Best Glass Kiln – 5 glass fusing kilns for home and professionals

If you’re investing in your first or second kiln, just trying to find the best glass kiln out there can be a real challenge. You may end up spending countless hours on the internet to finally select one.

This is true even if you know what you want as you’ll be going through 100s of kilns. You’ll be thinking about dimensions, power consumption, delivery time, availability, and obviously price. That’s why you’ll find our best glass kiln reviews really handy.

In the below guide, I’ll be going through 5 of the best kilns we test. Note that we test 12 kilns, and only shortlisted five.

#1. Delphi Glass Beginner Fusing Kit and Fuseworks Craft Kiln – The Ultimate Beginner Solution

If you are looking for the best glass kiln, the Delphi Glass for Beginner is the way to go.

It is certainly an expensive device for a good reason – it has really good heat distribution.

Also, there are tons of programmable options and it is made so that beginners and professionals can both enjoy it.

Click here for more information

The 5 Best Glass Kiln

 

#1. Delphi Glass Beginner Fusing Kit and Fuseworks Craft Kiln – Best Kiln For Home Use

When it comes to the best glass kiln, we have to give it to the Delphi Glass Beginner.

Although it is a little pricey, we definitely think that it is worth it if you have the funds.

It has a large firing chamber for big projects and it is good at firing multiple projects all at once.

Also, it comes pre-programmed with 16 preset programs and 22 custom programs.

Perhaps the best feature and the one that really makes it stand out is the fact that it has really nice uniform heat distribution. This kiln has top and side firing elements that create this.

Furthermore, we really like that it is fully adjustable so that as a pro you can fine-tune your operation. You can adjust the time, and temperature and even skip a firing step if you like.

Click here for more information

 

#2. Paragon SC-2 Glass Fusing Kiln – Fairly expensive but worth it

Another great option when it comes to the best glass kiln is the Paragon SC-2.

This kiln does a really good job of quickly firing up projects without having to use a large kiln.

In fact, small glass pieces can be fired and warmed to room temperature in just around 30 minutes, which is significantly faster than most.

You should also know that the QuikFire is rated to 2000°F and it fires on 120 volts plug.

Luckily, it does not need another heating source. Also, it uses a small amount of power.

This is pretty good on the electricity bill, which is always a nice bonus. By the way, you can fire silver clay, decals, china paint, enamel, and glass in minutes.

Click here for more information

 

#3. Tabletop Furnance Company Pro Glass Kiln

Next up, we have the Tabletop Furnance Company Pro Glass Kiln, which is the best glass kiln for those who a nice affordable kiln that is portable and also performs well.

We think that this tabletop kiln really strikes a good balance between performance, durability, portability, and price.

It weighs just 12 pounds, which makes it incredibly portable.

In terms of the specs, this kiln has a 6-inch by 6 in by 5 in firing chamber that heats to 2200 F or 1200C within 8 to 10 minutes.

Also, we really like how this kiln was designed with a digital temperature controller which allows it to handle multiple projects. And believe it or not, it definitely comes into use.

Click here for more information

 

#4. FUSEWORKS Craft Glass Kiln – One of the greatest glass fusing kilns for home

The Fuseworks Craft Glass Kiln is a nice small and portable little glass kiln that makes out the top 5 list because it uniformly distributes heat quite well.

Additionally, for its weight and size, it actually has quite a large firing chamber.

This firing chamber has an 8.5 inches in diameter and 3.5 inches deep. Also, it is nice to know that it runs on standard outlets.

Some other really nice features to note are that it has a self-regulated coil heating system, it has a heat-resistant wooden handle, and even a user-friendly timer.

All in all, we are very satisfied with this kiln and think that it is very easy to use as a beginner. Pros can even enjoy most of its functions as well.

Click here for more information

 

#5. Large Microwave Kiln for Glass Fusing – Best Microwave fusing kilns for home use

Lastly, we have the Large Microwave Kiln for Glass Fusing, which is a really nice and cheap option for those who are just beginning and want to learn how to work with glass.

This microwave kiln kit comes with everything you need to get started. The quality is pretty average, but hey you have to start from somewhere, right?

We think this kit is really suited for those who are stressed about getting the best item but instead just want to experiment a little and possibly even learn some things.

The outer size is pretty manageable at 19.5 x 11cm. The inner size is 13.5 x 4.5cm.

It weighs 1.5kg and the main material is Ceramic fiber. It is also pretty cheap to buy this kiln.

It is a great alternative to the more expensive but also more complicated glass kiln listed above. This really is a nice option for beginners to learn.

Click here for more information

Frequently asked questions

How Much Power Is Needed for the Best Glass Fusing Kiln?

When it comes to using a home kiln, you first need to check if you need a high power supply (three-phase kiln) or a standard one. And the power behind your kiln is essential for achieving the best results possible.

To start off, it’s important to note that most home electric glass kilns run on a 120v voltage supply and others on the European 220/240. The frequency is also important so check if it is 50 or 60 Hz.

Now, most kilns will operate on a single phase. And most of these will need between 1 to 5 kW. so you are safe to use this on your single-phase home power feeder.

Generally speaking, the size of the kiln matter. The bigger kilns tend to need more power than smaller ones since they take longer to heat up and cool down during firing cycles. But bigger does not mean you need a three-phase. You can have a bigger kiln running on a single phase, but it will take a very long time to heat up. So check the heating time required to fire up your kiln.

You also need to check the temperature of your kiln and the material used to keep the heat in. Most of the time you’ll be using a kiln with pre-set programs and ceramics as the material for keeping the heat in.

Do I Need Any Special Type of Furniture for My Small Glass Kiln?

When it comes to glass fusing kilns, you typically do not need any special type of furniture.

However, having the right type of kiln shelf and/or posts can help you maximize the potential of your kiln.

Kiln shelves should be made from a material that can withstand high temperatures and has low thermal expansion.

Kiln posts are used to provide extra support when stacking multiple pieces of glass in the kiln for firing.

Additionally, if you are using a kiln with a lid, it is important to have a stand that can hold its weight safely.

Taking these few additional steps will ensure that your glass fusing kiln is able to produce beautiful results consistently. Note that you also need to buy cleaning materials for your kiln to ensure it is always spot-on after each use.

Can a pottery kiln be used for fused glass?

Yes, a pottery kiln can be used for fused glass.

Fusing glass involves heating two or more pieces of glass to the point where they meld together and form one solid piece.

The process typically requires temperatures above 1000 to 1600 degrees Fahrenheit. This is easily attainable with a pottery kiln.

Using a kiln for fused glass requires special techniques and knowledge of the material being used. It also requires substantial safety precautions when handling hot glass. Don’t forget the safety, please.

References

https://www.paragonweb.com/What_Is_A_Kiln.cfm

https://skutt.com/skutt-resources/education/glass-101/

Tags:

The Review Gurus
Logo