F.A.Q. Hospitality

ARTISANAL vs COMMERCIAL GRADE 
Handmade & Artisanal stoneware ceramics (Humble Ceramics) will never be as strong and durable as double sided glazed porcelain specifically designed and engineered for the hospitality industry! That is especially the case if you have an extremely high turn-over paired w/ long hours, the work will not last as long in that environment as in a smaller restaurant.  There is a reason why porcelain has been the go-to choice for hotels across the globe for the past century, but that is not what we do.

​BROWNSTONE 
BROWNSTONE is NOT recommend for the hospitality industry as they will break down and crack quickly in high turnover settings.

CHIPPING 
The work will chip over time, especially with rough handling … accidents will happen especially when one is in the weeds and forgets the type of plate they are working with. Chefs, waiters, busboys and dishwashers - please be careful! Chips will become part of the life of an artisanal ceramic piece. Our work will still look good and rustic as the stone looks almost the same on the surface as it does below the surface. The only detail you might loose where the chip happened is the "flashing" (thin copper looking line as that is a reaction where the glaze and clay meet in high firing and cannot be reproduced). 

CRACKLING 
That is a normal part of most artisanal stoneware pottery, over time, the glaze will start to craze and create that beautiful effect. But it also weakens the work and will not last as long as a non-crackled glaze (Korean Blue Celadon) DON'T MICROWAVE THEM, some glazes are sensitive to the speed of the heating & cooling and can start to craze due to the quick changes in temperature …

DISHWASHER SAFE? 
Some clays will not be affected while other might be more sensitive and break down over time.

YES - Greystone - Dishwasher Safe & Recommended. This clay is extremely strong and will not breakdown over time.

Sandstone - Dishwasher Safe, but not recommended on a daily basis or the clay might start to breakdown over time.

Brownstone - Dishwasher Safe, but not recommended on a daily basis or the clay might start to breakdown over time.

FEEDBACK 
We are always interested in your feedback, experiences and observations especially after using our work for a few month or a few years ... ! How does it hold up? Which shapes do better? Which glazes do better? The more we know how our products react in your environments, the better: we can then share that information w/ the rest of your peers so that anyone interested in purchasing Humble Ceramics can make informed decisions.

FOOD SAFE? 
Except for Aloha Blue* and Navajo Blue* glazes (used mostly on vases and stamped “not food Safe” on the bottom) all of our glazes are food safe because they do not contain lead, barium or vanadium … * Even if Aloha & Navajo are not food safe, they do not contain lead!

GREYSTONE 
GREYSTONE is the strongest clay we use and the one we always recommend for the hospitality industry.

HANDLING 
If you educate your staff about the mindful handling of small batch/handmade ceramics, then there is hope. Please don't handle them like regular porcelain plates! Don't throw them in the sink or dirty dish buckets, handle them w/ care and common sense.

HEAT 
Our GREYSTONE can withstand most high heat industrial dishwashers, but are not recommended to use in the microwave, in the oven, under the salamander or under the blow torch: if the food gets "baked in" to the raw/unglazed portion of the ceramic object, it will be difficult to wash off and remove so you might end up with black stains. Some chefs like the rustic / used look, but that will be your personal aesthetic decision.

INDUSTRIAL DISHWASHER SAFE? 
Some clays will not be affected while other might be more sensitive and break down over time.

YES - Greystone - Dishwasher Safe & Recommended. This clay is extremely strong and will not breakdown over time.

Sandstone - Dishwasher Safe, but not recommended on a daily basis or the clay might start to breakdown over time.

Brownstone - Dishwasher Safe, but not recommended on a daily basis or the clay might start to breakdown over time.

MICROWAVE SAFE? 
Some of our clays contains slight metal particles that could react when placed in a microwave. Also, the thermal shock that can come with such combined speed and heat might create more crazing over time. If you do use the microwave, be aware that the piece will be hotter than anticipated so don’t grab it with a spare hand or you will burn yourself.

OVEN SAFE? 
You could, and the Greystone is strong enough but we do not recommend it because if food gets baked into the raw/unglazed stone, it will be hard to scrape off and clean. If you do put it in the oven, just be mindful of not thermal-shocking the piece (putting a scorching hot plate in cold water or the like …)

RECONDITIONING THE STONE 
A few times a year, when the pieces are clean and completely dry, you can oil them with a commercial butcher block/mineral oil that is food safe and unscented. Remove all excess oil w/ a clean dry rag. This will give your stoneware a slight sheen and will prevent staining the unglazed part.

REFERENCES 
A slew of other restaurants have been using our work  (for a full list, click here). We invite you to ask them directly how the work has been holding up after month (sometimes years) of use. Eventhough our work was never designed for the hospitality industry, chefs keep coming back again and again … so the work speaks for itself.

REPAIR 
Unfortunately we are unable to "repair" or "patch" chips ...

SALAMANDER SAFE? 
We do not recommend passing these plates under the Salamander because if food gets baked into the raw unglazed stone, it will be hard to scrape off and clean. If you do use the Salamander or a blow torch, just be mindful of not thermal-shocking the piece.

SANDSTONE 
SANDSTONE is NOT recommend for the hospitality industry as they will break down and crack quickly in high turnover settings.

SANITIZER SAFE? 
Some clays will not be affected while other might be more sensitive and break down over time.

YES - Greystone - Dishwasher Safe & Recommended. This clay is extremely strong and will not breakdown over time.

Sandstone - Dishwasher Safe, but not recommended on a daily basis or the clay might start to breakdown over time.

Brownstone - Dishwasher Safe, but not recommended on a daily basis or the clay might start to breakdown over time.

SCRATCHING / MAINTENANCE 
The matt-er the glaze, the more likely it will show the cutlery marks over time. Maybe don't serve a piece of meat that needs cutting w/ a serrated knife on artisanal ceramics (my 2 cents). The shinier the glaze (w/ no crackling), the stronger and the longer the work will last in your establishment. Bar Keepers Friend Soft Cleanser for Porcelain / Ceramic, we've been told, might removes most of those cutlery marks (with some elbow grease)

SOAKING? 
NO NO NO!!! Please DO NOT soak the pieces!!! By doing so, moisture might get trapped underneath the glaze and eventually flake.

STACKING 
We ask that you do not stack the work too high or the weight will create too much pressure on the lower units and might create micro-fissures over time [in the wall (side edge) of the piece]. Though our work is very strong, some models don't stack particularly well, so if that is the case, be mindful how high you stack them, and how you stack them ... some items (such as the FS Plates, Cazuelas & Cazuelitas) do better when “clammed" (bottom to bottom, top to top).

STAINS 
We condition the stone here, and if you do it once in a blue moon, you are ok to use it with very pigmented foods. However, if not oiled at least once a year, our work might stain, especially  if using squid ink, beets, certain reductions, dragon fruit, etc … If it stains your fingers, it has the potential to stain the Stoneware if it hasn't been oiled in a while.

WEIGHT 
Our work is heavy - so if keeping it on shelves, make sure those shelves can withstand that type of weight! Better safe than sorry. Counter-tops are not a concern. If you stack them high, imagine the weight on the bottom pieces .... so use common sense! Don't stack them too high … each shape will determine how high you can safely stack them.

 

Please don't hesitate to email us if you have additional questions and/or feedback.

THANK YOU for your interest!

 

Delphine