Mikasa is proud to have long been recognized as the leader in tabletop fashion in dinnerware, crystal stemware, barware, flatware and decorative accessories for the home. Quality and great design are synonymous with the Mikasa brand. The world's finest tabletop designers, working with the best factories, and using the most advanced technology in the industry, create products that are not only beautiful and well-made, but suitably priced for everyone's lifestyle.

This guide will assist you in experiencing Mikasa. Due to our vast assortment of products these pages do not detail our entire assortment of products. If you cannot find the information you need or would like additional information on Mikasa, please contact us via e-mail or call us toll-free at 1 866 MIKASA1 (1-866-645-2721)

Mikasa's dedication to high quality and exciting designs has been our trademark since the company was founded. Mikasa offers one of the largest selections of dinnerware in the world. At any one time, there may be as many as 500 patterns available. Even though we have a vast assortment of patterns, shapes and materials from which to choose, all materials and manufacturing processes are strictly monitored for quality assurance.

What distinguishes the different types of dinnerware are the variations in the amount and types of ingredients, how the materials are mixed, and firing (or baking) temperatures.

A five piece place setting consists of a dinner plate, salad plate, soup bowl and a cup and saucer. For most patterns, a 20-piece set is also available. This set contains 4 five piece place settings.

A four piece place setting consists of a dinner plate, salad plate, bowl and mug. For most patterns, a 16-piece set is also available. This set contains 4 four piece place settings.

A variety of accessory/serving pieces are available. Some patterns have more accessory pieces than others. Most patterns offer a serve set. The serve set includes a vegetable bowl, 12" round platter, covered sugar bowl and a creamer.

Types of dinnerware

Stoneware
Stoneware is usually considered informal dinnerware because its appearance lends itself for more casual designs that can be used everyday. Materials such as quartz, feldspar and flint are added to the clay to enhance its durability and strength. Stoneware can hold up to the demands of everyday use in today's lifestyle.

Mikasa Stoneware is dishwasher and microwave Safe*.

*Patterns with metallic decals may be excluded.
**All patterns are marked to guide correct use.
Firing temperatures vary from 1900? F. to 2300? F depending on the finish.

Maxima
Maxima is our exclusive body type that is super strong and chip-resistant. This unique collection crosses the line between casual and formal styles. Maxima can be used everyday because of its durability and strength, but the patterns can also be used on the finest of tables in a formal setting because of the sophisticated styling. Maxima has the same ingredients as fine china, but has a special mineral called Alumina added during the mixing process. The Alumina is what adds the strength and durability.

Mikasa Maxima is dishwasher and microwave safe, and Freezer to Oven Safe.

*Patterns with metallic decals may be excluded.
** All patterns are marked to guide correct use.
Firing temperatures vary from 1550? F. to 2300? F. depending on the finish.
Maxima is guaranteed not to break or chip for two years from the date of purchase.
Mikasa will replace any piece damaged under conditions of normal household use.

Ultima
Mikasa Ultima is similar to Maxima china in strength, but does not use Alumina.

Fine China
All Mikasa fine china will be stamped on the back indicating this classification. Fine China should be classified into two groups; the first group is patterns accented with metallic features and the second group does not contain these elements. The materials and firing temperatures will be similar in both groups, but the metallic classification will contain patterns with gold and platinum that may require additional care.

Our fine china comes in array of classic and contemporary designs. Many customers buy fine china for everyday use, then dress it up for special occasions by adding elegant flatware, brilliant crystal stemware and formal linens.

Mikasa Fine China is dishwasher and microwave safe*.

*Patterns with metallic decals may be excluded.
**All patterns are marked to guide correct use.
Firing temperatures vary from 1600? F. to 2500? F. depending on the finish

Metallic Patterns
Fine China designed with Gold or Platinum for elegant settings. To decorate these patterns, we start with 24K gold or pure platinum and then complete the production process to secure durability.

Bone China
Bone China is one of the most durable materials used to produce dinnerware. Ash is added during the mixing process to give strength and that special feeling of luxury known to bone china. Similar to fine china, bone china can be decorated with gold or platinum to add a formal finished look, but many patterns without these still convey a formal, elegant presentation. Bone China is considered the top of the line because of this unique combination of elegance and strength.

Mikasa Bone China is dishwasher and microwave safe*.

*Patterns with metallic decals may be excluded.
**All patterns are marked to guide correct use.
Firing temperatures vary from 1475? F. to 2500? F. depending on the finish

Dinnerware care & FAQ

Can I put Mikasa dinnerware in the dishwasher?
All our dinnerware may be placed in the dishwasher, using proper care, although we recommend hand washing formal china. Load the dishwasher carefully so that pieces do not bump into each other and chip. Use a reputable, non-abrasive dishwasher detergent.

