Cook on Clay Flameware

Making & Firing Process

Making

All our Cook on Clay pots are handmade.  A few of our forms have been made into molds for ram pressing.  Most of our pots begin on the potter’s wheel and are then altered.  The lids and our uniquely designed handles are added at various times during the making of each pot.  The platters are slab built. Finally, each pot is individually glazed for the next firing.

Our primary focus in making Cook on Clay pots is strength & utility, while we design our flameproof pots to include ruggedness, simple practicality, beauty, and elegance of form. 

There are many considerations we must entertain in making very functional pots for high-heat applications including a variety of cooking methods, ideas of local foods, international recipes, and tabletop culture. 

We have borrowed from centuries of tradition & added simple modern design elements.  We make our pots to celebrate cooking and eating.

Firing

We fire our entire Cook on Clay flameware line in our 70+ cubic foot propane-fueled soda-vapour kiln to approximately 2300 degrees Fahrenheit.  We have designed our handbuilt kiln so it can be converted to use bio-fuel in the near future. Towards the end of the 28-hour firing, we introduce a solution of soda ash and water into several ports (small openings) built into the kiln.  This addition of the soda ash solution creates a soft-feeling, yet very durable surface. The kiln cools for about 60 hours before it is unloaded.

The process of firing is magical and alchemical. It transforms the soft earth material of clay into a strong & durable pot.