Most Popular in Pottery

Because Olympic is the broadest line we carry for pottery specifically, with 48 models in the ceramic range, and because the sectional construction suits a lot of studios.

It is not a judgement on the other brands. Evenheat build excellent pottery kilns and appear right through the ceramic range, including the cheapest space per cubic foot in the catalog.

It is a reasonable shortlist and a poor decision rule. These sell well because they suit common situations, not because they suit yours.

The two questions that actually decide it are what size you can fill regularly and what cone your clay body needs. Answer those and the list usually narrows to two or three, popular or not.

An Olympic bundle sold as one item rather than a kiln plus extras. Three of them appear in this collection, at 1414HE, 1823HE, 2327HE and 2827HE sizes.

As with the Quick-Ship kits, the value is in not having to specify and order the pieces separately. Ask us what is in a specific package before you buy, so you are not paying for something you already own.

Chamber size, and that is most of it. They share construction, sectional rings and cone 10 rating, and the numbers in the name describe the chamber: an 1818HE is 17.5 inches across and 18 deep at 2.63 cubic feet, an 1827HE is the same width and 27 deep at 3.95.

So the range grows downward rather than outward. The extra capacity is at the bottom of the kiln, which is the part you reach furthest to load. See the top-loading range for more on that.

Access, mostly. Olympic's HE kilns are built in rings that separate, so a ten cubic foot kiln comes through a normal doorway and two people can move it rather than needing a crane.

It also means a damaged ring can be replaced without replacing the whole kiln, and that the kiln can move with you if the studio does.

It scales with size. An 1818HE at 2.63 cubic feet draws 21 amps on 240V and wants a 30 amp breaker. An 1827HE draws 31 and wants 40. A 2327HE draws 47 and wants 60, and a 2827HE draws 56 and wants 70.

Kilns are a continuous load, so the breaker is always sized above the draw. See the 240V range sorted by breaker size.

Your clay body decides, not the kiln. Most commercial stoneware and mid-fire porcelain are formulated for cone 5 or 6, and many professional potters never fire higher.

Almost everything on this page is rated cone 10, which gives you headroom whether or not you use it. Firing below a kiln's ceiling is also easier on the elements. See the cone 10 range for what that rating really costs.

If the kiln is not a bundle: shelves and posts sized to your chamber, kiln wash, and witness cones. If it is a bundle, the shelves and posts are already there and you need the consumables.

Everyone needs a plan for ventilation, and most people want a stand and possibly a lid lifter. Call us and we will put a list together for the specific model.

The small ones often ship by parcel carrier. The studio and production sizes move by freight, with curbside delivery, appointment scheduling, tracking and liftgate service where required.

Sectional construction helps here: the rings come apart and go through a doorway one at a time. Shipping is calculated at checkout before you buy. See our shipping page.

Performing the manufacturer's recommended initial test firing will not by itself void a return, as long as the other conditions in our policy are met.

Read the full terms, including timeframes and condition requirements, on our returns page.