Porcelain, stoneware, and earthenware have clay for a foundation, but differ in appearance and quality according to the fineness of the clay used, the kind of glaze applied, and the length of time taken for firing.

Advantages:

1. Pottery utensils are excellent for slow, even cooking in even heat, such as slow baking.

2. They can be used for both cooking and serving food and therefore save dishwashing.

3. The good grades are nonabsorbent.

4. Pottery utensils are comparatively cheap.

5. They are relatively durable.

6. They are easy to clean unless they are cracked.

Disadvantages:

Pottery utensils are not good for use over direct heat that is unsteady or intense, such as on top of a stove. General care:

1. Pottery utensils should be kept exceedingly clean.

2. If they are allowed to dry without being wiped, they should be rinsed in very hot, clean water to prevent their becoming covered with a thin film which in time spoils the glaze.

Silver or plated silver Advantages:

1. Silver is an excellent conductor of heat.

2. It does not tarnish readily.

Disadvantages:

1. Silver is too costly for ordinary use, although plated silver is used to a limited extent in baking dishes and the like.

2. It becomes tarnished if sulphur is allowed to touch it.

General care:

Wash silver in hot soapy water, rinse it thoroughly in clear hot water, and wipe it with a clean dry cloth.

Special care:

1. Use a brush in cleaning raised patterns.

2. To remove tarnish, use silver polish according to directions given on the package, or use whiting moistened with alcohol, ammonia water, or water. Rub in the paste, allow it to dry, and rub it off with a soft cloth, chamois skin, or tissue paper. Scald the silver. This method gives a burnished appearance.

3. Boil the silver until the tarnish is removed, in an enamel ware kettle containing a piece of aluminum and a solution made of 1 teaspoon of salt, 1 teaspoon of either washing or baking soda, and 1 quart of water. Aluminum kettles of any value for cooking should not be used, since the process corrodes them quickly. A piece of zinc is sometimes used in place of aluminum, but it becomes corroded and inactive in a much shorter time. This method gives a satin finish rather than the burnished appearance obtained by an abrasive silver polish. This electrolytic method, however, causes no loss of metal and requires less time. It may be desirable, therefore, to use the solution with aluminum as frequently as it is necessary to remove tarnish, and the abrasive polish occasionally to restore the burnished appearance.