A Quick Guide to Our 3 Most Popular Kilns:
Paragon SC2, UltraLite, and Prometheus Pro-1
Choosing a kiln depends on what you make, which clay you fire, how much you fire, and cost. Below is a clear comparison of our three most popular options for firing metal clay: Paragon SC2, UltraLite, and Prometheus Pro-1.
The Paragon SC2 is a long-standing favorite among jewelry artists and mixed-media makers. It’s compact yet spacious enough for a wide variety of projects, including metal clay, glass fusing, bead annealing, enameling, and small ceramics.
Its built-in digital controller allows precise temperature programming, making it ideal for complex firing schedules or repeatable results. It runs on a standard household outlet and is portable, reliable, and extremely versatile.
With a full 8″ × 7.75″ × 5.75″ rectangular chamber and room for a 7″ shelf, this kiln gives you flexibility and capacity: you can load multiple items per firing (for example several small clay pieces, multiple kiln shelves, glass cabochons, etc.). Great for those doing production runs or firing multiple pieces at once. This kiln also fits standard firing pans.
Add a window to your kiln if you plan on enameling.
Best for:
- Artists who work in several mediums
- Makers who want programmable control
- Studios and classrooms
- Anyone who needs a dependable, all-purpose kiln
The UltraLite is small, simple, and very cost-effective. It heats up quickly, has a tiny footprint, and is incredibly easy to operate - just plug it in and go. It’s especially well suited for enameling, annealing, keum-boo, small and flat metal clay projects, and granulation.
While it excels at small jewelry components it isn’t meant for large or dimensional pieces, or for clays that require carbon or are enriched silver. This kiln fires fine silver metal clay only. Base metal clays and sterling silver clays CANNOT be fired in this kiln.
The 3.5″ × 1.5″ chamber is really designed for very small individual pieces.
Best for:
- Beginners and hobbyists
- Jewelers working mainly with small and non-dimensional pieces
- Enamelists and granulation work
- Small studios or very limited workspace
The Prometheus Pro-1 is a solid middle ground option between a mini kiln and a full-featured programmable kiln. It handles metal clay, enameling, small glass projects, and even light ceramic work. It heats quickly and offers dependable temperature control, making it a good choice for all makers.
It’s more versatile than a mini kiln like the UltraLite, but simpler, smaller and more affordable than larger programmable kilns like the SC2.
Its 4.5″ × 5.2″ × 2.75″ chamber allows you to fire multiple pieces at once, and to fire base metals and oxygen sensitive stones in carbon.
Add a window to your kiln if you plan on enameling.
Best for:
- Makers who want programmable control
- Artists who want more capability than a mini kiln
- Small studios wanting flexibility without a big investment
Which One Should You Choose?
- Choose the Paragon SC2 if you need a versatile, programmable kiln that can handle a wide range of glass, metal, and clay projects with enough space for production work and standard firing pans to fit.
- Choose the UltraLite if you want an affordable, compact kiln for small scale jewelry work, especially keum-boo, enameling or small metal clay pieces.
- Choose the Prometheus Pro-1 if you want an affordable kiln and don't need production work or large space.