Will the dishwasher harm gold or platinum bands on dinnerware?
When washing gold or platinum banded dinnerware in the dishwasher, use a gentle cycle and turn off the dishwasher before the drying cycle, or allow the dinnerware to cool before handling it. The high temperature of the heated drying cycle can cause the precious metal bands to soften.

How should I hand wash my fine china?
When hand washing china, rings and other jewelry should be removed. A soft brush or sponge is recommended. Wash your dinnerware as soon as possible after use. Avoid using abrasives such as steel wool or "gritty" cleansers. Wash flatware and cookware separately from dinnerware to avoid scratching.

How quickly should I wash or rinse my dinnerware?
Coffee and tea cups should be rinsed immediately to avoid staining. Acidic foods such as vinegar, mayonnaise, tartar sauce, and eggs can damage the glaze and the color of china if left for long periods.

Is my Mikasa dinnerware microwave safe?
All Mikasa dinnerware without precious metal accents (24k gold or platinum) is safe for the microwave. While using our dinnerware in your microwave will not harm the microwave, the items may become hot. Please use caution in handling hot dinnerware. Do not put frozen items directly on your dinnerware to heat in the microwave. The extreme heat variation may cause the item to crack.

Can I put my Mikasa dinnerware in the oven?
Mikasa dinnerware without precious metal accents can be safely warmed or heated in the oven. Place cool dinnerware in the oven and allow it to heat gradually when the oven is turned on. Never place cool dinnerware in a preheated hot oven or on the burner of a gas or electric range. This rapid heat change may cause the item to crack.

When warming food in my stoneware, at what temperature should I set the oven? What other tips should I follow?
Please keep in mind dinnerware is sensitive to thermal shock, which means that extreme variations in temperature may cause dinnerware to crack. Therefore, do not take dinnerware from the freezer and place directly into a hot oven/ microwave or take hot dinnerware from the oven/microwave and place it directly into the freezer. A cool plate should be placed in a cool oven and warmed slowly.When using the oven, set it no higher than 225 degrees for the first 10 minutes. You may then raise the setting to the desired temperature.Baking/cooking should only be done in pieces specifically made for cooking, such as bakers, lasagna dishes and covered casseroles. Handling a hot dish with a wet cloth or setting a hot dish on a wet surface may cause it to break.

A potholder or oven mitt should always be used when removing dinnerware from the microwave oven.

Can I put my Mikasa dinnerware in the freezer?
Allow your dinnerware to cool before placing it in the freezer to avoid thermal shock. Hot ceramic items should not be placed directly into the freezer.

What causes small gray lines on my dinnerware?
These marks are common for stoneware with a hard glaze and are caused by residue left by flatware. They can be easily removed with special cleansers. Mikasa recommends a product called Bon Ami Cleanser available in your local supermarket.

What does a five piece place setting include?
A five piece place setting consists of a dinner plate, salad plate, soup bowl and a cup and saucer. For most patterns, a 20-piece set is also available. This set contains 4 five piece place settings.

What's included in a four piece place setting?
A four piece place setting consists of a dinner plate, salad plate, bowl and mug. For most patterns, a 16-piece set is also available. This set contains 4 four piece place settings.

What accessories are available in my pattern?
A variety of accessory/serving pieces are available. Some patterns have more accessory pieces than others. Most patterns offer a serve set. The serve set includes a vegetable bowl, 12" round platter, covered sugar bowl and a creamer.

Mikasa Oenology ranges offer a new approach to wine-tasting - more modern, more instintive and more convivial. These products are innovative, with new sizes, designs which cater for all types of wine, and are made from an exclusive material - Mikasa Oenology is an invitation to a voyage during which you will discover all the sensual richness of the vast diversity of wine produced in vineyards all over the world.

Mikasa Oenology glasses Open Up and Select ranges are made from Kwarx.

Kwarx seems to vanish, to enable the range of colours in each wine to be appreciated. Glasses are the most transparent in the world, due to the fact that they are completely colorless.

Kwarx keeps its shiny sparkle wash after wash. Extraordinary brilliance that has been tested in laboratory conditions over more than two thousand industrial washes.

Kwarx is incredibly resistant under everyday conditions. Solidity is obtained by an invisible but very strong bond between the bases, the stems and the bowls of glasses, which results in a perfectly smooth surface which does not have weak points.

Mikasa's crystal is among the finest available. Master craftsmen design the shapes unique to our brand. Innovation and high-tech automation affords great quality at reasonable prices. Mikasa has long been associated with some of the world's finest crystal factories.

