Bisque, Greenware, Stoneware Bisque and Tiles

Stoneware Bisque, Bisque Ware and Tiles

Sheffield Pottery is pleased to offer a new line of Soft Fired stoneware bisque: Seeley’s Luxury Stoneware Bisque.

We offer the Soft Fired (SF) bisque which can be decorated with cone 5-6 glazes.

Shipping will be UPS ground in most cases. Shipping charges cannot be calculated by our system at this time: you will be able to select whether you want us to contact you with your total including shipping before charging your card or you can select that we go ahead and charge you the best posible shipping.

What is Stoneware Bisque?
Take a look in your kitchen. What do you see? Mugs, plates, casseroles, platters, bowls etc. Many of these things may be made of stoneware. These pieces will either be made in earthenware (a low-fired clay) or in stoneware (a high-fired clay). Stoneware is a stronger clay that is fired to a high temperature (about 2185 degrees Fahrenheit) and becomes vitreous. It can be left undecorated or decorated with colored glazes with an optional clear glaze coating.

Stoneware is a clay which when fired to maturity becomes a sturdy, chip-resistant material suitable for use in cooking, baking, storing liquids, serving dishes and for yearround outdoor use.These pieces are meant to be used due to their durability.

Stoneware is great for kitchen/utility pieces because it is so incredibly durable. You can use it in the oven, freezer, microwave and dishwasher without harming it. Earthenware cannot withstand very high or low temperatures. You may be able to put an earthenware piece in your oven a few times, but it will eventually crack completely, stoneware will not.

WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT SEELEY’S NEW LINE OF BISQUE

Soft-fired Buff Stoneware (fired to cone 08).
Special Characteristics of Stoneware

The clays used in Stoneware give it strength, resistance to thermal shock and to chipping and breaking. It holds heat or cold much longer than earthenware.This is why stoneware designs are used for cooking and baking and for keeping the food hot or the ice cream or wine cold. It is ideal for outdoor use even during the winter, as it does not absorb water, which would crack the ware when freezing. Being impervious to water also explains why you do not have to cover stoneware with glaze. Many artists only decorate stoneware pieces partially, this is in contrast to earthenware which needs total coverage with glaze in order not to absorb water, leading to crazing and cracking. Stoneware is simply dry-footed which means leaving the ring ("foot") on the bottom free of glaze.This does away with stilting and removal of stilt marks. High-fired ware, such as stoneware has a high-pitched "ping" when touched.The clays have a deep, warm color tone and sometimes show a nice specking, which gives life to your piece. About clay bodies, temperatures and decorating Anything that is "soft-fired" (a term that we will be using) means that the clay has not been fired to maturity. Mature bisque means that the clay has been fired to its end point.At that point, the clay has its maximum strength and the characteristics it was designed for. Examples:

Our line of SOFT-FIRED STONEWARE (item# preceded by letters “SF”) matures at cones 4-6. We suggest firing it to maturity at witness cone 5. The soft-fired bisque, as you buy it, has been fired to cone 08. At that point, it is still quite porous and takes the glazes beautifully, whether you brush, dip or swirl it. The glaze dries fast and you can apply 1-4 coats at least as fast as you can on Earthenware. The results at cone 5 are beautiful.

Firing Recommendations:
Soft-fired Buff Stoneware.
Apply a high-firing underglaze and/or glaze and fire to cone 5-6.
Witness cones: Cone 5 touching, Cone 6 at 11 o’clock.
Degrees in Fahrenheit: 2,220º F, +/- 20º
Degrees in Celsius: 1,200º C.
Ramp Speed: 500º/ hr. (260º C.)

Cooking with Stoneware
Stoneware has been used for baking, cooking and food storage for centuries. Here are some tips on how to get the best out of your stoneware in our modern times. We focus here on the pizza stone as it serves as a good example on what gives the best results. In general, what applies to the pizza stone also applies to other stoneware designs.

Before first use, rinse off the stone and dry. For pizza, biscuits, and cookies on the stone, grease it lightly and wipe off before first use. The pizza/baking stone is perfect for baking cookies.With cookie dough set on the cold stone and baked in hot oven (350°F), cookies will not burn on the bottom. After baking, take out the stone and let cookies sit on stone to crisp up and keep warm. For baking or cooking in our stoneware pans, the food will release easier if greased lightly or sprayed with PAM before each use. After use, clean any way as needed.

The following applies to all Seeley Stoneware: Extremely strong, tolerates wide temperature changes, goes from freezer to hot oven. Tolerates frozen pizza on to hot stone. With the stone on the bottom shelf in the oven, the temperature in a gas oven will be more even. Completely non toxic, the clay body has a pleasing golden tan color. Made of all natural American clays. Note:The best benefit of all is probably that you control the amount of fat and sodium; a homemade pizza will have much less fat and sodium than a pizzeria pie.