How much is a Kiln?
When considering whether or not to buy a kiln, one of the first things you will be considering is the price of buying a kiln.
How much a kiln costs to buy:
The cost of a kiln can vary quite dramatically, depending on its size, maximum temperature, precision, available settings and interface.
Kiln prices can range from around £800 for very small, second-hand tabletop kilns, to over £20,000 for large industrial kilns.
Many small kilns that are great for the home can cost around £1800-£5000.
For example,
You will therefore need to decide what features you are looking for in your kiln to decide how much to spend, which we will discuss below:
How to decide how much to spend on a kiln:
To decide the right kiln for you, there are a few factors that you will need to consider:
Energy requirements:
-Some kilns can plug directly into any normal UK plug socket, making them a simple choice. These options tend to also be cheaper to buy and run as they are typically smaller.
-Other kilns will require an electrician to setup, which may require you to pay for an electrician to install it for you.
-The most expensive type of kilns are generally kilns fired by gas.
Size:
Size is one of the biggest factors when it comes to the price of a kiln.
For example, the Falcon Kiln comes in a wide range of sizes, which vary in price accordingly:
You need to consider the following factors:
How much space do you need?
-Are your pieces tall/large?
-Will you often fire lots of things at the same time?
-Are you sharing the kiln space with others?
-How much space do you have to fit the kiln?
You will therefore need to consider the inner and outer dimensions of the kiln.
What do you want to fire?
Every kiln has a maximum temperature that it can reach. This is either shown as a maximum temperature in Celsius or Fahrenheit, or ‘cone’.
Cones are used in ceramics to describe the amount of heatwork is put out by the kiln during a firing.
Maximum cones correlate to maximum firing temperature of kilns. For example:
Cone 6 – 1232°C
Cone 8 – 1260°C
Cone 10 – 1300°C
Different clays work best at different temperatures, so its important that you know what maximum temperature you require.
Maximum temperature does not always correlate with the price of a kiln, but it is very important to consider when deciding which model is best for you.
Kiln controller price:
You will need a way to control your kiln. Most shops will give you an option to add on a controller made specifically for that brand. Although this may be the most simple option, you do not necessarily have to use that controller.
Controllers vary quite a lot in price, as many kilns come with digital or touchscreen controllers which are very handy but can also cost a bit more.
You can buy kiln controllers second hand which can be a good option.
Buying used kiln
The decision to buy a new kiln vs a used one can be a tough one.
You can sometimes come across some really good deals on eBay or Facebook marketplace.
While this can be a great way to save initial investment, it can be a slightly riskier move.
Like buying a second hand car, you can not always tell if there are any issues before you buy.
Pretty much every kiln manufacturer provides a warranty to give you some peace of mind that your kiln will serve you for many years to come. Any issues, and you can let the manufacturer know and they will come and give it a service/replace it.
That being said, some kilns can be bought second hand and work very well with no issues for a long time! It can really go either way.
Conclusion:
The answer to the question ‘How much is a kiln’ therefore is similar to ‘how long is a piece of string’.
However, here are some prices based on different factors mentioned above:
Small (11L), 1300°C, plug-in kiln: £1699
Medium (61L), 1200°C, plug-in kiln (with WIFI functionality): £3330
Large (280L), 1300°C, high voltage kiln: £6929
One great way to mitigate the cost of firing is by using Kiln Share. Check out our article on it here:
https://www.cardifftreesurgeons.co.uk