Crystal can most easily be described as extremely fine quality glass. All glass is made from a variety of natural raw materials, which include silica or sand, soda (sodium carbonate), potash (plant ash) and lime. Some glass contains lead; this is usually called full lead crystal or lead crystal. The degree to which a piece of glass contains these ingredients, especially lead, determines its quality and price. These ingredients also determine the opportunities for design.

There are four basic ways to produce crystal glassware. These methods range from centuries old processes of hand blowing, passed down from generation to generation, to high tech innovations that are continually being updated.

Hand Blowing
Hand blowing is the oldest method used to make glass and is still considered the finest, but it is also the most expensive. Raw materials are mixed in a furnace at temperatures ranging from 1000? F to more than 2000? F. This process forms a batch of liquid or molten glass. The molten glass is gathered on a hollow iron pipe by inserting the pipe into a furnace opening. The amount of glass gathered depends on the article being made. The gather of glass is turned and spun and shaken to approximate dimensions and form of the piece to be made. The worker then blows into the mouthpiece until the molten glass is shaped into the specific piece. While the bubble is still attached to the blowpipe, it is placed in a lined mold to shape it. The glass maker continues to blow while spinning the mold. The mold is then opened and the shaped object removed. If a piece of stemware is being made, three workers gather glass for each part: Bowl, Stem and Foot.

To cool the glassware, the finished piece is placed on a conveyor belt and taken through a lehr or oven that hardens it by cooling it gradually. This is a slow process so that the glass will harden without cracking. Trimming the excess glass with cutting tools and a jet stream of fire then finishes the glassware. The piece is then placed in a grinder to smooth the edges and each piece is washed and may be glazed. The rim is melted again to ensure smoothness.

Hand Pressing
Another process for making glass calls for the molten glass to be poured into a mold. The molten glass is pushed into the mold by means of hand levers that bring air pressure into the mold to fill it with the molten glass. The shaped piece is then placed in a furnace, where it is tempered by fire. When the proper shape has been achieved, the piece is placed in a lehr for cooling and hardness.

Machine Blowing / Machine Pressing
Technology has made it possible to recreate the blowing and rotating steps by machine. The machine blown process produces large quantities of crystal at more affordable prices. Machine pressing is another method using a plunger that forces the glass into the mold. Whether blown or pressed, machine manufactured glass undergoes the same steps as the handmade product. The difference is that the process is performed by machine rather than by a craftsman.

Crystal care & FAQ

Tips on cleaning Mikasa Oenology:
Glasses

The items in the Open Up and Select product ranges are made from Kwarx, a material which is extremely shock resistant.
 

• If you wash your glasses in a dishwasher, the 'special glassware cycle' program is the best one to use. Avoid washing the glasses with aluminum - this will safeguard their transparency.

• We recommend that you wash the hand-blown crystal glasses of the Grand Cru range by hand. Then dry them, holding them in the middle parts and not by their base.

• Do not store them upside-down on a shelf, as this may damage their rims.

Decanters
 

• Remeber to rinse the carafe in hot water, preferably without detergent (to avoid any lingering odor) after every use.

• If the wine has been in the carafe for too long, sediment may remain; to remove, just add cooking salt to the hot water and shake vigorously.

• Use a descaling tablet once a month for the carafe to retain its shine.

• To dry it, place it upside down on a draining rack for carafes.

Should I put Mikasa crystal in the dishwasher?
We recommend you hand wash your crystal in warm soapy water using a mild detergent. Use a rubber mat in the sink. Dry immediately with a soft cloth, or air dry in a rubber coated rack. When hand washing crystal, rings and other jewelry should be removed. Crystal with 24 karat gold or platinum accents should always be hand washed.

How should I wash Mikasa crystal if I decide to use the dishwasher?
Arrange pieces securely in the top rack so they do not touch or become dislodged. Use a mild liquid detergent, as dishwasher detergents, over time, will cause abrasive marks on fine crystal. Always allow the stemware to cool before removing it from the dishwasher.

What is the best way to store my crystal?
Crystal may be stored either hanging by its base from a rack, or standing upright on a shelf. It should never be stored upside down resting on its bowl. The rim is the most delicate part of the stemware and is the most vulnerable to chipping.

How do I remove mineral spots from my crystal?
To remove hard water mineral spots from crystal, simply apply a small amount of vinegar to the water. A small, soft brush can be useful to clean crystal that has grooves in the design.

Mikasa's flatware patterns reflect the same style and sophistication found in our other popular categories. A majority of Mikasa patterns are considered to be 18 / 8, which means that 18% chrome and 8% nickel have been added to the basic alloy. The high nickel content gives the steel a warm, soft luster and the chromium adds strength and resistance. Stainless steel is affordable, durable, needs no special care, dishwasher safe and withstands harsh detergents. Under proper care and use, our flatware has superb resistance to staining from virtually all foods and household substances and will not need to be polished.

