Porcelain Enamel

PORCELAIN ENAMEL

All about porcelain enamel

Porcelain enamel has been a valuable material for kitchenware since the end of the nineteenth century, thanks to its rust-free surface coating, high level of cleanliness and easiness to clean. This was when the technological breakthrough was made that allowed the elements of glass and iron to be firmly bound together.

Porcelain enamel is an ancient material – the first pieces of porcelain enamel found buried in Mycenae are 3,500 years old.

Porcelain enamel has been popular in many cultures for jewellery and in arts and crafts. Carl Peter Fabergé used porcelain enamel to decorate his famous eggs, which he made out of precious materials for the Russian tsars between 1885 and 1917.

Material

Enamelled products consist of iron, which is fused with silicate glass (enamel) at 850°C. Only natural "mineral resources" such as iron, quartz, clay, feldspar, soda & potash as well as very small quantities of metal oxides are used in the production process. There are no artificial elements, which is why enamel is 100% recyclable in scrap metal. The firing process produces the wonderfully bright colours of enamel as well as the hard, non-porous and scratch and cut-resistant surface.

In the early days of enamelling technology, the use of lead was technically necessary to bond the glass to the carrier material. In the middle of the 19th century, processes were developed that did not require lead. The use of lead has long been prohibited by law for enamelled items that come into contact with food. This is regulated by the following regulations: Regulation (EC) 1935/2004, (EC) No. 2023/2006, EN ISO 4531:2022, Austrian Ceramics Regulation BGBL. No. 259/2006.

THE ADVANTAGES

Enamel consists of natural materials and has many wonderful characteristics.

Ten good reasons in favour of RIESS Premium enamel:

1. Natural materials and CO²-neutral produced in Austria
2. Suitable for induction and all types of cookers
3. Cut- and scratch-resistant
4. Easy to clean and anti-bacterial
5. Healthier and energy-saving cooking
6. Flavour-preserving
7. Enamel surface heat-resistant till 450°
– recommended operating temperature maximum 220°C
8. Long-lasting if treated properly
9. Big variety in colours and designs
10. Recyclable in scrap metal

Production

The manufacture of RIESS premium porcelain enamel is a carbon neutral process, thanks to the use of green energy from our three own hydroelectric power plants. The natural materials of iron, quartz, clay, feldspar, borax, soda and potash are blended together and smelted in a furnace at temperatures between 1000°C and 1200°C. Flakes (granules) or frits can develop from the liquid mass when it solidifies. These are finely ground in our factory and mixed together with colour pigments and water, which is the only dispersion medium. Almost all colours can be created through the individual composition of this porcelain enamel slip. The iron moulds we manufacture are immersed in the porcelain enamel colour by hand and then dried. Then, they are fired in the furnace at 850°. We reuse the waste heat from the oven to dry the products and to heat our production hall. We observe the strictest quality criteria of the European Enamel Authority.