Porcelain or ceramic: what's the difference and which is ideal for your business?

"Porcelain" and "ceramics" are terms used almost synonymously in everyday life, but from a technical point of view, porcelain is actually a specific type within the large family of ceramic materials. Understanding this difference helps a lot when choosing the right material for tableware in a hospitality business, where durability and replacement costs directly impact the bottom line.

What exactly is ceramics?

Broadly speaking, ceramics are any material made from clay that has been molded and hardened by heat. This category includes everything from the most rustic terracotta to the most refined porcelain, as well as earthenware and stoneware. What differentiates each of these materials is basically the composition of the clay and the firing temperature applied in the manufacturing process.

How porcelain is made

Porcelain is produced from a mass that combines kaolin, feldspar, and quartz, fired at temperatures that often exceed 1,300°C, well above the range used in most common ceramics, which are between 900°C and 1,100°C. This high-temperature firing causes almost complete vitrification of the ceramic body, making it dense, low-porosity, and translucent when thin enough—the famous "light test" that many use to recognize genuine porcelain.

In practice: porosity, stains, and odor.

In practice, this difference in process translates into very concrete characteristics for those who use the piece daily. The non-porosity of porcelain means it does not absorb water, which reduces the accumulation of odor and stains even after years of intense use. More porous ceramics, on the other hand, tend to retain moisture and substances more easily, especially with the cracking of the surface glaze.

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