If your commercial dinnerware can’t take the heat, it really shouldn’t be in your kitchen.
Durable, heat-resistant restaurant plates, bowls, and serving dishes are key for creating gorgeous tablescapes that delight diners plate after plate, meal after meal.
There’s an art to choosing dinnerware that can withstand the demands of your club, restaurant, or catering business without breaking the bank. We’re here to help you explore the reasons for investing in reliable dinnerware and guide you toward some eye-catching options that will stand the test of time.
What is heat-resistant dinnerware (and why is it important)?
Nothing lasts forever, but if you’ve chosen your dinnerware wisely, it’ll last much longer than the competition.
Heat is brutal on kitchen tools and materials, and your restaurant’s dinnerware sees a lot of heat. From the scalding water of your dishwasher to the heat lamps that keep food hot until served, your bowls, plates, and dishes encounter heat at almost every turn.
Avoid damaged dinnerware
Heat-resistant dinnerware is designed to perform at peak capacity regardless of the heat it encounters. A lesser material would crack, chip, or splinter under those circumstances.
Damaged dinnerware is a turn-off for diners. They’ll read your tablescape and meals as lazy and cheap if accompanied by chipped or cracked plates and bowls.
Reduce the risk of disease
Cracks and chips are breeding grounds for bacteria. Damaged dishes simply can’t be kept in a commercial kitchen; they have to go in the trash.
When you’re forced to trash your dinnerware, you’re throwing money away along with your dishes. Every cracked, chipped plate or bowl represents diminished profit and a reduced bottom line. Whether you’re a chef or a restaurant owner, you’ll feel that loss.
Advantages of heat-resistant materials in the kitchen
Heat-resistant materials are not only made to withstand high temperatures but also designed to allow for drastic temperature fluctuations. Your dishes will encounter high heat, but they’ll also rest in the freezer and fridge, plunging them from room temperature or higher temperatures into a cold – perhaps freezing – environment.
Durable dinnerware can withstand temperature changes without damage or disfigurement. That’s an advantage because dinnerware heavily impacts how diners perceive food.
Just as plate shape and color affect the dining experience, the condition of a plate changes how a diner feels about their meal.
Cracked plates impact the ambiance of your dining room, too. Damaged dishes don’t feel upscale and high-quality. Even hairline cracks can tank a dining experience and affect diner satisfaction.
Whole dishes, with a gleaming finish and an attractive design, give your dining room an air of distinction and polish. It’s an effective way to consistently meet diner expectations and cement positive feelings about your restaurant or club.
Which dinnerware materials are heat resistant?
Restaurant dinnerware is usually made of one of the following materials:
China dinnerware
These days, China dinnerware is more commonly called porcelain. It’s considered the gold standard of restaurant dinnerware, combining tough heat resistance, sophisticated design, and the unmistakable feel of a quality material.
Porcelain looks polished on your table, lending refinement and class to even the most mundane dishes. Plus, it’s a workhorse in the back of house, easily making the shift from heat lamp to fridge to dishwasher.
Stoneware dinnerware
Stoneware, a type of earthenware made from clay with glass particles added for strength, is a viable alternative to porcelain. It looks friendly and inviting on the table and is heat- and damage-resistant in the kitchen.
But, stoneware dinnerware offers a limited aesthetic to your tablescape. It invariably looks casual and rarely looks refined. If your club or restaurant caters to choosy diners who expect a high-class experience, there may be better material for your dishes than stoneware.
Melamine dinnerware
Melamine is a type of plastic dinnerware. As you might expect, plastic doesn’t fare well in extreme heat. And it also can’t stand up to serrated knives, microwaves, bleach, and abrasive cleaners.
Overheated melamine dinnerware can leach plastic chemicals into your diners’ food, and bleach, abrasive cleaners, and knives can scratch and disfigure the dishes. Because of its cheaper price point, melamine dinnerware might seem like a bargain, but it won’t save you money or hassle in the long run.
Tips for choosing commercial dinnerware that lasts
At Corby Hall, we’ve been designing quality dinnerware for over 40 years. So, we’ve seen lesser materials come, crumble under the pressure of a commercial kitchen, and go. Here’s what we recommend to chefs purchasing dinnerware for their restaurants and clubs:
- Don’t skimp: Poor quality dinnerware costs more in the long run. Invest in quality dinnerware at affordable prices. It’ll last longer and ultimately cost less than the cheap stuff.
- Invest in porcelain: We can’t say it enough – porcelain is the perfect balance between refined and rugged. No other dinnerware offers the stunning look and feel of a high-quality material underpinned by such robust durability.
- Balance trendy and classic design: When choosing your dinnerware design, look for something that reflects your establishment’s ambiance and is also aspirational. Balance trendy and classic designs so your tablescape looks current but doesn’t become passe too quickly.
While all of our porcelain dinnerware sets are sturdy, we recommend these 3 designs for extra strength:
- Raio: A modern classic with sure-footed elegance from every angle
- Duo: Fun and intriguing, the perfect design for adding excitement to your tablescape
- Synergy: Understated and crisp, a fitting backdrop for letting your culinary creations dazzle
Talk to our sales team if you want to explore more of our designs. They’re commercial kitchen experts who can guide you to the heat-resistant porcelain dinnerware ideal for your kitchen.
