Distinctive-Decor.com Blog

Outdoor Dining with Elegant Melamine Dishes

Photo: Outdoor Kitchen, De Soto, KS

Pool and patio season is here, and with it comes opportunities for outdoor entertaining and family meals served under the shade of the backyard umbrella. Outdoor kitchens are all over the place these days, ranging from the impeccably-appointed to modular and modern. Cooking outside gives us the opportunity to bask in the gorgeous outdoors as well as helps avoid overtaxing your air conditioner and dishwasher, since the heat stays out of the indoor kitchen.  Also, more grilling usually means less cleanup.

No matter how beautifully designed and executed your outdoor dining space is, however, there's still one key element you may have overlooked: your outdoor tableware. Sure, there are lots of nice paper plates and napkins available in your local discount store, but that doesn't quite fit the bill when you're entertaining guests or hosting a special family dinner, does it? Then again, you don't want to bring your good stoneware, ceramic,  or porcelain outside; it's unwieldy, and it can get broken if dropped on a concrete patio or poolside (watch your feet!).

Enter Le Cadeaux melamine dinnerware and polycarbonate drinkware. Le Cadeaux tableware is sturdy enough to use at every meal, and beautiful enough for the most elegant outdoor feasts. This European-inspired tableware looks just like your favorite stoneware, with rustic accents and charming detail to give your outdoor entertaining the finishing touch.

And this is not your Grandma's melmac, either. In addition to being beautiful, Le Cadeaux is some of the strongest, most substantial melamine on the market today. The polycarbonate drinkware is virtually unbreakable. The entire collection is dishwasher safe and BPA-free.

You could feature a monochromatic table setting that coordinates with your chair cushions and landscaping, or a mix-and-match combo that is decidedly more bohemian (we love the Benidorm Blue for this...so chic). Le Cadeaux polycarbonate beverage service is just as elegant and resilient: with so many styles and colors to choose from, the perfect setting for your table is just a click away.

Royal Worcester China is Back!

After a brief absence in the United States, Royal Worcester is available again for the US market.  Royal Worcester's most well known collections Holly Ribbons and Evesham Gold are back with new pieces in each collection.  The fine bone china collections of Corinth Platinum, Howard Cobalt and Monaco Platinum are nice selections for the bride who wants fine china without ornamentation. The Royal Worcester Classic White collection is a lovely white porcelain collection featuring nice shapes and a low price tag.

Our Opinion: Saeco Makes the Best Espresso Machines

Super-automatic espresso machines are expensive; super-automatic espresso machines are an investment.  Like me, I am sure you want to know all the facts before you buy.  You can make yourself go crazy looking at and studying all the online espresso machine buying guides.  So today I will cut through all the technical stuff and just shoot straight from the hip.  I have used most of the high-end espresso machines and I believe that Saeco espresso machines are the best in the market. They are more more intuitive to use, better thought out and make the best espresso.

While all super-automatic espresso machines have a learning curve, Saeco machines are the simplest to learn.  (When I refer to a super-automatic, I mean an espresso machine that grinds the coffee beans for you, tamps or compresses the ground coffee, brews it and drops the brewed coffee grinds into a bin.  A super-automatic does this with only one touch of a button. In short, it does all the prep work and brewing for you.)  Saeco espresso machines are easy to program, have nice displays or readouts and simply are easier to navigate.

When I say Saeco espresso machines are better thought out I am referring to design, the outside housings are easy to clean, their bean hoppers (the area that holds whole beans) seal in coffee freshness with their Aroma Seal around the hopper's circumference that keeps out oxygen (coffee is a lot like bread in that oxygen will make it stale). The brew group (where the coffee is brewed) is removable.  You can clean it whenever you want.  Other manufacturer's brew groups are concealed and can never fully be cleaned, but more on this later.  Saeco machines use ceramic grinders that will not deteriorate over time, will not absorb odors or flavors and offer a consistent grind.

