Firing Service

If you would like to use our firing service, there are a few things to keep in mind to ensure a safe firing process.

We offer the following firing temperatures:

Bisque firing: 960°C
Here, all raw pieces are fired before you can apply glaze or color. Before firing, your pieces must be completely dry. Please keep in mind that particularly thick pieces require more time to dry. If your piece is still damp on the inside, there is a risk that it may crack or even explode during firing (yes, this can actually happen) and potentially damage other pieces in the kiln.

Low firing: 1010°C
Our low firing is suitable for earthenware clay. This is also the firing temperature at which our Stroke & Coat colors can be applied if desired. All our pieces from ceramics painting are fired at this temperature. Afterwards, your pieces are dishwasher-safe and food-safe, provided they have been fully glazed by us (the foot ring will usually stay without glaze).

If larger areas of the piece are left unglazed, water can gradually seep into the clay over time. This can lead to small hairline cracks in the glaze.

High firing: 1230°C
For high firing, we fire stoneware clay. Your piece will be particularly durable and dishwasher-safe afterwards and, depending on the glaze used, also food-safe. A little note: All our studio glazes are food-safe unless otherwise labelled.

Our studio clay is suitable for firing at 1230 °C. If you work exclusively with our studio clay, you don’t need to worry about the firing temperature.

The following prices apply per firing:

Monthly Pass holders: €6.90/kg

Ceramics made in the studio (without a Monthly Pass): €11.90/kg

Ceramics made outside the studio: €13.90/kg

Please note that your piece requires two firings before it can be safely used: the bisque firing and the subsequent firing at either 1010 °C or 1230 °C. You will therefore be charged for the firing costs twice in total.

If you are using clay from another supplier

If you are using clay that was not purchased from our studio, we require a photo of the label on the clay packaging when you bring your pieces in for firing. The label must clearly state the firing temperature recommended by the manufacturer. This is often given as a temperature range.

This allows us to ensure that the clay is suitable for the selected firing temperature.

Please note that air-dry clay cannot be fired and may cause damage if it melts in the kiln. To avoid any issues, we kindly ask you not to bring air-dry clay into the studio.

Glazing your ceramics

There are a few important things to keep in mind when glazing, regardless of whether you use our studio glazes or your own glazes:

You will learn how to use our studio glazes correctly in one of our Glazing Workshops. Completing this workshop is a prerequisite for glazing independently in the Open Studio.

If you use a glaze that is not part of our studio glaze range, we additionally require a photo of the label showing the recommended firing temperature and any relevant information or specifications regarding the glaze.

Please note that we cannot guarantee how a glaze will behave during firing. The firing result depends, among other things, on the glaze used, the type of clay, as well as the way the glaze is applied and the thickness of the glaze layer.

Even when using our studio glazes, incorrect application or applying the glaze too thickly can cause the glaze to run during firing, potentially resulting in damage to other pieces, kiln shelves, or the kiln itself.

Responsibility for damage

We do our best to prevent damage to your pieces and our kiln. For firings involving externally made or particularly sensitive pieces, we therefore place a small clay tile – our lovingly named “Cookie” – underneath your piece. If glaze runs or a piece becomes damaged or melts, the Cookie is intended to catch the glaze and help prevent damage to other pieces or the kiln itself.

If your piece, the clay used, or the glaze applied causes damage to our kiln, kiln shelves, or other pieces during firing, you are responsible for the resulting costs. This applies regardless of whether you use our studio glazes or glazes brought in from elsewhere.

In the event of damage, the following costs may apply:
Damaged kiln shelf (cleaning or repair required): €25
Damaged kiln shelf (replacement required and not repairable): up to €125, depending on the size of the shelf
Damage to the kiln: up to €300 or more, depending on the actual extent of the damage
Damaged third-party piece: €30 per piece
Damaged Cookie: €12 per piece

Your agreement
By accepting our Terms & Conditions when completing an Open Studio booking and subsequently using our kiln firing service, you confirm that you have read and accepted these guidelines.

If you bring ceramics made outside the studio for firing without having booked a slot in advance, we will additionally provide you with a written declaration of consent on site.

Renting a kiln
If you have a larger number of pieces or particularly large or sensitive pieces, it may be worthwhile to rent an entire kiln for a firing.

In this case, you can determine the desired firing temperature together with our trained staff, including temperatures that differ from our standard firing temperatures.

The cost of a full kiln firing depends on the size of the kiln and the selected firing temperature.

Kiln availability can be discussed directly with our trained team on site. Afterwards, we kindly ask you to send an email with all relevant information to hello@freshceramics.at so that we can finalize the details.

Please note that we reserve the right to decline orders if our kiln capacity is fully booked at the requested time.

The same rules regarding responsibility and costs in the event of damage apply to full kiln rentals as to individual piece firings. If the pieces, clay, or glaze used cause damage, the above-mentioned rules and costs apply.