Question:

I was gifted a set of brown Red Wing dishes. I’m not sure if they would be considered dinnerware or stone ware. On the back of the plates I found the Red Wing name and different numbers. Some plates have the name and the number 217 and others have the name number 346. They also state that they are hand painted and oven proof. My question is since they are oven proof are they microwaveable? And what is the highest temperature they would be oven proof to? Is it ok that I use these for everyday dishes. What harm would be done if I did use them in the dishwasher? Thank you Elizabeth

Answer: Your dishes are from Red Wing’s Heatherstone Beige pattern. one of the six patterns in the Ceramastone line. The Heatherstone Beige and Heatherstone Orange patterns were made exclusively for Sears retail stores. The Ceramastone line was introduced late 1966 and was Red Wing’s final dinnerware line before closing in 1967.

Over the years nearly all of Red Wing’s promotional literature for their dinnerware states it is "Oven Proof". In the late 1950s "Detergent Safe" was added to the brochures. But microwave ovens and dishwashers were not common household appliances at this time, and the brochures do not mention using Red Wing dinnerware in them. I’m not aware of any organized effort to study this issue, so trial and error is the only real way to determine whether or not your dishes can safely be used in a microwave or dishwasher.

But I can provide an answer for you and your Heatherstone Beige pattern. Our family has used a set of Charstone Bleu (another pattern in the Ceramastone line) as our everyday dishes for 25 years. We’ve washed them in the dishwasher and used them to warm or cook food in the microwave many times, and they have held up extremely well. Other than utensil marks and similar signs of everyday use, they look as good as new. From my personal experience I can vouch that Ceramastone dishes can be safely used in the dishwasher or microwave.

You also ask about the highest temperature these dishes can tolerate in a conventional oven. I have no idea. I would certainly expect them to stand up to normal baking temperatures, which would be around 450 degrees. A Ceramastone brochure states these dishes were fired at a very high 2200 degree temperature when they were made. I would guess your Heatherstone Beige dishes can tolerate any heat produced by your conventional home oven.

Larry