and serve.
Boards and stands
Use a board for cheeses, fruit or appetizers. A raised stand can save table space when serving a cake or several small desserts.
Bakeware
Choose bakeware by the pan size, depth and material your recipe calls for. A set can cover several shapes, while a single dish is useful when you know the size you need.
Pans and baking dishes
Check whether a set includes pieces such as a sheet pan, loaf pan or muffin pan. For a casserole or layered dish, check the stated capacity and depth.
Individual servings
Compare ramekins by capacity if your recipe makes individual portions. Read the item instructions for oven temperatures, cleaning and storage.
Coffee and Tea
Heat water
Compare stovetop kettles by capacity and cooktop compatibility. Check the listing for details such as a whistle or a handle designed to tilt for filling.
Choose a brewing method
A French press steeps grounds in the carafe before the plunger separates them. With a pour-over brewer, water passes through the grounds and filter into a vessel below.
Serve the drink
Check the listed capacity when comparing small espresso cups, everyday mugs and sets for serving several people.
Cutlery and Cutting Boards
Choose a blade for the ingredients you prepare most often and a board with enough room to work.
Knife sets and individual blades
Check the piece list for the blade shapes you need. If a set includes a block or shears, use the listing to see what is counted in the set.
Cutting boards
Compare length, width and material. A channel around the edge can help collect juices when slicing juicy ingredients.
Kitchen Tools and Accessories
Prepare ingredients
Choose a mixing bowl with room to stir, toss or whisk. A nesting set can help when you need several bowl sizes and have limited storage space.
Tools and storage
Compare the tool material to the cookware it will touch. For a storage container, check the capacity and whether the care instructions for the lid differ from those for the base.
How Ceramic Dinnerware Is Made
The size, finish and decoration you see on a plate reflect decisions made during forming, glazing and firing.
Forming and first firing
A ceramic body can be shaped by pressing, casting or forming it against a mold. Casting is useful for hollow three-dimensional shapes. An initial firing firms the formed piece before later decoration steps.
Glaze and decoration
Glaze forms the surface finish. A pattern may be applied with a brush, stamp or decal. The order of glazing and decoration changes the way the finished surface feels.
Final inspection
Inspectors look for problems such as warping or chips before the pieces are packed. When comparing dishes, use the item listing to check material, finish and care instructions.
Cutlery Use and Care
Cleaning and drying
Remove any tags and wash the knife before its first use. Follow the care instructions for your blade and handle. For hand-wash knives, rinse and dry promptly, and keep the blade out of soaking water.
Protecting the edge
Store knives in a block, sheath or other holder that keeps blades from knocking together. Follow the maker’s guidance for honing or sharpening the blade.
Handling
Hold the knife by its handle. Place it down with the edge facing away from you, and use it for its intended cutting task.
Flatware Use and Care
Check whether your set has stainless steel or plastic handles. Use the dishwasher if the instructions for that set allow it.
Keep metal flatware out of the microwave and remove it from dishes before oven use.
Kitchen Storage Use and Care
Glass containers
Check appliance and freezer instructions for the glass container and its lid individually. Follow the limits given for each piece.
Acrylic and polypropylene containers
Use hand washing when the product instructions specify it. Check the material and care instructions before using a container for hot food or exposing it to the dishwasher.
Tableware Materials and Making
Read how ceramic tableware takes shape and how glaze and decoration change its finish.
Decorating Dinnerware
Glazes and decals
Glaze gives a ceramic surface its finish. A decal can sit above the glaze and feel slightly raised, or it can be sealed beneath the glaze for a smoother surface.
Painting and stamping
Hand-applied color can vary with each piece. A stamp can repeat a motif across a matching set.
How Ceramic Dinnerware Is Made
Shaping and drying
A clay body takes shape through methods such as molding or casting. The piece dries before firing so that it keeps its shape.
Surface and firing
A glaze can give the surface a smooth, colored finish. Clay body, glaze and decoration determine how a piece is fired. A reactive glaze can vary visibly from one piece to the next.