CHINAWARE

China is a term used for crockery whether bone china
(expensive and fine), earthenware (opaque and cheaper) or vitrified
(metallised). Most catering crockery used nowadays tends to be

vitrified earthenware, which is very durable and haven been
strengthened. Crockery is also usually given rolled edges to make it
more chip resistant.
Chinaware is made of silica, soda ash, and china clay, glazed
to give a fine finish. Chinaware can be found in different colours and
designs which are always coated with glaze. Chinaware is more
resistant to heat than glassware. There are various classification of
catering china. They are:
Porcelain Porcelain is a ceramic material made by heating
selected and refined materials, which often includes
clay of kaolinite clay, to high temperatures. The raw
materials for porcelain, when mixed with water, form a
plastic body that can be worked to a required shape
before firing in a kiln at temperatures between 1200°C
and 1400°C. The toughness, strength, and
translucence of porcelain arise mainly from the
formation of glass at high temperatures and the
mineral mullite within the fired body.
Bone China Bone china is porcelain made of clay mixed with bone
ash. This is very fine, hard china that is very
expensive. The decorations are to be found under the
glaze only. The price of bone china puts it out of reach
of the majority of everyday caterers, and only a few of
the top class hotels and restaurants would use it. The
range of design, pattern and colour is very wide and
there is something to suit all occasions and situations.
Earthenware Earthenware may sometimes be as thin as bone
china and other porcelains, though it is not translucent
and is more easily chipped. Earthenware is also less
strong, less tough, and more porous than stoneware,
but its low cost and easier working compensate for
these deficiencies. Due to its higher porosity,
earthenware must usually be glazed in order to be
watertight.
Stoneware Stoneware is a hard pottery made from siliceous
paste, fired at high temperature to vitrify (make
glassy) the body. Stoneware is heavier and more
opaque than porcelain. The usual color of fired
stoneware tends to be grayish, though there may be a
wide range of colors, depending on the clay. It has
been produced in China since ancient times and is the
forerunner of Chinese porcelain.