The Story of “O”! Ethical Porcelain Made in Germany

As I am relaunching my recipe section, I thought it would be a good idea to show you how I “green” up the table.

And given that there is a huuuuuge list of things to consider, like for example:
– How to get rid of plastic containers and what is a good replacement?
– What is ecological and ethical in terms of tableware?
– Non-stick pans versus cast iron pans?
– What are the good (read: safe) and ethically/ ecologically correct materials, brands, options?
– Why is vintage porcelain not the best or greenest idea?
– Where do I even start?
– Will I go broke buying greener stuff?! 😱
…given all of that and more, I wanted to just show a few steps we personally took at home, and share with you a few brands I chose to trust.

I want to start with the most logical thing to consider which I think is porcelain tableware: plates, bowls, platters, coffee cups, tea mugs.

As always, this is not sponsored – I want to give you ideas of what you could look for when buying the next platters and plates.

Chic, Functional, Ethical:
Kahla, Tableware & Porcelain

I’ve already written, or more like raved, about Kahla (listing 90 design awards they won over the years and more information) quite in the beginning of BEAUTYCALYPSE sharing a few of my favourite products at a time when it probably came across as a strange and random topic for a blog about green beauty. Remember, this was just the very start, and my lovely readership was very new to my strange concept of “research meets lifestyle, personal yet not a diary” kind of blog.

I feel more comfortable raving about it again today, obvisously because we’re all a big Green Gang over here, and you guys expect the unexpectable, a twist here, a turn there, moving from societal issues to some fabulous air freshener and then on to green business. So without further ado:

Kahla is a sustainable, family-run German tableware manufacturer that goes by the slogan “porcelain for the senses” which, in their case, is not a marketing ploy.

Most, if not all designs are vegan-friendly. The designs are pleasantly organic and very practical, and the signature ‘magic grip’ coating creates tactile excitement and… less spilling for clumsy people. The ‘touch’ finish is porcelain with velvet-like coating that absorbs heat and noise, and comes in a variety of colours and designs (like the coconut mug in the picture right below).

The attention to detail is amazing – I love their tea mug designs with a ‘cut’ to keep the tea bag in place, the drop-like shapes of the Elyxir series (you can spot some of them in my recipe pictures), the practical elegance and feel of the ‘magic grip’ and ‘touch’ finishes.

Even the sleekest shapes serve a purpose, lids transform into trays – yay to a minimalistic kitching and dining table! Oh, and if you’re more into lush and golden styles, do check out ‘Couture’. It’s d-i-v-i-n-e. I don’t think I would buy it, but the design truly is sublime, modern and breathtakingly posh.

But it’s their latest collection ‘O’ that just blows my mind with how its gentle geometry creates sensual vibes:

“O”! La-la,
My New Kahla Favourite

‘O’ is the latest addition to the Kahla collection, and I’m thinking of buying several pieces. Not the cups, though, we’re covered in that department.

What I’m excited about is that the collection is not too large, consisting of delightfully multifunctional pieces.

The bottoms of several plates, trays, platters and cups are lined with the ‘magic grip’ coat to keep them in place, while a “pleated” element is hiding on the bottom of the larger plates making for a nice “grip” when you hold them.

The practical curve of the large plates and the gentle bend on one side create pieces that I imagine are quite comfortable to hold – and a highly instagrammable canvas for those healthy recipes! 😉 (You can check out the whole series here.)

Kahla have an online store, a store locator, a factory outlet in Thuringia and – Berliners, listen up – a showroom located at Friedrichstraße 122, 10117 Berlin (Phone: (+49) 030 – 27 87 45 90, opening hours: Monday to Saturday 11.00 am – 7.00 pm).

So what do you think, Adventurers? Should I be splurging on ‘O’?
What would you pick? Have you ever questioned the origins of your tableware?
What in your kitchen is giving you the most trouble finding green replacement?