Can you microwave Lenox chinaware? What is Lenox china anyway? What makes them a worthwhile buy compared to other chinaware or ceramic dinnerware brands when push comes to shove? Keep on reading to find out.
If you’ve ended up with ceramic dinnerware and couldn’t understand what’s the difference between one brand and another then you’ve come across the right article. Perhaps you’ve moved into a new home and you can’t decide which dinner set is the best fit for you.
Well, Lenox China might just be the dinnerware you’re searching for! However, first thing’s first— is Lenox china microwave-safe or not? Keep on reading to find out! Then we’ll discuss what the Lenox brand of chinaware brings to the table.
Is Lenox China Microwave-Safe?
Lenox chinaware and stoneware are microwave-safe, dishwasher-safe, freezer-safe, and oven-safe. You can use them to store leftovers in the freezer, only to be reheated directly on the oven or microwave for later serving on your table with no issues. It was designed to do this.
Long story short, they’re perfectly safe for all sorts of things, from reheating to cleaning. However, there are some caveats. They’re prone to chip when they’re hot, so be careful when removing them from the microwave oven, standard oven, or dishwasher (which uses hot water to clean dishes).
However, Lenox stoneware isn’t as durable as other ceramic types like porcelain but if you’re careful how you handle their fragility then they’re completely microwave-safe and dishwasher-safe.
What is Lenox Chinaware Made of?
If you wish to have unique designs on your cabinet then getting Lenox china is the way to go. Most of their dinnerware is composed of three materials—stoneware, porcelain, or bone china. Stoneware is the most brittle, followed by porcelain, and finally, bone china has the most durability.
Bone chinaware has the reputation of needing to be used sparingly, such that it should be stowed away inside your cabinet because it can’t take the rigors of regular or daily use. All ceramics chip and break when you accidentally drop them but bone china is actually super-resistant to breakage.
Bone china is dishwasher safe as well as microwave-safe but with some caveats. Certain Lenox bone china dinnerware includes precious metal banding or designs, such as platinum and real 24-karat gold. Metallic anything should not be microwaved for fear of electrical arcing and sparks.
Certain Lenox Chinaware with Metal Banding is Microwave-Safe
Lenox china is one of the pioneers of the concept of microwave-safe metallic-band china. They’ve found non-arcing metals that can be safely used on microwaves. You simply need to check their china if it’s microwave-safe or not by looking for the microwave-safe back stamp of approval.
Their bone china also comes in a creamy-white color that looks gorgeous on many a table out there as dinnerware. The company has spent years of experimentation in order to get that shade of white just right in a proprietary manner compared to their closest competitors.
They even have their own color formula for their dinnerware in order to give their Lenox bone china that signature ivory white look.
Lenox Porcelain China is on Another Level of Cost-Effective Durability
Porcelain has the reputation of being the most durable material of the all, and Lenox porcelain is no exception to this rule. Even though it’s not as durable as bone china in practice it got the durability reputation by having a heavier build and being used more often than special china.
You get to witness firsthand how durable it is with daily use since most parents and homeowners use it everyday compared to the more durable bone china. That’s why it’s reputed to be durable and resistant to damage from drops. Its heaviness gives the impression of it being tank-like.
It’s also chip-resistant compared to hot stoneware. You won’t have to worry as much when hitting it accidentally on your kitchen counter, with it maintaining a sturdy structure as its reputation would suggest. Naturally, it’s also microwave-safe.
Stoneware Offers Serviceable Durability and More Variety
Stoneware is made of stone so you’d think it’d be resistant to chipping. It is but when it gets hot inside the microwave or oven that’s when it’s most vulnerable compared to bone china and porcelain. It’s even heavier and thicker than porcelain but its thickness helps make it sturdier.
Stoneware holds more designs, glazes, textures, and varieties because it’s able to showcase the detail and intricate carvings of every single dinnerware on its line. Its material offers more ornamentation options despite its heat and chip fragility compared to china and porcelain.
In contrast, bone china is thinner, so people get the impression it breaks easier than stoneware when it’s more resistant to chipping when microwaved. None of these dishes should be mistaken for bakeware or used for baking though.
Lenox China Designs and Microwaveability
Both porcelain and bone dishes come with that signature Lenox creamy white and ivory colors. The stoneware variant of Lenox provides the most design options in exchange for not being as heat-resistant and chip-resistant as its chinaware and porcelain counterparts when push comes to shove.
All of them are dishwasher-safe but watch out in your stoneware placement so that they don’t bump into each other during the washing cycle of the dishwasher machine, which could then lead to chipping or breakage. Ironically, take care of your stoneware the way you’d be careful with your china!
The shape of Lenox dinnerware affects the food you serve and the aesthetic of your dining table. Thusly, you can choose from a variety of shapes (especially when it comes to their stoneware line) such as organic, scalloped, rimmed, and coupe.
The chinaware dinnerware from Lenox should have a stamp at the back to tell you if it’s microwave-safe or not because not all metal banding on Lenox China is microwave-safe or even dishwasher-safe.
To Sum Everything Up
Yes, Lenox dishes and ceramic dinnerware are microwaveable with the standard caveats of hairline cracks possibly worsening to outright breakage due to the bombardment of microwave rays and hot food. If you got your Lenox china in one piece, it shouldn’t be an issue.
We hope this crash course on everything you need to know about dinnerware and how microwavable they are has been helpful. The article covers everything you need to be more aware of what makes a good dinnerware set and why Lenox is among the best ones out there.
References:
- “Your Ultimate Dinnerware Guide (to Lenox China)“, Lenox.com, Retrieved January 26, 2022