Flatware care & FAQ

May I put Mikasa flatware in the dishwasher?
All Mikasa flatware is dishwasher safe. Wash stainless steel flatware as soon a possible after use. Food that is left on flatware to dry may leave stains. Rinse each piece before loading in the dishwasher. Do not overcrowd the basket. Avoid the hot drying cycle. Avoid detergents with lemon as they may damage the surface of your flatware.

How soon should I wash or rinse my flatware?
Wash stainless steel flatware as soon a possible after use. Hand wash in warm soapy water and towel dry. Food that is left on flatware to dry may leave stains.

How can I remove spots on my flatware?
If stainless steel develops spots or residue from washing, it can usually be removed by polishing with a paste made of water and baking soda.

Mikasa
Mikasa is proud to have long been recognized as the leader in tabletop fashion in dinnerware, crystal stemware, barware, flatware and decorative accessories.

Quality and great design are synonymous with the Mikasa brand. The world's finest tabletop designers, working with the best factories, and using the most advanced technology in the industry, create products that are not only beautiful and well-made, but suitably priced for everyone's lifestyle.

Mikasa Company Profile
Mikasa, Inc. is proud to be recognized worldwide as the leader in tabletop fashion in dinnerware, crystal stemware, barware, flatware and decorative accessories. Quality and great design have been synonymous with the Mikasa brand name for over a half-century.

George Aratani initially founded Mikasa as American Commercial Inc. in the state of California in 1948. Initially a dinnerware importer, Mikasa grew into a dinnerware wholesaler over the next twenty years supplying dinnerware to Bloomingdales, Macy’s, May Department Stores Company and other fine retailers. In 1957, the brand name Mikasa was introduced to the American public.

During the 1970’s, Mikasa diversified its product lines to augment its already successful dinnerware lines with the introduction of crystal stemware, stainless flatware, crystal gifts and picture frames, ceramic vases, table linens and decorative accessories.

Mikasa opened its first outlet store in 1978 near its Secaucus, New Jersey distribution facility. Over the next twenty-five years, Mikasa has continued to open stores under the Mikasa name throughout the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico. Today, Mikasa owns and operates over 160 stores in forty states.

Mikasa’s corporate headquarters are located in Secaucus, New Jersey, and its distribution centers are now located in Charleston, South Carolina and Markham, Ontario. The facility in Charleston was opened in 1997, and now employs close to 400 local residents, and our Secaucus headquarters now employs over 200 associates. The company has over 2,800 dedicated Associates working throughout North America within its Retail, Wholesale and International Divisions. In addition, Mikasa currently markets its products through 6,700 independent retail accounts including retail department stores throughout the United States and Canada.

Mikasa, like many other companies, is the result of the typical American success story and has plans to continue the growth of its retail division throughout North America.

ABOUT OUR PRODUCTS

Mikasa is proud to have long been recognized as the leader in tabletop fashion in dinnerware, crystal stemware, barware, flatware and decorative accessories for the home. Quality and great design are synonymous with the Mikasa brand. The world's finest tabletop designers, working with the best factories, and using the most advanced technology in the industry, create products that are not only beautiful and well-made, but suitably priced for everyone's lifestyle.

DINNERWARE:

Mikasa's dedication to high quality and exciting designs has been our trademark since the company was founded. Mikasa offers one of the largest selections of dinnerware in the world. At any one time, there may be as many as 500 patterns available. Even though we have a vast assortment of patterns, shapes and materials from which to choose, all materials and manufacturing processes are strictly monitored for quality assurance.

What distinguishes the different types of dinnerware are the variations in the amount and types of ingredients, how the materials are mixed, and firing (or baking) temperatures.

A five piece place setting consists of a dinner plate, salad plate, soup bowl and a cup and saucer. For most patterns, a 20-piece set is also available. This set contains 4 five piece place settings.

A four piece place setting consists of a dinner plate, salad plate, bowl and mug. For most patterns, a 16-piece set is also available. This set contains 4 four piece place settings.

A variety of accessory/serving pieces are available. Some patterns have more accessory pieces than others. Most patterns offer a serve set. The serve set includes a vegetable bowl, 12" round platter, covered sugar bowl and a creamer.

Types of Dinnerware:

Stoneware
Stoneware is usually considered informal dinnerware because its appearance lends itself for more casual designs that can be used everyday. Materials such as quartz, feldspar and flint are added to the clay to enhance its durability and strength. Stoneware can hold up to the demands of everyday use in today's lifestyle.

Mikasa Stoneware is:
Microwave Safe
Dishwasher Safe
*Patterns with metallic decals may be excluded.
** All patterns are marked to guide correct use.
Firing temperatures vary from 1900° F. to 2300° F depending on the finish.