Caring for your Japanese tableware

Most of the plates, bowls and cups in the shop are Mino ware porcelain or ceramic, made for ordinary days. Unless a piece says otherwise, it can go in the microwave and the dishwasher. The Care line on each product page is always the final word for that piece.

Everyday porcelain and ceramic

• Microwave and dishwasher safe, unless the product page says otherwise.
• None of our tableware is sold as ovenware, so please keep it out of the oven and away from a direct flame.
• Let a dish from the fridge come to room temperature before filling it with something very hot. Sudden changes in temperature are hard on any glaze.
• A soft sponge keeps glazes and printed patterns looking their best. Skip steel wool and abrasive powders.
• The unglazed ring on the base can feel a little rough. A sheet of paper or a cloth between stacked plates protects the glaze underneath.

Handmade pieces

Some pieces are shaped or painted by hand, like the Nezumi-Shino matcha bowl and the snowcaps on the Mt. Fuji sake cups. They can go in the dishwasher, but a gentle wash by hand in warm water keeps hand-painted details at their best for longest. Check each piece’s care notes, too: the wooden grinder that comes with the matcha latte cup is hand wash only.

Wood

Our chopsticks have a polyurethane finish and can go in the dishwasher, but not in the microwave. Bare wooden handles, like the olive wood on the butter knife, are happiest washed by hand and dried straight away. If the wood starts to look pale, a few drops of food-safe oil bring it back.

Stainless steel

The teaspoons and petite butter knives are 18-8 stainless steel and go in the dishwasher.

Mosquito-net kitchen cloths

The cloths start out stiff. Soak them in lukewarm water before their first use and they turn soft and absorbent. Rinse them well and hang them up to dry between uses.

If something arrives damaged, or you are unsure how to look after a particular piece, see Delivery & Returns or write to us. We are happy to help.