Most people buy their first kiln for the material or process they're currently working with, but then become interested in something else. There's quite a choice: annealing beads, firing Art Clay, BronzClay, CopprClay, 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.

For a brief overview of the Paragon Kilns range, and to find out which kiln is recommended for which material or process, use the catalogue link below the menu bar near the top of the page.

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 links below the menu bar near the top of the page, then choose from the new menu.

Most people buy their first kiln for the material or process they're currently working with, but then become interested in something else. There's quite a choice: Art Clay, PMC, jewellery, bead annealing, dichroic glass, glass fusing, sagging, slumping, ceramics, pottery, stoneware, china painting, dolls, enamelling, and raku.

Although kilns are initially designed for a specific material or process, there's always flexibility. For example, the SC-2B is a 1095°C bead-annealing kiln but, as Art Clay 650 silver fires at between 650°C and 850°C, it could also be used for Art Clay: and PMC, small-scale glass fusing, dichroics, enamelling, and polymer clays.

So, before buying a kiln, think about it's wider future use: is it for a home or business, where it will be used, will it need to be moved, can it use a regular socket, what's its maximum temperature, how are the elements arranged, will the lid or door open conveniently, will the firing chamber accommodate your work leaving room to experiment, and how many kiln shelves can you stack up inside?

Buying a second-hand kiln does have risks: you don't know if the elements have been over-fired, the programmer may have an intermittent fault, the relays may be sticky, the thermocouple might not be accurate, it could have been poorly repaired, you'll have no guarantee, and, if it does fail quickly, the seller won't take it back.

Paragon kilns are thoughtfully and robustly engineered, so you're buying a kiln with a future.

The smaller kilns, up to 3120W, can use a regular mains socket. The 1095°C 3120W Xpress E-14A is the largest kiln, internally, that can use a regular mains socket.

Above that, you'll need a dedicated power supply, 30A, 45A, 65A, or 75A, straight from the main fusebox. To learn more about power supplies, use the start link below the menu bar, then choose help.

To comply with EU safety regulations, all kilns with exposed elements are fitted with an additional switch, included in the price, that cuts off the power whenever the door or lid is opened. So, there's no chance of turning on the kiln, putting some work in, and getting a shock. However, always take extra care.

The nature of safety switches is that they're not big 60A switches, but low current switches that turn off the main relay or relays. This technique is common in industrial equipment.

Most modern kilns use an electronic programmer, or digital controller, such as the Orton Sentry. A programmer allows you to set up accurate drying, heating, holding, and cooling sequences: and do something else whilst the sequence is running. The programmers are easy to use, and the sequences can be saved for the future.

Paragon kilns don't have programmers with pre-set sequences: you can choose the sequence temperatures, times, and heating and cooling rates.
As a beginner, pre-sets may seem to be an advantage. However, having experimented, many people fire materials, or combinations of materials, at different temperatures and for different times than are recommended.
And, later, you might want to work with other processes and materials such as: china painting, dichroic glass, dolls, enamels, fusing, glass-bead annealing, glazes, gold paints, low-fire ceramics, sagging, and slumping.

The programmer is partly controlled by a temperature-sensing thermocouple. However, kilns on full heat will overshoot the set temperature briefly before settling back. Using the kiln for low-temperature processes, such as baking Fimo Polymer Clay, needs care.
The effects of this overshoot can largely be prevented by setting a lower temperature or a lower heating rate. Usually, this has no effect on your work, but keeping a kiln log will help you learn how to set temperatures.

To learn more about the Sentry programmers, use the start link below the menu bar, then choose programmers, or help.

A kiln's maximum operating temperature sets limits on the materials and processes you can use. 1290°C is the highest temperature that standard kilns reach: above that, the materials and construction have to change, and the cost increases dramatically.

Porcelain and stoneware need about 1290°C; low-fire ceramics about 1095°C; glass fusing, sagging, and slumping, enamelling, and bead annealing about 925°C; Accent Gold about 900°C; PMC about 850°C; and Art Clay about 650°C.

The maximum temperature is not related to the wattage: so a 4800W kiln does not get twice as hot as a 2400W kiln. The temperature depends on the elements, the firing chamber volume, and the programmer.

As with any device you buy, a kiln is not designed to be run full-on all the time. So, if you need to fire at 925°C for a long time, buy a 1095°C kiln, not a 925°C kiln. To give you a feel for temperature, here are the melting points for a few common materials:

I sometimes get asked if there's a platinum clay: there is, but it's an industrial product. Platinum melts at 1772°C, so a platimum clay would probably need to fire at around 1600°C: beyond the maximum temperature of conventional kilns.

The metric system, used in the EU and most other countries, uses the Centigrade scale to measure temperature. The US and a few other countries use Fahrenheit.

Using the Centigrade scale, pure water freezes at 0°C and boils at 100°C, a range of 100°. To convert to Fahreneit: fahrenheit = (centigrade divided by 5 then multiplied by 9) + 32.

Using the Fahrenheit scale, pure water freezes at 32°F and boils at 212°F, a range of 180°. To convert to Centigrade: centigrade = (fahrenheit - 32) divided by 9 then multiplied by 5.

Although a small kiln, such as the SC-2, can easily be moved by one person, most kilns need two people: so make sure that your kiln, and the two people carrying it, can fit through doorways, along corridors, around corners, and up or down stairs.

Kiln outer dimensions include the programmer and any other hardware. Conventionally, the dimensions are given in the order: length, width, and height. In the US, width is often called depth: languages are context sensitive, so it should be clear what is meant if a road is 6.40m wide and a swimming pool is 3.75m deep.

The first two dimensions represent the flat space needed. Weight is usually the shipping weight, including the weight of the recommended furniture kit: usually, about 5% of this is packing.

Kiln inner dimensions should allow you to comfortably load and unload your work. If you want to use several shelves, allow for the height of the posts and the thickness of the shelves. Shelves don't need to be a snug fit: the hot air won't circulate, and the shelf edges will scratch the inside of the firing chamber.

Think carefully about the internal height of a ceramic or glass kiln: you might start off with panels, plates, and bowls, but then want to make higher jars, pots, and vases.

Kilns need to be in an open, well ventilated space, not in a cupboard or closet. To learn more about the kiln work area, use the start link below the menu bar, then choose help.

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If you use your kiln at home, check your building and contents insurance: a standard policy may not cover you against an accident arising from using a kiln, especially if it's used by a business.

If you're running courses at your home or workplace, you may need public liability insurance. And check that you have complied with local health and safety regulations and change-of-use planning consent. These might include providing protective eyeware, fire extinguishers, first-aid training, disabled access, a bathroom, and fire exits.

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Kilns regularly leave the US factory for the UK using reserved air cargo to minimise the freight charges. Air cargo typically takes four days. Sea freight takes at least seven weeks: or longer, as resellers often secure advance payments then wait to collect enough orders to fill a container.

The smaller kilns are usually in stock and ready for next-day delivery. The larger kilns are made to order, take about ten working days to build, and will arrive on a palette or in a crate.

If you call first, you can collect one of the smaller kilns from our shop: Cherry Heaven in Corfe Castle village. However, a larger kiln, such as a crated Fusion 10, weighs 106kg and is 1300mm across, so it won't fit in a regular car.

Your kiln will usually be delivered by one of the well-known shipping companies, such as Concordia, Fedex, UPS, Amtrak, or City Link. When you sign for it, write unexamined by your signature. If there's any damage, don't touch the packing and call the shipping company.