I love opening up my cupboard and seeing my stack of beautiful, intensely colored Fiestaware dishes.
I use my Fiesta dishes every day and look for vintage pieces to decorate with when I am poking through antique stores.
My Fiesta dishes have served me well for almost 20 years, through 3 moves, small children, teenagers, and dogs.
One of my favorite features about Fiestaware is that I can move these pieces directly from the freezer to the microwave or the oven, then onto the dinner table.
After dinner, it goes straight into the dishwasher.
Fiesta brand dinnerware is safe to use in the freezer, refrigerator, microwave, and oven up to 350 degrees. In fact, you can go from the freezer to the oven with this quality dinnerware. Fiesta also makes unique bakeware that is designed to be used in the oven up to 500 degrees. The bakeware is also freezer, microwave, and dishwasher safe.
Keep reading for specific information about the history of Fiestaware, using modern Fiesta versus vintage Fiesta Dinnerware, and baking with Fiestaware.
Fiestaware is Oven Safe
When you are considering baking in pieces of Fiestaware, you need to determine if you have dinnerware or bakeware.
Fiesta Dinnerware, plates, mugs, and bowls are oven safe up to 350 degrees. So if you need a single-serve brownie you can make it in a Fiestaware mug.
Fiesta also makes bakeware. The bakeware pieces are oven safe up to 500 degrees.
- Rectangular Baker 9 x 13
- Square Baker 9 x 9
- Loaf Pan 10 ⅞ x 5 ¾
- Individual Casserole Dish 9 ¼ x 5 ⅝
- Pizza Baking Tray 12” diameter
- Ramekin 4” diameter
- Deep Dish Pie Baker 10 ⅜ “ diameter
- Small Covered Casserole 8” diameter x 3” deep
- Large Covered Casserole
Can I Use Fiestaware on the Cooktop or Under the Broiler?
The Fiesta Tableware Company does not recommend using Fiestaware on the cooktop or under the broiler.
While Fiestaware is safe to use in the oven and microwave, it is not made to use with direct heat like an electric burner or an open flame under a broiler.
The stoneware is likely to crack under this intense heat.
Using Fiestaware in the Microwave
You can use any of the Fiesta ceramic pieces in the microwave. The plates and bowls will become hot when the food touches the plate, so use a potholder or towel when removing the dish from the microwave.
You can even take a dish from the freezer and put it directly into the microwave and heat the food.
Fiestaware is Dishwasher and Freezer Safe
Fiesta Dinnerware and Bakeware are oven, microwave, freezer, and dishwasher safe.
You can take a dish from the freezer and put it directly in the oven or microwave. Fiestaware is made to commercial kitchen standards, so it can withstand these temperature changes.
One of the benefits of being able to take the Fiestaware from freezer to oven to table is that you don’t get other dishes dirty.
You can even serve directly from the Fiestaware and you have a beautiful dish that complements your tablescape.
They are easy to clean up as well since you can simply pop the dishes and the bakeware into the dishwasher after dinner.
Using Vintage Fiestaware Safely
Like its modern counterpart, vintage Fiesta dishes are oven safe up to 350 degrees as well as freezer, dishwasher, and microwave safe.
Vintage Fiesta Bakeware is oven safe up to 500 degrees. You can move Fiesta dishware and bakeware directly from the freezer to the microwave or oven and to the tabletop.
However, if your dinnerware is older than 1976 it may contain cadmium, uranium, or lead. It is probably better not to eat off of these plates.
If they have a crack or chip in the glaze you should definitely not eat from these dishes.
What is Fiesta Dinnerware Made From?
The ceramic portion of Fiesta Dinnerware and Bakingware is made of a combination of Clay, Feldspar, Silica, and Alumina which adds strength and long-lasting durability to these beautiful products.
Is Fiestaware Toxic?
Modern Fiestaware (anything made after 1986) is completely safe. Some early colors and glazes contained depleted uranium or lead to create the amazing colors.
However, Fiesta no longer uses these colors in order that their products are a safe, reliable, and beautiful choice for your family.
Lead in Vintage Fiestaware
Fiesta dinnerware has been lead-free since 1986 according to the FDA. The FDA says that any product that indicates less than .5 parts per million can be labeled as lead-free.
All ceramic products have a certain amount of lead that occurs naturally in the individual components.
Knowing the potential problems associated with lead, Fiesta uses a more stringent policy when sourcing ingredients for their ceramics.
Fiesta products contain less than .002 parts per million of lead which is naturally occurring in the ceramic components.
Since it contains this tiny amount, the company will not label their products 100% lead-free, even though they legally could.
