Learn how to handle and care for the BECOS products you bought so that you can enjoy them for years to come. Every material has its own unique characteristics, so we have care instructions and advice for each of them. Through proper handling and care, you will get to experience the joy of having your products slowly adapt to you and your way of living.

The Difference Between Earthenware and Porcelain

In Japanese, wares made by shaping and firing soil or stone are called “tojiki” or in English, “ceramics.” It is a general term that includes “toki” earthenware and “jiki” porcelain.

 As a quick example, Japanese teapots and cups are usually earthenware, while elegant coffee cups are normally made from porcelain.

Earthenware

Characteristics

Earthenware is made from a special kind of soil called “potter’s clay” which is glazed and fired at a relatively low temperature. Each piece is unique, owing to natural changes in shape, color, and texture that occur while it’s fired inside a kiln.This type of ceramic is porous and therefore absorbs some water, resulting in the wares eventually changing color due to “crazing” (cracks in the glaze). This change in the wares’ appearance over time is one of the big draws of earthenware.*Glaze: A vitreous chemical used to coat the surface of ceramics before firing to make them more waterproof and give them their distinctive shine. 

Porcelain

Characteristics

Porcelain is made by grinding up white porcelain stone, kneading it until it becomes clay, and then firing the shaped items at a high temperature. Porcelain stone has a high feldspar and silica content. When fired at a high temperature, the feldspar and silica vitrify (convert into glass), creating a product that’s thin but durable with a smooth surface. And because porcelain is impermeable, you can use it as much as you like without worrying about staining or the wares acquiring unpleasant odors.

Glassware

Characteristics

Glassware is distinguished by the way that it sparkles in the light and the delicate colors and designs it can be decorated with. It can bring a sense of festivity to everyday dishes and liven up your dining table. There is a wide variety of glass available, such as soda-lime glass, crystal glass, and heat-resistant glass, with varying levels of transparency, durability, and heat resistance.

Lacquerware

Characteristics

Lacquerware refers to items covered in multiple layers of lacquer, the milky white sap that is produced when a lacquer tree is cut. Lacquerware is extremely durable, water-resistant, heat-resistant, antiseptic, and antibacterial. Lacquerware does not like to be dry, and when gently washed and dried with a cloth after daily use, it will gradually become more lustrous over the years. The joy of witnessing its transformation is one of the big draws of lacquerware.

Tinware

Characteristics

Among the various metals, tin has the unique characteristic of being so soft that it can be bent by hand. It also enchants people with its delicate, unassuming shine, which will last for years because the metal is resistant to oxidation. Tin additionally boasts superior thermal conductivity and the ability to soften the texture of drinks, thereby enhancing the flavors of cold sake, beer, or water,

Wooden Wares

Characteristics

Wooden wares have the warm appearance and texture unique to wood, and can thus bring a sense of tranquility to one’s daily life. They are also practical, as they’re lightweight and durable and have low thermal conductivity, making them ideal for holding hot liquids. Differences in the treatment of the wood, such as whether oil, beeswax, polyurethane, or a glass coating was used, determines how wooden wares should be handled.

Leather Products

Characteristics

Leather products become softer and more lustrous over time, deepening their owners’ affection for them. One of their main appeals is that they respond visibly to care. They have durability and breathability, making them last a lifetime.