Steven Skinner BlackTree Studio Pottery

Handcrafted pottery can last a very long time.
Examples of ancient Chinese and Greek Pottery have survived intact for thousands of years.

Gravity
Avoid dropping crafted pottery. It could break or chip upon sudden contact with other surfaces.

Thermal Shock
The stoneware we use is fired to tempuratures from 1800º F to 2400º F. That's very hot! So, high temperature alone shouldn't damage crafted pottery. Thermal shock, though, which is caused by sudden, concentrated, uneven temperature changes can crack or break pottery.

So... avoid rapid, uneven heating, or cooling of crafted pottery.
Don't place hot pottery on a cold surface such as a marble counter top.
Don't run cold water over or in very hot pottery.
Don't place cold pottery on a hot surface. Such as a hot stove top.

My Grandma taught me to place a teaspoon in my cup or teapot prior to use. And, she was right; this may prevent a cup or teapot from breaking as hot water, tea, or coffee is poured into it. 

Oven Use
Do not place pottery in a pre-heated oven. Place the pottery in a room tempurature oven, then turn up the oven's temperature. Do not remove crafted pottery from an oven and place it directly on a cold surface.

Covering the entire bottom of a serving dish prior to warming the dish in an oven or micro wave can prevent the dish from cracking or breaking.

Microwave Use
Although handcrafted pottery may be used in carousel microwave ovens,
it is recommended that you heat food in microwave-safe dishes and then transfer it to your handcrafted piece. Small rapid expansions and contractions over time could weaken the integrity of the pottery or their glazes.

Never put crafted pottery in a broiler.

Never heat crafted pottery on a stove top.

Dishwasher
“Dishwasher safe” infers that glazes on crafted pottery will not react with dishwasher detergents. Functional crafted pottery may be placed and cleaned in a dishwasher, but it should be loaded so it doesn’t touch other dishes. I recommend washing crafted pottery by hand. Anyway, it's more fun.

Detergents
Detergents and soaps will not damage most pottery. Exceptions are pit fired or raku fired pottery whose surface decoration often is very fragile. Pit fired and raku pottery is decorative pottery and is not meant to be used for food or drinks.

Do not allow water or other fluids turn to ice in crafted pottery.
Water expands as it freezes and may crack your crafted pottery.

Please feel free to contact us with any questions.