Uranium in Vintage Fiestaware
Fiesta ceramics and ceramic dishes produced by other companies made between 1936 and 1972 may contain as much as 4.5 grams of uranium oxide or depleted uranium oxide depending on the color.
Modern Fiestaware which has been made since 1972 is free from uranium.
The original Fiesta Red contained the most uranium. If you have a collection of Vintage Fiestaware you may have radioactive dishes.
While displaying these dishes in your home is not likely to harm you, eating off them every day is not recommended.
Cadmium in Vintage Fiestaware
Fiesta Dinnerware like other ceramic dishes does contain very small amounts of cadmium in the glaze.
The FDA says that levels between .25 an.5 ppm are safe while California’s proposition 65 says that .084 to 3.164 ppm are safe.
Fiesta dinnerware is less than .02 parts per million, making it even lower than both California and the FDA requires.
Gray Marks on Fiestaware
After using your Fiestaware for a while, you may begin to notice light gray marks appearing on the glaze.
These marks are a result of using metal silverware on the dishes. They do not indicate any problems with the glaze itself.
It is just discoloration. You can easily clean the gray marks off by gently scrubbing the dish with Bon Ami or Barkeepers Friend on a soft cloth.
Other Fiesta Products
The Fiesta Tableware Company makes more than just place settings and bakeware. You can coordinate and mix and match everything you need for your kitchen.
Try accessorizing your dishes with storage canisters for your coffee bar or a crock to hold your kitchen tools.
Collect a covered butter dish, salt and pepper shakers, sugar bowl, and creamer.
In addition to their solid color dishes and bakeware, Fiesta sells holiday-themed dishes for your celebrations.
You can also add flatware, glassware, cutlery, baking and cooking utensils, and even towels and tablecloths to your collection.
Fiesta Silverware is Dishwasher Safe
The Fiesta Tableware Company makes flatware that corresponds with their colorful dishes. Every style of their silverware is dishwasher safe.
Fiesta Glassware is NOT Dishwasher Safe
Fiesta glassware coordinates with the colors combinations of dishes.
The glassware colors are printed on and therefore are not intended to be washed in the dishwasher as the color will be damaged. Fiesta glassware is hand-wash only.
Where is Fiesta Dinnerware Made?
Fiesta Dinnerware is made in the USA. The Homer Laughlin China Company which produces Fiesta got its start producing pottery ware in Ohio in 1871.
After years of popularity and growth, the factory was moved to Newell, West Virginia where there was more room to grow.
Frederick Hurten Rhead began as the design director in 1927. He is the designer responsible for the Fiesta line of Dinnerware.
It became the most popular product line for the company. In 2020 the Homer Laughlin China Company was renamed The Fiesta Tableware Company.
Fiesta dinnerware was first introduced in 1936. It was originally produced in 5 colors, red, yellow, green, cobalt blue, and ivory.
Not long after its introduction, turquoise was added to the line. Over the years, Fiesta has retired colors and added new ones as styles have changed.
Fiesta currently introduces one new color per year. There are around 20 active colors of Fiestaware with specialty pieces released seasonally.
The Fiesta Mark
Some vintage pieces made before 1973 may not have a Fiesta mark or a clear mark.
The Fiesta company recommends reading The Collector’s Encyclopedia of Fiesta by Bob and Sharon Huxford if you are trying to identify a piece.
Hollow dinner pieces like bowls, mugs, and pitchers are formed in a mold, and the Fiesta imprint is molded into the bottom of each piece. These will be easier to see.
Flat pieces like dinner plates have the Fiesta mark stamped on the bottom of the unfired piece.
Then the glaze is applied and the piece is fired. Sometimes the stamp is hard to see under the darker glaze colors.
Retired Fiesta Colors
The idea behind Fiesta dinnerware is to mix and match the colors and pieces. Due to that intent, Once Fiesta retires a color, they do not bring it back.
If they retire your color, you will need to hunt for old pieces in your preferred color. Otherwise, fall in love with a new color or two and add it to your collection.
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Final Thoughts
You can use your Fiesta Dinnerware and Fiesta Bakeware in the oven. Dinnerware is oven safe up to 350 degrees and Bakeware is oven safe up to 500 degrees.
In addition, Your Fiesta Dinnerware and Bakeware are microwave, dishwasher, and freezer safe.
If you have vintage Fiesta dishware, it is also oven, microwave, dishwasher, and freezer safe.
However, some of the older colors (from before 1976) have unsafe levels of uranium, lead, and cadmium. You may want to just keep those on a shelf to look at rather than to use.
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