Updated September 2026 · By the Peach State Pottery team
Olympic, Paragon, and Evenheat are three of the best-known American kiln builders, and all three make good kilns. Which one is best for you depends on what you fire, how big you need to go, and what you care about in controllers, warranty, and construction.
We sell all three, so this is a straight comparison, including where each brand is strongest and where it isn't.
The short answer
- Olympic gives you the most size choices for cone 10 pottery kilns, with 3" brick throughout and all-in-one Freedom Packages. It's the pick for most potters who fire to stoneware or porcelain.
- Evenheat is the pick for cone 6 potters who want a large, easy-loading kiln for less money (the RM II line), for anyone who wants app-connected controllers, and for knife makers. It carries a 2-year warranty.
- Paragon leads in small digital kilns (jewelry, glass, and metal clay) and in long, multi-zone knife ovens.
Brand overview
| Olympic Kilns | Paragon | Evenheat | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Founded | 1972 | 1948 | 1948 |
| Made in | Flowery Branch, Georgia | Mesquite, Texas | Caseville, Michigan |
| Warranty* | 1 year on cone 10 kilns; 2 years on others | 2 years on kilns rated 2,300°F or less; 1 year above 2,300°F | 2 years (1 year on fiber models) |
| Standard controller | KilnStar 12-key; Bartlett Genesis touchscreen upgrade | Sentry and Sentinel touchscreen family | Your choice: TAP II, Bartlett Icon/Icon+, or Rampmaster II |
| Phone app | KilnAid (with Genesis upgrade) | Genesis option on some models | TAP app (TAP II) or KilnAid (Icon family) |
| Strongest in | Cone 10 pottery kilns, test kilns, front-loaders, gas and raku | Jewelry, glass, and metal clay kilns; knife ovens | Ceramic kilns (cone 8 and cone 10), glass, knife ovens |
| Shop the brand | Olympic kilns | Paragon kilns | Evenheat kilns |
*Summarized from each manufacturer's published warranty as of September 2026. Terms and exclusions vary, so check the product page or ask us.
Olympic Kilns
Olympic started in Seattle in 1972 and has built its kilns in Flowery Branch, Georgia, since 1997. That's just down the road from us in north Georgia. Its HE top-loaders are built for high fire:
- Rated to cone 10 (2,350°F).
- 3" firebrick throughout.
- Stainless steel jacket and an included stand.
- Lid-lift assist on the 23"-and-wider Freedom kilns.
- Optional multi-zone control.
Olympic's standout offer is the Freedom Package. It bundles the kiln with:
- a furniture kit (shelves, posts, and kiln wash)
- an assortment of 33 stilts
- a VentMaster kiln vent
- a "Freedom Kit" of spare parts: two elements, a thermocouple, mortar, a crimping tool, and a wiring schematic
With the Freedom Package, you're ready to fire the day the kiln arrives, and a burned-out element won't stop your production.
Watch for:
- Olympic's warranty on cone 10 kilns is 1 year, shorter than Evenheat's 2 years.
- The 17.5"-wide models take smaller shelves, so if you make platters, go 23" or wider.
- The standard controller is a keypad. If you want a touchscreen and app monitoring, add the Genesis upgrade.
Evenheat
Evenheat has built kilns in Caseville, Michigan, since 1948, and its ceramic line comes in two families:
- High Fire: cone 10, with 3" brick.
- RM II (Evenheat now labels these "RM"): cone 8 (2,300°F), sized for easy loading, and generally less expensive than a cone 10 kiln of the same size.
Both lines have:
- A full stainless jacket and a two-position lid vent.
- A swing-out control box, so you can reach the wiring without taking the kiln apart.
- Your choice of controller, including two app-connected options.
Watch for:
- RM II kilns are rated to cone 8. That's plenty of headroom for cone 6, but not for cone 10.
- RM II kilns use thinner brick than the High Fire line.
- Evenheat's High Fire line tops out at 18" wide (we carry up to the HF 1818). For a big cone 10 kiln, look at Olympic.
Paragon
Paragon has built kilns in Texas since 1948. It makes full-size pottery kilns, but its biggest following is for small digital kilns and knife ovens. Our Paragon lineup focuses on those:
- SC2 and SC3: favorites for metal clay, enameling, and small glass.
- Caldera: a tiny kiln that fires to cone 10.
- BlueBird XL: for glass bead annealing.
- KM knife ovens: up to 54" long, with multi-zone Pro models (see our knife oven comparison).
Paragon's Sentinel touchscreen controllers are some of the most capable on the market: 12 programs of up to 32 segments each, plus a live amperage and voltage display.
Watch for: Paragon's warranty is 1 year on kilns rated above 2,300°F, which covers most of its knife ovens and cone 10 kilns.
