Clay Cookware, FAQ'S
Find tips and advice for the proper care of clay cookware. This does not only apply to Claybourg brand cookware but to any culinary clay cookware, particularly glazed potteries (non-glazed cookware such as Rommertopf will get stained after the first use anyway).
What should you do before the first use?
Our potteries are designed for daily use but nevertheless require a minimum of care. Although they are hardened in fire, they stay somewhat sensitive to shocks. They can chip and break under violent shocks but are otherwise very durable in normal use.
Before the first use, you must soak your new French clay cookware in warm water with oil for at least 6 hours. Dry and wipe it after the 6 hours and fill it with milk. If you have a lid we recommend placing it into another dish and filling it with milk as well. Then bake it with the milk in the oven at 355 degree F for 45 minutes. Let cool completely to room temperature with the milk outside the oven then clean and rinse gently with just a drop of soap to remove milk odors.This process will seal the natural micro cracks of your pottery and prevent it from becoming stained by food.
Over time these cracks will reappear, this a natural occurrence for these type of French clay cookware and does not alter the product at all. To keep the beautiful appearance of your cookware, you should to reseal it with milk from time to time depending on how often you use it. If you are strictly using your dish as a decoration item or for salad bowls (unless you will use them in the oven too) and planters, this process is not necessary at all. For hanging planters though, it is recommended to seal them if you are using plants that require regular watering, this will prevent minerals from ternishing the outside. You can also place a plastic liner inside so the water will not be in contact with the clay.
What precautions should you take to preserve your cookware?
Avoid any thermal shock. Rapid change of temperature from cold to hot and hot to cold could be fatal to your cookware. Do NOT drop your hot cookware directly on a metal or marble trivet. The metal and marble being cold by nature may crack the pottery due to the temperature difference. If you want to use your metal trivet, place a wood or cork mat on it before placing your cookware or you can use a cooling pad in metal wire as the contact surface is very limited.
Let the pottery completely cool before placing it in the refrigerator to prevent thermal shock (and you will save electricity as well), this might take a couple hours depending on the size and remaining food but your food is safe with the lid on unless it is very warm.
Do not use your pottery directly on any source of heat such as your stove. When a recipe indicates to brown vegetables or meat, you must do so in a pan or Dutch oven before placing the food in the clay cookware and not directly in it. You can only do so if you place it on a heat diffuser.
Never use any hard abrasive or sharp cleaning material or powerful or abrasive cleaning products as this could damage the enamel permanently. If you damage your cookware enamel, reseal it completely before next use. Damaged potteries are still completely safe to use but they may get stained easier.
Are our clay cookware dishwasher safe?
Yes they are. However, we recommend pre-washing them by hand if they are very dirty. You can also soak them overnight in warm soap water before washing with the dishwasher but we recommend washing them by hand like we would for any nice kitchenware. They are usually very easy to clean as the glass-like glazing is a non stick surface.
Can I use a scouring pad to clean my clay cookware?
You should avoid it but yes you can. When they are very dirty we use a gentle pad without applying much pressure to remove the dirtiest areas before washing it in the dish-washer, it should not damage your cookware as they are very durable. However, never use any strong abrasive material, cleaning product or sharp object to clean your cookware or you may damage it permanently.
Can I cut directly in my cookware?
No, please NEVER use any sharp object to handle the food in your clay cookware, this could damage the enamel.
Are your cookwares durable?
They are very durable and it is very common to pass them on from generation to generation in French families. They may chip if you ding them hard or break if they fall on hard flooring like any other clay or ceramic material but with care they will last for generations. The more you use them the better they cook, so old potteries actually produce the best meals. In my family we own three generations old of these cookware and even though they show signs of their old age, they produce the best meals ever.
I noticed that looking very closely the enamel seems a little cracked, is my cookware defective?
No, in fact this is one of the great characteristics of these cookwares and most other hand-glazed cookware. The enamel of industrially made cookware appears indeed completely smooth but that is what makes them just plain dishes, even for the most expensive of them. The micro cracks in the email of our products appear during the cooking process at over 2000 degrees F and it helps the clay to breathe when cooking with them. The cracks may become more visible over time if food burns on them but it will not affect the wonderful properties of your cookware and is a normal aging process. However, you can (should actually) seal these micro-cracks before the first use and you can rejuvenate the aspect of your pottery by doing so on a regular basis, how often depends on your usage.
What are the advantages of your French clay cookware versus cheaper industrially made cookware?
- Our cookware are hand-painted and look beautiful whereas industrially made cookware is often not decorated or machine painted. You can use them as a decoration and a cooking item and when you bring it to your table, they look as beautiful as the food it contains taste good.
- Our cookware are slightly porous, allowing it to breathe and cook your meal better than any other industrially or semi-industrially made cookware. They will enhance the flavors of your food.
- Our cookware is 100% hand-crafted; therefore each piece is virtually unique. It takes 4 to 5 weeks to produce them, which of course does not permit mass production. It explains why they are a little more expensive than the average cookware but each of them is a piece of art that people care about and are proud to display on their table and share it with family and friends.
- Have you ever thought about offering a cookware as a gift to someone? If so you certainly had a hard time finding the right piece for the occasion. Search no more, our cookware make the perfect gift for any occasion.
Can I leave food in my cookware overnight in the refrigerator?
Absolutely! In fact, some of the traditional dishes are cooked a day before and when the food sits overnight while slowly cooling (in or outside the refrigerator), the flavor develop further and the meal is even more delicious the next day. However, do not put it right away from the refrigerator to the hot oven, thermal shocks can crack your pottery.
Will the painted decoration be in contact with my food?
No, that is why the cookware are enameled but in the event it chipped away, the paints our master potters use are food grade and not harmful. However, we do not recommend using the cookware if you badly damaged the enamel as they will deteriorate even more but they make a nice decoration or storage pottery in your kitchen. This said, we have never seen a case where the enamel was damaged as most people take great care of their beautiful cookware and do not use sharp objects to handle food as we recommend. My mom is using clay cookware that belonged to her grand-mother and they are still in perfect condition.
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