Stoneware

Clay pots are stoneware, it’s clay with sand in it. They cannot be porcelain, because it’s got to be able to flex and stretch.

 

Cooking With Clay Pots

They cook very differently, because of the adsorption of the liquid. The heat transfer is slow and even. When we do a caramelized shrimp in a clay pot and it comes to the table still hot, because the ceramic retains the heat and continues cooking table side.

I’ve done catering for like 350 people and people couldn’t understand how I got the fish to be so hot and yet not be overcooked. Basically, I pull them out while they are still rare and by the time you deliver them to the table, they are cooked.

 

Prices

Prices vary -- I just paid $250 for one and also I paid $3 for one in Chinatown. Whenever you can buy a cheap one, they are worth every penny, $10 or $15. But if you end up buying the $200 one, you’ve got to be really careful when you bring the heat up. You’ve got to go really, really slow. Some people will try to sell you a diffuser, you can slow the flame down yourself, you don’t need the diffuser, but the diffuser will slow it down for you.

 

Shapes & Sizes

Shapes and sizes depend on what you’re cooking. Are you going to have a giant pot with a whole chicken with a lid on? Or are you cooking baked beans?

 

Unglazed

Go for unglazed. Typically, I like a more rustic one. A lot of the fancy ones have glazes on both sides, inside and outside. I prefer the unglazed on the outside, because it has a better chance of not cracking, because it stretches better.

 

Weight

Weight counts -- you want it heavier and thicker than a normal bowl. The cooking vessel should be heavier,more clay, more ceramic surrounding it so that it can withstand the heat and expanding and shrinking.

 

Cleaning

Never put a hot clay pot into cold water.

 

Bram Cookware

I buy many pots from Bram Cookware in Sonoma, which specializes in clay pots.

www.bramcookware.com | 493 1st Street West, Sonoma, CA 95476 | T: 707.935.3717

 

Heath Ceramics

At Slanted Door, we use a company called Heath Ceramics. The woman who founded it, Edith Heath, passed away and they sold the company to a couple. What is amazing about it is that she got this specific recipe for clay and the glazes are fired at a lower than normal temperature and they are very strong. It’s that perfect balance for ceramics.

www.heathceramics.com | T: 415.332.3732 | Find A Retailer

 

Japanese Stores

I also like to buy the pots at Japanese stores.