The most important thing to consider when investing in a super-automatic espresso machine is the quality of the coffee it dispenses.  I know the quality of the coffee is about the beans, mostly, but let's assume that all variables are equal--the water is the same, the beans are the same, etc.  The only thing that is different is the espresso machine used to brew the espresso.  Seaco will produce a purer cup of coffee than all others simply because it will have a fresh and clean brew group. 

Saeco super automatic espresso machines have removable brew groups while the other manufacturers' brew groups are sealed. You can rinse off the coffee oils and other coffee debris from the Saeco brew group and you cannot with the competitors' versions. Over time--with the competitors' machines the coffee oil build up becomes rancid and produces off flavors.  No matter how you try to clean away this oil and residue, you will never get it completely clean with their cleaning solutions and cleaning tablets.  The only way to get the brew group clean is to pull it out and rinse it off. Saeco allows this; the other guys do not.

Saeco's competitors make fine espresso machines with nice bells and whistles, but at the end of the day what matters is the cup of coffee being dispensed.  Saeco offers you the cleanest and purest espresso you can make in a super-automatic espresso machine.  If I were going to buy a new espresso machine today for my home or office, it would be a Saeco because I want true coffee flavor and not coffee that is tainted with residual rancid oil from brews I made one or two weeks ago. You can taste the difference with Saeco super-automatic espresso machines, seriously.

Pillivuyt Porcelain "non-stick" Bakeware and Dinnerware

For those of you who do not know about Pillivuyt, Pillivuyt is a maker of fine porcelain bakeware, serving ware and dinnerware.  Pillivuyt was founded in France in 1818 by Jean Louis Richard Pillivuyt.  He saw the potential for porcelain in the kitchen because he knew that it was much less porous than earthenware. Pillivuyt is still made in Mehun-Sur-Yever, France, in an employee-owned factory that employs around 300 local porcelain makers. Pillivuyt is regarded as the leading porcelain manufacturer in France.  If you want to see some Pillivuyt in action, watch the movie "Julie and Julia." They use Pillivuyt throughout the movie. I recommend Pillivuyt to all the really good cooks that come into our shop.  Pillivuyt is the serious cook's dinnerware and bakeware.

Pillivuyt is the original non-stick bakeware due to its firing and glaze.  Pillivuyt porcelain is fired at 2400 degrees F and the glaze used creates an extraordinarily hard and virtually nonporous surface.  If there are no, or very few pores, there is little for baked on food to stick to.  Simply toss the baked on pan into warm water for a few minutes and any burnt-on mess will release quickly and effortlessly. By the way, Pillivuyt porcelain is lead and cadmium free.

While the firing temperature and glaze do create a nonstick surface, there are also other benefits to Pillivuyt's porcelain.  First, it is microwave and oven safe--even under the high temperatures of the broiler. It is thermal shock resistant.  Take it directly from the freezer to your oven (try that with tempered glass or other earthenware baking dishes and you will have a mess). Second, Pillivuyt's dense porcelain retains heat well. Third, Pillivuyt porcelain will not craze and resists scratching and chipping.

Pillivuyt porcelain is dense, strong, tough and durable, but it is also beautiful.  Any piece of Pillivuyt will go with a formal or casual setting. This is because Pillivuyt is usually white, beautifully shaped and formed and has, arguably, perfect glazes. Pillivuyt is very versatile in the design respect.

The Pillivuyt range of porcelain bakeware, serve ware and dinnerware encompasses the traditional and formal to the contemporary and casual. I will highlight the collections below.

Pillivuyt Contemporary Porcelain Collections:

Collection Vendome White porcelain with contemporary angular, square and trapezoidal shapes.

Collection Alizee White porcelain with contemporary and exotic fluid shapes.

Pillivuyt Traditional Porcelain Collections:

Collection Sancerre Clean and simple designed porcelain with traditional shapes

Collection Quartet An old, "contemporary" designed collection with square forms from molds from the 1800s.

