BEST CERAMIC KILNS FOR HOME USE

You are looking for the best ceramic kiln for home use after having been to pottery classes and fired ceramics in your local kiln. Finding the best kiln for home use can be a daunting task as there are a lot of options available. But we have put together a guide for amateur potters looking to buy a kiln for home with the essential questions they’ll have to ask themselves and the options for each choice. 

Following our guide will advance you greatly on the path to choosing the right centerpiece for your home studio.

What Is A Kiln Used For?

Home pottery kilns are used to dry clay, fire ceramic and melt glazes. They are an essential part of the process of preservations of ceramic products. Nowadays this process can be done easily with a small clay kiln or a porcelain kiln. Whether a tabletop kiln or a portable kiln, you’ll have to look out for the different uses of products when doing you purchasing :

• A test kiln ressemble complete production kilns (firing temperature and firing schedule) but is designed for trials or test items.
• An electric ceramic kiln or electric pottery kiln, most suitable for low- to midfire tasks, is relatively affordable, reliable and environmentally cleaner than other kilns. It is not suited for reduction and flashing.
• An electric glass kiln is used for fusing glass. They have a different shape than ceramic kilns.

The Kiln’s Common Elements And Accessories

So what are kilns? Independent of use or brand, kilns have in common the 4 following elements :

• the inner chamber.
• the handle which opens and closes the door.
• a great heating capability, from 700°F ( 370°C) to over 2000°F (1090°C).  
• a firing controller or timer.

Aside from these 4 elements, you’ll have a range of options proposed. But once you have the kiln, you will need some other kiln tools. To fit you kiln entirely, you will usually need :

• kiln shelves, made from Cordierite, high-alumina or the lighter but expensive silicon carbide.
• kiln stilts to hold and protect the pieces.
• kiln posts to support the kiln shelves.
• bead racks which allows for more space if making wearable ceramics. 
• bricks to insulate by lining the inner chamber of the kiln.
• cleaning equipment.
• heat resistant gloves.

Alternatively, furniture kits can be a simpler option as they will include many of the necessary items for your complete kiln (posts, shelves, heat resistant gloves, and cleaning equipment). 

Now let’s go through the main questions you’ll have to ask yourself when choosing the best kiln for your home studio.

Questions To Help You Find The Right Kiln For You

There are a few questions which you’ll have to ask yourself before buying a kiln. When purchasing a kiln, the factors you want to consider are :

• the kind of ceramic and glaze.
• the size of ceramic you will fire. 
• the size, access and configuration of your home studio.
• the power supply available.
• your budget. 
• your ceramic production.
• your future firing needs.

 In this guide, you will understand the importance of these factors and how to think about them in regards to kiln purchasing.

Understanding Kiln Sizes

The first question you might want to ask yourself regards the size of the kiln. The answer depends on the space you have, the size of your pieces and the frequency of firing.

The Right Kiln For Your Home Studio

When setting-up your home studio, where do you plan to put the kiln? This is mostly an issue of access and safety. The kiln must be able to be brought into the designated space and the designated space must be safe for firing. 

In this regard, it is useful to think of the kiln as a box built to maintain very high temperatures which would make it dangerous to touch. From this follow that :

• The kiln needs around 12” (30cm) of space around it free from anything aside from brick, plaster or stone walls.
• you can choose a table top kiln.  Tabletop kilns need a considerable amount of air space below.
• If firing in a wooden shed, enough space in all directions will have to be left around.

What different options do you have regarding the configuration of your kiln?  Will you fire inside or outside? If you fire inside, how does the access to the dedicated space constrain the size of the kiln? Measure the width of the doors and corridors to make sure your kiln will be able to fit in.

The Right Size For Your Ceramic Pieces

Once you have an idea of the biggest size your kiln could measure, it is time to ask yourself what your actual needs. Depending on the type of projects fired, your choice of kiln will be very different. The more ceramic you will need to fire at once and the bigger the pieces, the bigger the kiln you’ll need. 

As a baseline for use, consider firing the kiln everyday or every other day. Then consider the dimensions and the amount of the pieces you will be needing to fire :

• What depth, width and height will they be? 
• How many will you make before firing the kiln? 

Responding to these two questions will give you an estimate for the range of space you will need.

A Few Estimations On Inner Chamber Needs

If firing beads and small pieces such as doll parts, test parts, trinket kilns and mini kilns up to 9” x 11” are suitable. 

If you are making pots, small kilns for pottery with a minimum internal size of 13” x 13” will be convenient. 

Bigger kilns up to 18” x 18” will suit the potters looking to produce limited batches of bowls, plates, pots, kilns up to 18” x 18” kiln. 

