"TRUE" CONE 10 ELECTRIC KILNS
Firing to cone 10 in an electric kiln is difficult for most cone 10 rated kilns especially when on household power. Think of a 2 ton rated pickup truck: if you always run it with a 2 ton load it will certainly wear out fast and not get good mileage. All of the cone 10 rated electric kilns from L&L, Paragon, Olympic, Skutt etc can achieve cone 10 temperature, however if you want to fire at cone 10 frequently we have specific pottery kiln recommendations for you.
Generally speaking, cone 10 electric kilns are perfect for regular cone 6 firing and occasional cone 10 firing. This ensures that the system is not under maximum load all the time. With so many great clay bodies formulated for cone 6, a regular cone 10 electric kiln is a perfectly acceptable kiln for most potters working in stoneware. We now offer our new premium cone 10 English Grolleg porcelain, Elaine's Crystal, in a cone 6 formulation for just this reason.
However, for some potters cone 10 clay bodies and glazes are worth the extra energy. A gas fired pottery kiln is one way to achieve cone 10 all the time yet gas kilns are much more expensive and difficult to install as they require tanks, chimneys, separate buildings etc.
There are large electric kilns namely the Skutt Oval and PK Models, Shimpo/ConeArt Ovals, the L&L DaVinci Series and the Paragon Viking and Dragons which handle hitting cone 10 frequently without overly straining their components or your electricity. They either have heavy-duty electrical components or offer them as available options. These heavy-duty electrics provide enough power (kilowatts per chamber volume) to hit cone 10 without too much stress. They are also better insulated than the average electric kiln for higher efficiency and slower cooling.
Each electric pottery kiln that is recommended for frequent cone 10 firing is listed below. Be sure to investigate optional heavy-duty elements and thermocouples where appropriate.
CONE 10 ELECTRIC KILNS
OUR PROCESS
Natural Sheffield Clay is mined on our property from as seen at one of the open clay pits. The Sheffield Clay deposit is located in Sheffield, Massachusetts, on U.S. Route 7 in the Southwest corner of Berkshire County.