Care & keep

Made to Last, With a Little Care

Thank you for taking a piece home with you. Every cup, bowl and vase is shaped by hand in stoneware and fired twice, so it's made to be used, held, and enjoyed for a long time. A few small habits help it stay that way.

— Hind

Care, step by step

A Day in the Life of Your Piece

From the moment you unwrap it to years from now. Follow your piece through its day, and you'll know everything it needs.

Day one

Unwrap, rinse, turn it over

Give it a quick wash with warm water and a little soap before you use it for the first time. Then turn it over: the bare ring underneath is left unglazed so it doesn't stick in the kiln. It can feel a little rough, so a coaster keeps your table happy.

7:30, your morning ritual

Warm it up first

Making tea, coffee or matcha? Rinse your cup or bowl with hot tap water before pouring in anything boiling. It's kinder to the clay, and your drink stays warm a little longer.

After breakfast

A gentle wash

The dishwasher is fine, and so is the microwave. Still, a hand wash with warm water, mild soap and a soft sponge keeps the colours and hand-painted details looking their best over time. Skip bleach and scouring pads, they can dull the glaze.

A few months later

A little tea stain? Baking soda

Mix a little baking soda with a few drops of water and rub gently with a soft cloth. Rinse, and it looks like the day you brought it home.

Years from now

Still yours

It's made for everyday life, not for the cabinet. The more you use it, the more it becomes part of your daily ritual. And those small variations in shape, colour or texture? They aren't flaws. They're proof your piece was shaped by hand.

Handmade stoneware cups, bowls and vases by The Unique Touch laid out on a sunny blanket, with a fluffy cat inspecting them

Studio life

Quality control, by paws

Before a piece leaves the studio, it gets one last inspection from our most demanding critic. A sunny spot, a soft blanket and a careful sniff. If it passes this test, it's ready for your home.

No piece was harmed during inspection.

A little clay knowledge

Things You Didn't Know You Were Holding

±1,240°C

As hot as lava

The final firing reaches roughly the temperature of molten lava. And every piece goes into the kiln twice: once to harden the clay, and once to melt the glaze.

Glass

Glaze is a thin coat of glass

Glaze goes on as a chalky powder mixed with water. In the kiln it melts into a smooth layer of glass on the clay. That's why it feels so soft on your lips.

100%

Food safe

Every piece is finished with food-safe glazes, so it's made to be eaten and drunk from every day. Tea, matcha, soup, a bowl of fruit or your favourite breakfast, enjoy it without a second thought.

Stay in touch

We'd Love to See It in Use

We always love to hear how you're using your piece. Share it on Instagram and tag @the_uni.que_touch, or come say hi at the Museum Market on Museumplein, every third Sunday of the month.

Share on Instagram