I have been collecting and using Franciscan ware my entire life. Here are a few quick tips to help you keep your beloved vintage Franciscan ware looking spectacular for years to come! Now remember that even though your Franciscan ware may state "dishwasher safe, oven safe and microwave safe", this is all true, but your dishes are not as young as they once were. The very newest franciscan ware made in the USA is at least 22 years old. We all know that as pottery ages so does its finish, and its ability to fight off extreme tempature changes, and harsh detergents, especially if it is used on a daily basis. The following are the guidelines for usage that are stated in Franciscan Collectors website: OVEN USAGE: Franciscan ware is oven safe, but NOT in pre heated ovens. All ovens must be cold when placing franciscan ware into them. You may turn on the heat only after placing your franciscan ware inside. This pottery is only oven safe in tempatures up to, but not beyond 375' F. If you put room tempature pottery into a hot oven it can crack or break due to the extreme tempature fluxuations. MICROWAVE USAGE: All Franciscan ware is microwave safe. Use precautions when using Franciscan ware to microwave something for over 10 minutes (see my guide on Franciscan ware and lead issues). DISHWASHER USAGE: The Franciscan newsletter advises to cut detergent to 1/2, because most detergents contain TSP, which will dull the glaze on most Franciscan dinnerware. Franciscan fine china with gold or silver bands can be washed using the dishwasher, but should air dry, as the heat will melt the banding and could leave marks. As for my own personal franciscan ware. It has never seen the inside of an oven, I just dont have the guts to do it. The microwave is franciscan ware's best friend. The dishwasher is used only on the occassional holiday, but my Franciscan is ALWAYS air dried! I have 3 complete sets of Franciscan ware all different patterns made within the same decade. The set I inherited from my grandmother whose favorite modern invention was the dishwasher has pretty moderate crazing, and various hairline cracks. Although I am no expert, and cant prove this scientifically, I attribute the damage to use of the dishwasher and its high tempature drying. I have NO such damage on my other sets that have rarely seen the inside of a dishwasher. I hope this guide was helpful in someway, thank you for taking the time to read it!