Special Materials in Restaurant Service
10/12/2025
In the world of professional catering and hospitality, the materials used in the kitchen are not just tools: they are allies that help optimize production, maintain hygiene, and ensure the best presentation of dishes. From utensils to specialized tableware and serving items, having high-quality materials is essential for any professional kitchen.
Types of special materials
1) Wood and Bamboo: Essential Restaurant Presentation Materials
Wood can be used polished or in its natural form. When used for plating or serving, it’s essential to treat its surface with food-safe finishes.
Bamboo is a highly resistant and sustainable material, known for its rapid growth, capable of growing up to one meter a day, and its ability to regenerate quickly without high water usage. Bamboo skewers and bamboo tableware from 100%Chef are sustainable options, ideal for quick-service restaurants and rustic-style catering.
2) Porcelain and Borosilicate: High-Quality Materials for Restaurants
All pieces in the “Porceland” collection draw their inspiration from natural shapes: bowls shaped like stones, pieces with wood-like finishes, or egg-shaped designs. This year we’ve developed a new surface treatment spray for porcelain. Thanks to this spray, the porcelain gains an exceptional property: the lotus effect. When sauces or liquids are added, they react to create a trompe-l’oeil effect: droplets behave like tiny spheres or slide across surfaces like mercury beads.
The “Canvas” plates and the “LP” plate are compatible with Serigrafood fabrics, enabling easy, quick, and ever-changing personalization. By using concentrated sauces or juices, you can imprint drawings, logos, or edible patterns onto the plates. The LP plate integrates perfectly with the DJ Decor Food concept.
3) Borosilicate: the superhero of materials
Borosilicate glass is an exceptional material: originally used for lab glassware, it resists acids, oils, and dramatic temperature changes. At 100%Chef and 100%Barman we use borosilicate to craft all our artisanal blown-glass pieces, from cocktail glasses and smoke domes to eye-catching presentation stands like the Escenario Advance.
Borosilicate is indispensable for working with liquid nitrogen. Our Nitro Bowls, offered in various sizes, are essential tools for starting in this technique. The material is highly hygienic and also withstands accidental knocks from cutlery or kitchen tools.
One of the most rewarding parts of our work is designing custom prototypes for cocktail bars and restaurants. In the YouCook video “Artesanos” you can see how we manufacture our Aladín smoking domes.
4) Marble: elegance and customization
Marble combines strength and delicacy, making it perfect for a variety of plates and presentation stands. Marble supports come in different colors and finishes. Among our favorites are polished-edge white marble plates: viewed in certain light, they reveal a subtle translucence that lets shadows and reflections through, adding a sophisticated touch to any table setting.
These features make marble ideal for formal dining, paired with elegant tablecloths and cutlery. Large-diameter marble plates are often used as charger plates and can be combined with other complementary elements to elevate the presentation and service.
5) Resin: the rebellious beauty of our collection
Resin is extremely versatile capable of taking on any conceivable shape. We use it to create original plates and supports: from gravity-defying milk drops to spilled chocolate, or replicas of fruits and shellfish. At 100%Chef we manufacture small runs of resin pieces; from as few as 15 units, it’s possible to produce virtually any imaginative design.
The Bianco collection features thermomolded acrylic-resin pieces with a matte finish, available in multiple shapes for presenting individual bites or creative dishes. They are stain-resistant and easy to clean combining practicality and aesthetic elegance on the table.
6) Reusable plastic tableware for catering
The Sphera and Curve series offer reusable plastic tableware ideal for catering services and events. These pieces are designed to withstand dishwasher cycles and come with a full range of complementary accessories to facilitate service.
7) Stainless steel supports
Hygienic, stackable, and virtually indestructible, stainless steel supports come in various shapes and sizes to present foods or single-portion dishes. Stainless mesh supports enable creative presentations for irregular bites or avant-garde plating.
8) Acrylic (Plexiglas)
For catering and events, acrylic offers modular and transportable supports. The Gastro and Deli acrylic tray collections can be customized with logos and fitted with accessories for serving cones, skewers of different diameters, or even adding lighting effects making them a highly interesting option for event presentation.
A basic rule: mix textures and materials
We often say “dress the table,” because table decor also draws inspiration from fashion: a basic guideline from fashion is that mixing textures and finishes is a winning bet. Changing even a few fundamental elements can completely transform the appearance of a table setting.
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