Collection Eden Elegantly simple white porcelain with traditional shapes.  No rims, just flowing porcelain. Mostly serving pieces and bakers.  The Eden baking dishes can be used on your barbecue.

Collection Plisse  White porcelain with pleated rims.  Will mix and match with Sancerre and Brasserie easily. Traditional shapes and styling.

Collection Brasserie Our favorite!  White porcelain adorned with French bistro menus around the rims. This pattern was developed in the 1920s for cafes who wanted their menus printed on the plates and bowls.  The pattern retains the original French items and prices.

Collection Garrigue White porcelain adorned with beautiful herbs, olives and flowers seen in Provence. The US collection mainly focuses on serving pieces and mugs. Casual styling.

All Pillivuyt dinnerware is made of a special recipe of porcelain Pillivuyt calls "Pillenium." It is a special recipe that offers the same strength and durability Pillivuyt is know for, but allows the dinnerware to look more like fine china. Still, all Pillivuyt dinnerware is oven-safe, chip and scratch resistant and, most importantly, extraordinarily beautiful.

Pillivuyt Porcelain Bowls, Pillivuyt Porcelain Bakers and Roasters, Pillivuyt Porcelain Casseroles, Terrines and Lion's Head Terrines, Pillivuyt Porcelain Souffle Dishes, Gratins, Flans and Forms, Pillivuyt French Porcelain Platters, Trays and Servers, Pillivuyt Porcelain Teapots and Coffee Service, Pillivuyt French Porcelain Dinnerware, Pillivuyt French Porcelain Coffee mugs and tea cups.

Spode Baking Days Polka Dot Dinnerware and Bakeware

Spode Baking Days Dinnerware and Bakeware depart from the more formal-looking Spode patterns like Blue Italian, Christmas Tree, Woodland and Delamere . The Baking Days pattern is cute, fun and whimsical with bright colors, clean glaze and raised white polka-dots. 

The Spode Baking days collection is sold in 5 colors: red, blue, green, black and white.  All colors - with the exception of white - are adorned with raised white polka dots, while the white Baking Days pattern is decorated with raised multi-colored polka-dots (red, blue, green and black). The color combination allows you to mix-and-match colors that fit your personality and your color scheme.

Spode Baking Days rapidly is becoming more popular due to its relatively inexpensive pricing, versatility, casual look and its ability to take the rigors of everyday use.  It also helps that Spode Baking Days offers numerous baking dishes and serving pieces that match the dinnerware. Of course, Spode Baking Days is dishwasher, oven, freezer and microwave safe.

Spode Baking Days dishes and bakeware are made of durable and long lasting stoneware. Currently, Spode Baking days offers 4 piece dinnerware sets, serving bowls, individual bowls, canisters, baking dishes, spoon rests, ramekins and three-dish servers. The cups and saucers, spoon rests and three-dish servers are new introductions this year. If you are looking for a casual dinnerware set that incorporates strong usable stoneware, clean glaze and polka dots, Spode Baking Days is for you!

Match Italian Pewter | What is Pewter and What is Pewter Made From?

Not all pewter is created equally.  Pewter is an alloy of three metals: tin, copper and antimony--a flaky blueish-white metal.  For pewter to be called "pewter" it must contain at least 92% tin.  Pewter is considered a semi-precious metal due to its tin content.  Did you know that tin is the fourth most expensive metal next to platinum, gold and sterling silver?  It's true, and this is why you should demand high tin content in the pewter that you buy--whether it is a figurine or a pewter ice bucket.

Higher qualities of pewter alloy like the alloy Match Pewter uses is 95% tin.  The higher the tin content, the higher the quality of pewter and more handsome the appearance of the pewter. A higher tin content produces a beautiful luster and superb finish.  While the best pewter has a high tin content, you need to be assured that the tin used is of the highest quality, also.  Stick with manufacturers who are up front about this. Sure, they will probably sell more expensive pewter, but you know that you are getting an heirloom-quality piece.  Many label their product as pewter and use a number of white metals like aluminum to give their product the pewter look, but what they make is not pewter.

