For those of us who love to host, any time we plan a social gathering is a creative opportunity. With the décor we choose, the dishes we make, and the ambiance we set, we’re creating an experience for our guests—and it all comes together the moment we plate our meals.
But no matter how detail-oriented we are, not everyone is fluent in the materials that make up the wares we corral around to feast.
To wit: what exactly is the difference between stoneware and porcelain?
In the simplest terms, stoneware is considered a more casual material for daily use. Porcelain, on the other hand, is a polished, special ceramic that’s typically featured for special occasions or passed down through generations.
Whether you’re scouting out a special new dinnerware set or you just want to bring some expert ceramics knowledge to your next dinner party, this guide will break down the differences between these two beautiful materials.
What Is Porcelain?
Porcelain is a type of traditional ceramic that’s long been prized for its smooth, creamy finish and lasting power. It was first invented in China (which is why many people refer to their porcelain wares as “china”), developed over several dynasties, and ultimately filtered into European material culture around the end of the 16th century. Though it should not be confused with bone china, as there are quite a few differences between bone china vs porcelain.
What is porcelain made of? From a mineral standpoint, porcelain is made of an extremely fine, special type of clay. In traditional Chinese ceramics, the most important constituents of the porcelain clay were:
- Petuntse, which is comprised of feldspar, quartz, and mica
- Kaolin, a type of white clay
Traditionally, kaolin is considered one of the most important substances in traditional Chinese ceramics. This is the substance that gives porcelain its glossy, coveted creamy hue. It’s also highly valuable because it’s rare to find large deposits of kaolin in the natural world.
What Is Stoneware?
Like porcelain, stoneware has its historical roots in China. It wasn’t traded in Europe until the 17th century, but it became a very popular material among the English, Dutch, and Germans, who used it to craft vessels for brewing teas and tisanes.
While porcelain tends to be ivory-colored and translucent, stoneware is heavier and usually comes in earthier hues. It tends to predominate in colors like:
- Brown
- Grey
- Crimson
- Olive
- Black
- White
Modern stoneware comes in a greater versatility of colors than its predecessors. The more durable stoneware is usually glazed, which can also change its color and appreciate its value.
Porcelain vs Stoneware: Aesthetics
Perhaps the most obvious way to distinguish between stoneware and porcelain is their physical attributes. In general, here’s how the two compare:
- Stoneware is predominantly opaque, while many porcelain pieces carry a degree of translucency
- Stoneware usually comes in earthier tones, while high-quality porcelain’s hallmark trait is its fine, milky color
- Stoneware tends to have a more salt-of-the-earth look and feel, while porcelain has an elegant, classic finish
The aesthetic traits of both porcelain and stoneware are highly contingent on the quality of materials, manufacturing, and craftsmanship. For instance, there are different types of porcelain that may have a gray cast if they’ve been adulterated with ingredients other than kaolin or quartz.
If you intend to invest in a special set (whether stoneware or porcelain dinnerware sets), be sure to scout out brands with a long history in the business. An established reputation usually indicates they have a robust track record for unsullied ingredients and masterful artisanship.
Porcelain vs Stoneware: Manufacturing
Both stoneware and porcelain are fired at extremely high temperatures, typically around 2200ºF. Moreover, both require vitrification to achieve a final product—a process where a substance is converted into a glass, which makes it have zero water absorption.
However, there are some occasions where stoneware undergoes a process of only partial vitrification, and a glaze must be applied to ensure it’s not porous.
Porcelain, on the other hand, is always completely vitrified. Usually, it’s exposed to very high temperatures more than once, often for days at a time. This is how it’s able to achieve its patently glossy, hard texture. If glaze is added, it’s typically only for decorative (rather than functional) purposes.
Porcelain vs Stoneware: Breakability
Many people assume that stoneware is the hardier substance of the two. After all, which seems intuitively more frangible: a lily-white, delicate dinner plate or a thicker, obsidian-colored serving bowl?
In truth, both stoneware and porcelain are very durable materials. This is largely due to the heat-intensive conditions in which they’re made: Extreme temperatures, when applied to either type of ceramic, cause the particles in each to crowd closer together. Once fired, this makes it more difficult to break them apart.
However, the process of vitrification occurs more consistently in porcelain wares than in stoneware, which means the latter is generally more susceptible to breakage. This usually occurs by a conchoidal fracture pattern, which can be difficult to reconstitute.
That said, it is possible to injure these two materials by:
- Nicking or chipping – Neither stoneware or porcelain is impervious to cracks. It’s important to handle both materials with care and store them in mild conditions where they have plenty of space. Stacking porcelain, in particular, can make it more vulnerable to chipping.
