Paragon Kilns is an on-line shop for the Paragon BlueBird, Caldera, Dragon, EzBeader, FireFly, Fusion, GL, Home Artist, Iguana, Janus, KM, Ovation, Pearl, SC-2, SC-3, SNF, TNF, Viking, Vulcan, and Xpress kilns.

They can all use a regular, single-phase, 230V mains supply, so will work anywhere in the EU. Apart from the manual Caldera-S and FireFly-S, they all have digital programmers: a ramp-hold or a ramp-hold cone-fire, a 3-key or a 12-key.

They're suitable for annealing beads, firing Art Clay, BronzClay, and PMC metal clays, casting glass, glass fusing, firing ceramics, china painting, enamelling, fusing dichroic glasses, heat treating metals, laboratory testing, lampwork, making mixed-media jewellery, melting silver, porcelain, pottery, raku, sagging, slumping, stained glass, and stoneware.

They're ideal for your home, college, school, university, course venue, craft centre, jewellery studio, pottery business, ceramics cafe, engineering facilty, medical laboratory, research unit, or technical workshop.

Paragon Kilns is the distributor for the whole range of kilns made by Paragon Industries in the US. It's not a ceramics, glass, or metal-clay shop selling a few kilns for a market niche. You can talk to an engineer in the UK about kilns, power supplies, safety issues, kiln technologies, home diagnostics, repairs, spares, and reselling opportunities.

For many people, buying a kiln is a once-only event. A comprehensive internet resource lets you research and compare kilns in your own time. However, there's a lot to read and there'll inevitably be some repetition.

Unlike some internet shops, the prices include VAT, the recommended shelf kit, the legally-necessary lid or door safety switch where appropriate, and insured door-to-door delivery.

Cherry Heaven TV has also made a selection of radio and tv programmes about working with kilns. To look at these, use the radio or tv link below the menu bar near the top of the page.

You can shop here now: on line or by phone with a card, or by post with a cheque. Kiln prices include a shelf kit, a door or lid safety-switch where appropriate, VAT, and insured door-to-door UK-mainland delivery: there are no other charges.

This internet resource belongs to Cherry Heaven, a shop in Corfe Castle village near the National Trust Estate. Cherry Heaven sells a diverse selection of exclusive essentials and luxuries. To look at Cherry Heaven, use the Cherry Heaven link above the menu bar near the top of the page.

Cherry Heaven is an EU distributor for Paragon Kilns made in the US, Advance Kilns made in Canada, Efco Kilns made in Germany, Kitiki Mini-Kilns made in Turkey, and UltraLite Kilns made in the US.

Cherry Heaven is a UK distributor for Art Clay made by Aida Chemical Industries in Japan and BronzClay made in the US, and an EU distributor for AccentGold For Silver paint and Metal Clay Veneer, both made in the US.

Cherry Heaven has been commended for outstanding performance as one of Paragon's 2007 top-selling distributors: a pleasing outcome since the UK is one third the size of Texas and one fortieth the size of the US.

Paragon Kilns combine the best mix of ease-of-use, practical features, robust construction, and low door-to-door prices. When comparing them to similar kilns from other manufacturers or resellers, there are important differences:

Kilns made outside the UK have been re-engineered and comprehensively tested for the UK and Europe. They work on a regular, single-phase, 230V supply. 230V is the EU standard, although there are minor local and national variations.

They're CE Marked and comply with EU safety standards. The heating elements are either embedded in ceramic fibre, or the kiln is fitted with a door or lid switch: an important safety feature.

Apart from the manual Caldera-S and FireFly-S, they all have digital programmers. You can set up to four sequences: mixes of heating, holding, and cooling segments which will run automatically and then stop. There are no restrictive features such as single-sequence use or pre-set programmes.

Finally, prices. For a chosen firing-chamber volume and maximum temperature, US-made kilns cost less than kilns made in the UK, Western Europe, and Japan. To complicate price comparison, many suppliers show internet prices that don't include VAT and delivery. Other suppliers only reveal prices in a paper catalogue or after a lengthy phone call.

Choosing the right kiln is important, especially if you're not sure which materials you'll want to work with. If you need help, mail or call.

Founded as a family business in 1948, Paragon Industries is now the world's leading manufacturer of electric kilns and furnaces, and has built over 380 000. The 4 830 square metre site, in Mesquite, Texas, employs over 70 full-time staff.

Paragon continually monitors design and manufacture, leading to versatile, practical, safe kilns. Every kiln goes through a fifteen-step quality check, with a technician following the build, and is inspected before shipping. Paragon kilns are thoughtfully and robustly engineered, so you're buying a kiln with a future.