When we went looking for a line of pewter for the kitchen, table and home we had to educate ourselves on who makes the best and safest pewter.  We found Match Pewter to be the company who is forthright with their pewter alloy recipe, has the best Italian pewtersmiths making the product and arguably has the finest pewter designs in the marketplace.  All Match Pewter is FDA approved, lead-free and 100% food safe. Match Pewter founder David Reiss, a Rhode Island School of Design graduate, is committed to making the highest quality pewter bowls, chargers, vases, centerpieces, flatware, stemware and tableware. To do this, he contracts the the best pewtersmiths in northern Italy who use age-old techniques to make Match's pewter.

If you already have a piece of Match Pewter or are interested in purchasing a Match Pewter piece you will notice that there are stamps on it.  A stamp that will always be present is the "95" stamp denoting the content of tin in the piece.  You might also have an "M" stamp present, which stands for Match. There may be up to two more that indicate in what region in northern Italy your piece was made and the workshop where it was made.  All pieces will have at least two imprimaturs or hallmarks on them. Some pieces are classic designs with historical references.  These pieces are cast directly from molds made from original antiques.  When you see symbols and initials on the front of some Match Pewter pieces they have been picked up from these molds.

Just a quick note about Match Pewter flatware.  Match has created beautiful flatware using pewter for the handles.  All food surfaces are made of high quality 18/10 stainless steel.  The knife blades are actually forged with the handles creating a very solid knife; the blades are not simply stuck into a pewter handle.

Pewter requires little in the way of care, but it can discolor if you leave something acidic in it.  If your pewter does discolor it can be cleaned up easily with a good metal polish or "0000" steel wool.  Caring for and cleaning pewter is not as hard as some might lead you to believe.

Match Pewter creates an entire line of pewter for the desk, kitchen, bathroom and bar.  They offer pewter picture frames, vases and centerpieces, candlesticks, candelabras and lamps, pewter chargers and platters and bowls.

Peppermill Supreme 2000: 10 Reasons You Will Love it and Gift it.

The Peppermill Supreme 2000-the name of this peppermill is a little hokey to me because it points futurisic sci-fi versions of the kitchen and it reminds me of a cartoon my son and daughter watch where this little creature invents lots of contraptions and always adds a number to the end to make it sound really cool.  But, the Peppermill Supreme 2000 IS really cool. 

This is why you will love it and want to give it away as a gift this holiday season.

1. It is rechargeable; just plug it in and give it a charge.  No batteries means savings.  Many battery powered peppermills use up to 6 AAA batteries.

2. It has two ceramic grinders on the bottom that dispense peppercorns, salt and a multitude of seed spices at an astonishingly fast rate.

3. It has a LED light in the bottom that allows you to see how much pepper or salt you are dispensing in low light conditions.

4. It holds a lot of peppercorns and is easy to fill.

5.  Set your grind preference easily with a scalloped ring at the bottom.  Once you set it, the setting will stay until you change it.

6. It feels comfortable in your hand and offers one-hand operation.  Grab it and push the button with your forefinger to dispense pepper or salt quickly.

7. The two ceramic grinders in the bottom broadcast pepper widely and evenly.

8. The ceramic grinders will not dull or rust.  They are great for grinding peppercorns, sea salt, kosher salt, coriander seeds, flax seed, fennel seed, dill seed and anise.

9. Its motor is very powerful and dispenses whatever you are grinding fast and efficiently.

10. It was designed by a chef who wanted control of the grind preference and the amount of pepper dispensed.

11. Okay, I said 10 reasons, but there is one more reason you will like this peppermill.  It is priced at $39.95. It comes in a variety of colors, too.

Once you use a Peppermill Supreme 2000 you will love it and love it so much you will want your foody friends and relatives to have one, too.  If you are like me you will buy one for them.