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Is Your Pottery Microwave Safe?

February 29, 2012 By Leave a Comment
Pottery Bowl, Serving Dish

Serving Bowl by Megan Nicole Johns

By Ivan Wozniak

Microwave ovens are now a common feature in most kitchens. Their use both to heat and cook food means a wide range of ceramics is being used in microwave ovens. However the question remains… Is all pottery microwave safe?

Technically this question is a little more complex than it appears. There are general rules such as “do not use ceramics decorated with gold, silver or precious metal in microwave ovens”. Indeed ceramic with any metal should not be used in a microwave oven. However additional rules depend on recognizing which type of ceramic is being used. For the consumer this is not an easy task.

Ceramics are now made all over the world and it is not always easy to establish their source or quality or type. However ceramics that have been fired to a high temperature and are non porous are generally considered to be acceptable for use in microwave ovens. These ceramics include stoneware, porcelain, bone china, and vitreous cookware. Other ceramics which have not been fired to a high temperature have to be used with caution. For these type of product to be used safely there is a need to ensure that they are both dry and have not absorbed water. This can happen in many circumstances particularly during washing or in storage in the fridge. These products need extensive safety instructions to be used safely.

Top brands help the consumer by labeling their products as ‘microwave safe’. Less well known products cannot give this assurance and often do not label at all. So buyer beware and if in doubt do not use in a microwave. Look out for BS or CE standards as a sign of meeting a quality standard.

In summary, most high fired ceramics are suitable for microwave oven use. Lookout for the labeling used by branded products to give reassurance on acceptability for microwave oven use. If in doubt “keep out” is a good motto to remember!

More information and other technical articles on pottery and ceramics can be found at my website http://www.pottersfriend.co.uk.

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Filed Under: Pottery in the home

I Have a Twitter Account. Now What?

February 19, 2012 By Leave a Comment

By Susan Morris

Paul Ames wrote in his article How Artisans Can Become Better Marketers through Social Media that artisans need to use social media tools such as Twitter and Facebook  to help them in their marketing efforts.  He emphasized the need to have good content on your website in order to get return visitors once you have reached them through the social media.

When using Twitter to attract followers and increase visitors to your website, keep in mind that there are several different kinds of tweets. I am going describe 10 of them.  You may choose to use a combination of 3 or 4 or use all 10. You should use some variety. The number one rule in social media is NOT to come out selling.  You need to create a rapport with your followers first. Then you will be rewarded with more followers who pay attention to what you have to say.

1. Where are you or what are you doing tweet.  – Be careful with this one, tack on a boring meter before you publish one of these.  Which would you rather read? Up too late last night, time for a nap. >>>>>>> Kept  watch on the wood kiln last night, time to nap while it cools  down.

2. Quotes – heard something inspirational? Share it.

3. Introduction – New supplier, new contributor, new style, new glaze…introduce it to your followers.

4. Marketing – Its okay to do a little marketing. Talk about some great new piece you have for sale, just don’t become a …

5. Spammer – Vary your tweets. Rule of thumb, sell your own products about 1/3 of the time and tweet about other things the remaining 2/3.

6. Give Aways – Know about a great insider deal? Share it. These will often become a

7. Retweet and are meant to go viral. Just look for the retweet tag on the tweet to pass good news and great content to your followers.

8.  Links – send out links to your own web site or to an interesting blog post.

9. Questions and Answer – These can be fun and are a good way to get some interaction going. They can also be quite controversial, so you might want to take stock of how you want your followers to view you before weighing in on a hot topic.

10. Customer Service – Unhappy customer.  Bad publicity travels many times faster than good. When something unforeseen happens, fix it  – then announce it to your followers. Let them know you stay on top of things.

 

Filed Under: The Business of Pottery Tagged With: ,