All the kilns are designed to meet the demanding UL 499 standard in the US, and CE Certification in the EU. Paragon is Greek for Model Of Perfection.

US-made kilns often have live heating elements that are exposed whenever the door or lid is open. To comply with EU safety regulations, an additional switch, included in the price, is fitted to cut off the power whenever the kiln is opened. Exposed live elements are very dangerous, and illegal in the UK.

To learn more about table-top kilns that can use a regular mains socket, such as the Paragon BlueBird, Caldera, FireFly, Fusion 6, Fusion 7, Home Artist, SC2, SC3, and Xpress kilns, Efco Kilns, the Kitiki Mini-Kiln, and the UltraLite Kiln, transfer to Electric Kilns using the Electric Kilns link above the menu bar near the top of the page.

To learn about larger floor-standing wired-in kilns, such as the Paragon Fusion, GL, Ovation, and Pearl for glass, the KM knife making kilns, and the Dragon, Iguana, Janus, TNF, Viking, and Vulcan for ceramics, dolls, porcelain, pottery, raku, and stoneware, use the kilns link below the menu bar near the top of the page, then choose from the new menu.

But, before moving on, three table-top kilns are worth a preview:

The Paragon SC-2 is a low-cost home-business jewellery kiln that can use a regular mains socket. It's a 1095°C, four sided, square, ceramic-fibre, front-opening kiln, with a digital programmer.

The Paragon SC2 is suitable for Art Clay, Bronze Clay, and PMC metal clays, Accent Gold, Metal Clay Veneer, painting china, glass-bead annealing, applying decals, dichroic glasses, enamelling, jewellery, lost-wax casting, low-fire ceramics, glass fusing, and small-scale glass sagging and slumping.

It's available with a bead-annealing door, a heat-resistant glass viewing-window, or a bead-annealing door and a heat resistant glass viewing-window, making it very versatile.

The Paragon Xpress E-12A, made for Cherry Heaven, is a mixed-media kiln that can use a regular mains socket. It's a 1230°C, four-sided, rectangular, firebrick, front-opening kiln, with a digital programmer.

The Paragon Xpress E12A is suitable for most materials and processes, particularly those needing a very long, high temperature, firing sequence. It's ideal for BronzClay as it's large enough for the necessary charcoal-filled container.

It's available with a bead-annealing door, a heat-resistant glass viewing-window, or a bead-annealing door and a heat resistant glass viewing-window, making it very versatile.

The Paragon Xpress E-14A is the largest table-top kiln that can use a regular mains socket. It's a 1095°C, four-sided, square, firebrick, front-opening kiln, with a digital programmer.

The Paragon Xpress E14A is suitable for Art Clay, Bronze Clay, and PMC metal clays, Accent Gold, Metal Clay Veneer, china painting, annealing beads, applying decals, dichroic glasses, enamelling, heat treating, jewellery, lost-wax casting, low-fire ceramics, glass fusing, sagging, and slumping.

It's available with a bead-annealing door, a heat-resistant glass viewing-window, or a bead-annealing door and a heat resistant glass viewing-window, making it very versatile.

Art Clay, sometimes called silver clay, gold clay, metal clay, or precious-metal clay, is made by Aida Chemical Industries in Japan: it's a composite clay-like material, made of fine silver or gold powder and a harmless organic binder.

As it's fired, the binder vapourises and the metal powder sinters, leaving solid 999 silver or 22 carat gold: real metal, not something that just looks like metal.

To learn more about Art Clay, and related products, use the Art Clay link below the menu bar near the top of the page.

The kiln prices include the recommended shelf kit, and the legally-necessary lid or door safety switch where appropriate.

Paragon SC series kilns are usually in stock, for next-day delivery: other Paragon kilns are made to order. The factory does not have a warehouse, and it's not feasible to showcase the extensive range here, especially as some kilns are protectively packed for shipping and in crates or on pallets.

The on-line shop includes kilns, shelf paper, programmers, ceramic blocks, ceramic cloths, digital pyrometers, reminder timers, fire extinguishers, glare-resistant glasses, heat-resistant gloves, kiln shelves, kiln tables, and other tools and accessories. Alternatively, visit the Cherry Heaven Shop in Corfe Castle village.

. The names Cherry Heaven, Advance, BullsEye, Efco, Kitiki, Mini-Kiln, Odak, Paragon, Uhlig, UltraLite, Lindstrom, Orton, Sentry, ThinFire, Art Clay, PMC, SilverClay, Accent Gold, BronzClay, Image Transfer, and Metal Clay Veneer are registered trademarks.