Hasami Porcelain

There are few investments in life you’ll use as often as dinnerware. Make it count.

At the heart of every product featured this month is an essential practice. Because no product is worthwhile if it is not used. And used well. Which is why we (alongside many in our generation) don’t buy fancy China anymore. Because if we’re going to buy something, we’re going to use it. Because behind the how and why and what we consume is the idea that a life well lived is a life well used. That the objects around us and the practices we preach exist to be put to use.

This is the heart of the practice of hospitality: the home at use. It is the act of creating a space in which, be it a party of twelve or two, the gathering of community is at hand. Creating a space that is conducive to gathering for conversation and life. And there’s no better center to such a gathering than food.

Whether you’re assembling around mac and cheese, a bag of microwaved rice, or a meal of squid ink carbonara and bacon-wrapped porchetta (like we did here), all of the above are better enjoyed on better dishes. And by “better”, we don’t mean ornate or fanciful. Rather, we mean beautiful yet practical. Something special yet not so precious it can’t be thrown in the dishwasher (because who wants to wash dishes after the end of a long night)? Something like Hasami’s porcelain dinnerware.

Designed in Los Angeles and made in Japan from a proprietary blend of clay from Hasami, Nagasaki, these plates, bowls, and mugs are as unique as they are useable. They’re geometric and minimal and lean on the concept of modularity, eschewing the set plate “styles” of salad, dinner, etc., for six sizes, ranging from 3 ⅓” to 11 ¾”. Each item is available in a variety of matte and glaze finishes that are impressive to behold. And yet, each item is substantial and strong (dishwasher and microwave safe), and stacks with others on a shelf (or, thanks to the 90° spill proof edge, plates can be inverted on each other to keep food hot).

Of course, you don’t need a seven-course meal (or these plates, for that matter) to enjoy a meal. But there’s something about a beautiful and simple canvas that helps one be more conscious of the entire meal experience. Whether you’re eating baked porchetta or just another baked potato, it’s an easy addition to any meal that, like bacon, makes everything that much better. Combine the two and you’re on your way to living a better life.