- Sudden temperature change – A material’s ability to withstand extreme temperatures or sudden climatic fluctuations is known as thermal shock resistance. While both stoneware and porcelain are fired under incredibly toasty conditions, they don’t do well with extreme temperatures once they’re made. Exposing your stoneware or porcelain dinnerware to extreme heat (e.g. boiling water) can cause cracks or even breakage.
Porcelain vs Stoneware: Formality and Use
Both stoneware and porcelain are considered highly valuable, high-quality substances. That said, the aesthetic properties of each mean they may work best for slightly different circumstances and occasions.
Here’s how each substance is typically used:
- Porcelain – Adored for hundreds of years for its elegant, refined appearance, porcelain has been the choice material for entertaining for hundreds of years. It’s considered a “special occasions” dinnerware material and is often passed down through generations as an invaluable family heirloom. Porcelain is a coveted gift for newlyweds, holidays, special events, and anniversaries.
- Stoneware – Due to its rustic, understated appearance, a stoneware dish is often considered a more functional domestic material. It’s often used for more casual social gatherings (like Friday night family dinners) or everyday occasions (like the mug of coffee you reach for each morning). In general, glazed stoneware is more likely to be displayed in homes than unglazed stoneware, which carries an earthier, less arresting appearance.
In general, porcelain is considered the “fancier” or more formal material of the two. If you’re shopping for a gift set, a special occasion or a heritage collection that you want to keep in your family for years, aim for a porcelain set (and perhaps an accent piece or two in stoneware).
How to Choose Between Porcelain and Stoneware
Like any other purchase, making the right choice between a porcelain or stoneware piece comes down to your intention: what motivated you to seek out these wares in the first place?
With that, let’s touch on some common occasions where you may weighing your dinnerware options, and how to settle on the best choice:
- You’re shopping for newlyweds – Few occasions remind us of just how many household items we need more than when we’re first building a life with someone. As mentioned, stoneware and porcelain tend to appeal to different aesthetics—but just because the happy couple is married doesn’t mean they’ve unified their tastes! When in doubt, check the registry. You may find they’ve requested porcelain china specifically. But if you know they’re avid coffee drinkers or suspect they’re in need of some often-neglected pieces like serving bowls, get those staples in stoneware.
- You’re buying something to host with – If you plan on purchasing a dinnerware set you’ll be hosting with at home, the material you choose can be a decisive factor in establishing how guests feel. While stoneware is the choice material for more casual, undone affairs, porcelain has a classic, elegant quality that can elevate even a pasta-and-red-sauce dinner into a special meal. You may even consider investing in two separate modern dinnerware sets: a stoneware collection for close friends or family meals, and a porcelain suite for celebratory occasions that call for “the good china.”
You’re choosing pieces you’ll keep forever – It doesn’t matter whether you’re already a parent or you’re just pondering what it might feel like to start a family: Sooner or later, all of us strive to switch out those plastic plates we’ve kept since college and invest in pieces we can build a life around. Both porcelain and stoneware can be resilient materials that easily abide our associations with family, friends, and occasions worth remembering.
Lenox: Household Pieces to Treasure for a Lifetime
Like a painter before their canvas or a writer before a blank page, seasoned and novice hosts alike know the sight of an empty table tends to strike up two emotions: excitement, and a little nervousness. But when you invest in pieces you adore, you instill beauty in the occasion and greet your guests with confidence.
As one of the most esteemed names in homeware, Lenox has been helping hosts lay the foundations of their social gatherings for over a century. Manufactured with heirloom materials like porcelain, bone china and stoneware, our designs span styles both modern and timeless.
Whether you love any excuse to bring people together or you’re still learning to find your unique hosting groove, start putting your table together by browsing Lenox dinnerware sets today.
Sources:
The New Yorker. The European Obsession with Porcelain. https://www.newyorker.com/books/page-turner/the-european-obsession-with-porcelain
The Museum of Russian Art. Porcelain: What Is It? https://tmora.org/online-exhibitions/dinner-with-the-tsars-russian-imperial-porcelain/introduction/porcelain-what-is-it/
Business Insider. Why Porcelain Is So Expensive. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TnoGsbl2ANo
Britannica. Stoneware. https://www.britannica.com/art/stoneware
Mindat. Definition of conchoidal fracture. https://www.mindat.org/glossary/conchoidal_fracture
The Spruce Eats. How to Identify the Different Types of Dinnerware. https://www.thespruceeats.com/dinnerware-materials-908883#toc-stoneware