Finally if you are engaging in doing large production, you might want to consider kilns with an inner chamber between 29” x 27”.

When you have calculated your inner chamber needs, you need to add at least another 8” to have an estimate of the size of the kiln. Once you have this estimation, you can compare it to the maximum sized kiln estimation. Do they concur? 

If not you might have to choose a smaller sized kiln or reconsider the disposal of your home studio.

Front-Loading And Top-Loading Kilns Options

When choosing your kiln, you’ll have the option of the top loading kilns and front loading. The difference between these kilns patterns in terms of budget, practicability and possible health benefits. Front-loading kilns tend to be more expensive per cubic foot because of their steel frame. 

If you are on the shorter side, a front-loading kiln might be the better option. Similar to the domestic oven, it is practical to load and control when placed on a stand at the correct height. 

If on the contrary, fitting the kiln into a budget and into a small space are priorities, a top-loading kiln might be a better option.

Electricity And Voltage Requirements

Many kilns today function with a 13amp plug. Yet before purchasing a kiln, you must verify the electricity and voltage requirements of your potential purchase as well as your household capacity. How much power does your household have available? Can you buy a 120v kiln?

 Depending on your household and your country, this might condition what you can buy. You will need to have the correct voltage and a high enough amp number for larger kilns to function. To find out, check the voltage of your household and the breaker.

Whereas in most of the world, household power runs on 220V, US household power will only run 120 volt kilns. This can be a problem as larger kilns often require 240V.

Does your breaker meet your kiln’s amperage requirements? Look in the fuse box of the plug to see what number is indicated. A large kiln may require 60 amp plugs.

Assessing The Temperature Requirement For Your Kiln

Once you have found the optimal size kiln, you’ll want to consider your temperature requirements on your kiln. How hot do you want your kiln to be? The answer to this question depends mainly on the type of clay you are firing and the kind of glaze you are using. 

Ceramic materials are classified according to the temperature required for the clay to mature. Therefore, depending on whether you’re working in earthenware, stoneware, porcelain, or glass, the temperature range of the kiln you need will vary. 

As a reminder, here’s a table chart with the most common for materials ordered by the temperature needed for them to mature. 

Material	Temperature requirement for maturation
Earthenware	1745-2012°F (950-1100°C)
Stoneware, mid-fire	2150-2260°F (1160-1225°C).
Stoneware, high-fire	2200-2336°F (1200-1300°C).
Ball clay	2336°F (1300°C).
Fire-clay	2696°F (1500°C).
Kaolin, porcelain	3272°F (1800°C).

In addition to considering the type of material, pay attention to the temperature requirements of the glazes you’ll be using. 

Depending on the type of glaze, the temperature requirement for the melting won’t be the same. You’ll require a low-fire kiln for brightly colored pottery and earthenware sculpture but a mid- or high-fire kiln for oxide stain, shino, satin mattes, celadon and potter’s choice.

Using Cone Indications

As a useful way to assess fire-range temperature requirement, you can use the cone indicators. A cone represents a measurement of energy and temperature over time. 

Kilns have a cone indicator ranging from low cone temperatures ( such as 022) to higher cone temperatures (up to 15). The cone 6 kiln to cone 10 kiln are the most common type of home kilns. 

Depending on the type of ceramic production you’ll have, check the kilns with the cones indicators which suit the materials and glazes you’ll use. In all cases, we advise you to buy a kiln that exceeds the maximum temperature needed. 

Usually a kiln´s ability to hold high temperatures decreases as the insulating and structural material gets older. A common rule of thumb is to overestimate the temperature by 200-300° F (90-150°C) for longevity.

Other Options You’ll Have To Consider

You know have answered the biggest questions before purchasing your kiln. Along your way, you will have more choices to make which we will cover briefly. Some of these are a matter of personal choice involving how much time you’re willing to give to learn and master the firing process.

Gas Kiln vs Electric Kiln

When choosing a kiln, you can choose electric or gas-fuelled kilns . The electric kilns are widely thought to be more economical to buy, run and easier to master. Furthermore, they have the advantage of not needing a vent or a chimney. 

Alternatively, gas kilns are more expensive to buy and run. They are bulkier too and harder to master. They are prefered for the type of autonomy which they leave to the expert potter.

Brick And Ceramic Kiln Options

The most common materials used for kilns are ceramic fibre and steel or brick and stainless steel.

Ceramic fibre and steel kilns are light and economical to fire. Generally, they have a smaller inner chamber. The common downside to fibre and steel kiln is potential rust affecting the structure. 

Brick and stainless steel are more expensive. The main advantage is that they won’t suffer rusting or sagging. The main inconvenient of a brick kiln is the particle shedding from the bricks at high temperature which can damage the pottery and glaze.

