You Love Your Handmade Dishes, But Are They Microwave Safe?

With the growing resurgence of interest in handcrafted dinnerware, a new generation of people who have never experienced the joy of using pottery in their everyday lives suddenly find themselves confronted with new questions. For many, their only experience in dealing with dishes of any kind has involved those machine-crafted plates, bowls, and cups that still fill most cupboards in the West. As a result, there are some very basic issues that these folks often find themselves wondering about.

For example, one of the first questions many new owners of handcrafted pottery ask is how they can use these items with their modern technological conveniences. Invariably, that concern boils down to one real worry: can these dishes be placed in the microwave? While that might sound like a relatively unimportant issue, for many modern people it is precisely the type of concern that can make the difference between feeling comfortable with handcrafted dinnerware and deciding that it simply isn’t worth the trouble.

First, it’s important to understand why people might be concerned. Remember all those manufacturer’s warnings about how metal can damage your microwave? That warning is the main reason why so many artisan dinnerware owners are concerned about using their pottery pieces in the microwave. They recognize that there are traces of metals used in many common glazes, and are concerned that these metals might damage the microwave.

Well, there’s good news on that front, so don’t even think about getting rid of that new collection of handcrafted dishes! The fact is that they are perfectly compatible with the microwave, and can’t damage it in any way. While many do have that metallic content due to the glazes used, the amount of metal is so small that there is no way for it to affect the device’s operations.

That’s great news, obviously. Not only does it provide one more reason for you to own and use your beautiful and unique handcrafter dinnerware pieces, but it removes one potential obstacle that might otherwise have prevented you from enjoying the microwave benefits that pottery can make possible. And if you haven’t heard about those benefits, you’ll love these two:

• First of all, the best handcrafted pottery dishes retain heat much better than many machine-crafted dishes. Your pottery is also less likely to come out of the microwave hotter than the food it contains.

• Second, that increase in heat retention means that your microwave can use more of its energy heating your food rather than heating the dish. Greater efficiency can make for more rapid heating times and more reliable food preparation – which can help you to avoid those delays when you’re intent on heating up a meal quickly and the food just won’t cooperate!

And now that you know that those lovingly crafted handmade dishes can be safely used in your microwave, you can take advantage of those benefits in your kitchen. Like the items in our Gaia collection, it’s a safe bet that your own artisan pottery is perfect for use in most microwaves.