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Why we fire at 1,250 °C — and what changes at 1,200.

Process6 min read2026 · 03 · 12

The temperature inside our kiln looks like a small detail. It is not. Fifty degrees decides whether the basin you ship cracks in winter, stains in a year, or lasts a decade.

The vitrification window

Vitreous china becomes truly waterproof somewhere between 1,220 °C and 1,260 °C. Below that range, micro-pores remain — invisible until water finds them. Above it, the body warps and the glaze runs.

We fire at 1,250 °C — the upper-middle of that window. Slightly hotter than industry-standard 1,220 °C, but with kiln-cycle data that proves the geometry holds.

The point of firing high is not the heat. It is the certainty.

What changes at 1,200

At 1,200 °C the body is fired but not vitrified. Water absorption climbs from under 0.5% to around 2%. That is the difference between a 25-year basin and a 5-year one.

Cheaper. Faster. Not what we make.