Electronic Temperature Controller And Computerized “Cone-Firing”

Another considerable variation in price can stem from the kiln’s firing controller. The two main options are the electronic temperature controller and the computerised cone firing controller. Ranging from the manual temperature control to high-tech touchscreen kilns with wifi connections to your computer or tablet, there is a wide range of options. 

The choice depends mostly on your budget and furthermore how much hands-on experience you desire or need :

• Do you need/ want to be responsible for all changes in temperature throughout the process? 
• Do you need/ want some firing programs on your kiln? 
• Do you need/ want to select both the cone number and firing speed? 
• Do you need/ want precise firing? 
• Do you need/ want to develop and edit firing programs?

If you have answered no to most of these questions, you might not need that much autonomy and control but rather simplicity of use. 

On the contrary, if you have answered yes to most of these questions, you might need more control for your ceramic production, you might leave aside programmable kilns to go for either very high-tech or or very low-tech kilns.

The Best Kiln For Your Budget

You might be asking yourself how much does a kiln cost. When it comes to thinking about budgeting for your kiln, two types of cost must be factored in :

• the initial cost takes into account the price of kilns and kiln tools. Typically kilns range from $500 to $4000.
• the second type of cost is the firing costs of the kiln. 

If, in absolute terms, smaller kilns are more affordable compared to larger kilns, relatively speaking, larger kilns have a lower initial and long-term cost per cubic foot. 

When choosing a kiln, you’ll want to consider carefully and realistically your production : how many times you will fire the kiln per month or year? 

Calculating the firing costs are more complicated and are dependent on a range of factors. To make better estimations, you’ll want to consider your firing technique as it will also influence the long-term cost. For example, a 3 KW (13 amp) kiln fired to bisque will cost nearly twice as less than firing to 2228°F (1220°C) with a 20 minute soak/dwell.  

Small kilns are more valuable if you have :

• an inelastic budget.
• a little space. 
• an already specific type of production (such as beads).
• a specific type of size, clay or glaze which can be catered one type of kiln.
• small ceramic production needs.
• little planned growth. 

You might want to consider large kilns if you have :

• an elastic budget.
• a concern for overall costs over a period of time.
• a lot of space (indoors or outdoors).
• a versatile production consisting of many types of clays and glazes. 
• a regular ceramic production needs.
• a planned objective of growing production.

The Best Home Pottery Kiln Options

We have selected our favorite options in regard to the four different sizes of kiln. Read our kiln review to find the best portable pottery kiln, the best kiln for home use.

Best Mini Kiln

Model : Melting Furnace RapidFire Tabletop Kiln Melter

Overview : 

Portable and powerful, this cheap pottery kiln is a tabletop small ceramic kiln. It has an inner chamber of 8.5” x 3.5”. It is the perfect choice pottery kiln for beginners or intermediate sculptors. 

Pros : 

Cons: 

Best Small Pottery Kiln

Model : Skutt KM818

Overview : 

Bigger than the previous kiln, the Skutt KM818 is a suitable choice for beginners and intermediate potters looking for pottery kiln for home use with an inner chamber of 11.25” x 13.5”. 

Pros : 

Cons: 

Best Medium Size Kiln

Model : Amaco EX-257SF with Select Fire and EZ-Lift

Overview : 

Easy to load, this ceramic firing kiln takes our voice for the best medium size kiln. It has great depth which allows it to fire objects up to 18 inches tall. The kilns bricks can be reversed for durability and it comes with a two year warranty.

Pros : 

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Best Large Kiln

Model : Evenheat RM II 2929

Overview : 

​The RM II 2929 is the biggest kiln of our selection. It offers incredible volume at an easy to load depth for the intermediate and expert ceramist while being versatile.

Pros : 

Cons :

A Few Last Thoughts

You’re arriving at the end of this guide and we hope that this guide has laid out the fundamentals of kiln buying. 

You should have a clearer view of the path to follow before purchasing your home kiln and a few options to guide your choice. 

If the purchase of a kiln can seem daunting because of the initial involvement, one of the best ways to make an informed purchase is to assess correctly your possibilities and your needs. 

What space do you have in your designated firing place? What size inner chamber do you need? What power supply do you need? 

Finally, projecting yourself in the future can also be a helpful way of making a good investment. 

Ask yourself the question, what amount of pottery will you realistically fire in the next five years? Do you need a medium kiln or would a small kiln for clay be sufficient? 

To answer these questions, we encourage you to take the time to gather the information needed to buy the best kiln for you. It would be a costly, impracticable and frustrating affair to make the wrong purchase.

Once you have a clear idea of your needs and your budget, you will quickly find the best kiln for you.