Earthenware vs Stoneware: Which Is Right for Your Pots?
If you walk into a pottery supply shop, you will find clay bodies in two big families that most beginners buy: earthenware and stoneware. They look similar in the bag. They behave very differently in the kiln.
Our broader guide to types of pottery clay covers all three main families. This post puts the two most common head to head.
The short answer
- Choose stoneware for everyday mugs, bowls and plates, and for most functional pottery.
- Choose earthenware for bright colors, planters, decorative work and projects where a lower firing is useful.
Side by side
| Earthenware | Stoneware | |
|---|---|---|
| Typical firing | Low fire, often cone 06 to 04 | Mid to high fire, often cone 5 to 10 |
| After firing | Stays porous unless glazed | Dense, vitrified, low absorption |
| Strength | Softer, chips more easily | Hard and durable |
| Color of the body | Often red, orange or white | Gray, tan, brown, speckled or white |
| Glaze colors | Bright and clear | Often richer and more variable |
| Best for | Planters, decorative ware, sculpture | Mugs, bowls, plates, vases |
| Typical kiln | Electric low-fire | Electric or gas, mid to high fire |
Check the exact cone range printed on your clay bag. See the cone chart to translate cones into temperatures.
Porosity and food use
Fired earthenware is porous unless it is glazed well. A pot that absorbs water can seep, harbor bacteria and be less durable. Stoneware vitrifies when fired to its proper cone, which makes it much less absorbent. That is one reason studios choose stoneware for tableware.
A well-glazed earthenware pot can still be used for food if the glaze is rated for it and fits. Read is my pottery food safe.
Working properties
Both can be thrown or handbuilt. Earthenware is often described as more plastic and smooth, and stoneware can be coarser, with more grog, which helps with larger work. Both shrink as they dry and fire, and stoneware often shrinks a bit more. Use the shrinkage calculator to plan your sizes.
Glazes must match
Do not mix clay and glaze that need different firings. A cone 06 earthenware glaze on a cone 6 stoneware stays soft and underdeveloped at stoneware temperature, or it will run if you fire it too high. Always match the glaze cone to your clay and kiln. Our lesson on matching clay to glaze explains how.
Cost and availability
Prices vary by region and brand. Many community studios stock one or two stoneware bodies because they work in electric kilns at mid-fire and suit most students. If you fire at a studio, ask what they require before you buy clay.
Which should you pick?
- You want to make mugs and dinnerware: stoneware.
- You want bright, colorful decoration: earthenware, or stoneware with colorful underglazes.
- You want to try handbuilding on a budget: either, as long as you can get it fired.
- You are joining a studio: use what the studio recommends.
Track your clay
Whatever you choose, record the brand, cone range and shrinkage for each clay body you use. In Claybook you can save clay bodies with their details, so your weight and shrinkage estimates use your real clay and not a guess.