Head-to-head: similar-size pottery kilns
This is where most buyers decide. We matched Olympic and Evenheat kilns of nearly the same size. Specs come from the manufacturers; prices are ours as of October 2026.
| Size class | Olympic | Evenheat | The difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| 14" test / small studio | 1414HE: 14.5" x 13.5", 1.4 cu ft, cone 10, 15A. $1,739 | High Fire 1413: 14.5" x 13.5", 1.3 cu ft, cone 10, 15A. $1,986.59 | Nearly identical kilns. Olympic costs less; Evenheat has the longer warranty and more controller choices. |
| 18" x 18" | 1818HE: 17.5" x 18", 2.63 cu ft, cone 10, 21A. $2,382 | High Fire 1818: 17.5" x 18", 2.7 cu ft, cone 10, 28A. $2,612.39 | Same interior. The Olympic is less expensive and draws less current. |
| 18" x 22–23" | 1823HE: 17.5" x 22.5", 3.29 cu ft, cone 10, 26.25A. $2,737 | RM II 1822: 17.5" x 22.25", 3.3 cu ft, cone 8, 30A. $2,482.19 | Olympic for cone 10. The Evenheat is slightly cheaper for cone 6 potters. |
| 23" x 27–29" | 2327HE: 23⅜" x 27", 7 cu ft, cone 10, 47A. $4,111 | RM II 2329: 23.5" x 29", 7.5 cu ft, cone 8, 45A. $3,490.19 | For cone 6, the Evenheat gives you more space for about $740 less. For cone 10, choose the Olympic. |
| 28–29" production | 2827HE: 28.25" x 27", 10 cu ft, cone 10, 56A, hardwired. $4,795 | RM II 2929: 29" x 29", 11.3 cu ft, cone 8, 56A, hardwired. $4,296.59 | Same trade-off: the Evenheat is bigger and cheaper; the Olympic reaches cone 10. |
The pattern: if you fire to cone 10, Olympic usually gives you more kiln for the money. If you fire to cone 6, an Evenheat RM II is worth a close look, since you get as much space or more for less. The cone 8 rating is still above cone 6. Just remember that any kiln fired near its maximum wears elements faster, and a cone 10 kiln has the most headroom at cone 6.
Which brand should you buy?
Your first pottery kiln
Start with an Olympic Freedom Package (1823HE or 2327HE). You get furniture, stilts, a vent, and spare parts in one box, so there's no second order before your first firing. If you don't have a 240V outlet, see our guide to 120V kilns.
A cone 6 studio on a budget
Choose an Evenheat RM II 2322 or 2329. You get lots of space for the price and a 2-year warranty.
Cone 10 stoneware and porcelain
Choose an Olympic HE (2323HE, 2327HE, or 2827HE) or, up to 18" wide, an Evenheat High Fire. Need to load big pieces or production batches? Look at Olympic's front-loading kilns.
Jewelry, metal clay, and small glass
Paragon's SC2 is the standard here, and the Caldera adds cone 10 capability.
Knife making
This one depends on your blades. Evenheat and HotShot are strong values, and Paragon is best for long blades and multi-zone control. Here's the full comparison.
Wi-Fi monitoring from your phone
Evenheat lets you choose an app-connected controller (TAP II or Icon family) on its ceramic kilns. On Olympic, add the Bartlett Genesis upgrade to use the KilnAid app.
Frequently asked questions
Which kiln brand is the most reliable?
All three are long-running American manufacturers with established parts networks. In practice, reliability depends more on matching the kiln to how you fire, and on basic maintenance like replacing elements and thermocouples on schedule, than on the badge. The one thing to avoid is buying a kiln whose maximum rating is your everyday firing temperature.
Is Olympic a good kiln brand?
Yes. Olympic is a popular choice for home studios, schools, and art centers, and its HE kilns are built for cone 10 with 3" brick. Its warranty on cone 10 kilns is 1 year.
Is Evenheat better than Paragon?
It depends on the category. For ceramic kilns and value-priced knife ovens, Evenheat is a strong pick with a 2-year warranty. For small digital jewelry and glass kilns, or long multi-zone knife ovens, Paragon leads.
Do I need a cone 10 kiln?
Only if you fire cone 10 clays and glazes. Most home and studio potters today fire to cone 6, and a kiln rated to cone 8 or 10 gives headroom there. We'll go deeper in our upcoming cone 6 vs. cone 10 guide.
What size breaker do I need?
It depends on the model's amperage. For example, Olympic specifies a 40A breaker for the 1823HE, a 60A breaker for the 2327HE, and a 70A breaker for the hardwired 2827HE. Have a licensed electrician size the circuit, and give them the kiln's amperage from the product page.
Talk it through with us
Tell us your clay, your cone, your space, and your outlet, and we'll recommend one or two kilns, not twenty. Every kiln ships with discounted flat-rate freight and liftgate service, plus our Price Match Guarantee. Contact us or browse all ceramic kilns.