In 2025, a meeting with a kiln manufacturer gave us an idea: We could make ceramic firing faster and easier than ever before. This is the story of TAP II Pro’s exclusive Cone Fire Mode.
Preset firing schedules aren’t anything new. In fact, other temperature controller manufacturers rely on preset schedules to compensate for the complexity and rigidity of programming new schedules, as well as the fact that these controllers have limited storage for new schedules.
Since the release of our original controller in 2015, we’ve given kiln manufacturers the flexibility to program their own preset schedules to tailor our controller to the needs of their customers.
However, Cone Fire Mode goes beyond presets. Instead, it’s a dynamic system based around pyrometric cones that lets potters and ceramicists customize and execute their firing schedules in just a few taps. Here’s how:
Video Walkthrough of Cone Firing with TAP II Pro
Compared to kiln formed glass or metal heat treat, ceramic firing schedules don’t have a ton of variability. That’s because setpoints are based around pyrometric cones (we’ll explain more about those later in this blog!).
TAP’s touchscreen controls have always made it easy and intuitive to program cone firing schedules. But before there was a catch: Artists had to know which temperatures corresponded with each cone number and firing speed.
With TAP II’s Cone Fire Mode, all of this information is built into the controller. That way, artists don’t have to reference a firing chart or dig through their notebook. They just have to choose the cone they’re firing to and adjust a few settings:
From there, the controller takes care of the rest!
How to Use Cone Fire Mode on TAP II Pro
As you can see through the video walkthrough, Cone Fire Mode is intuitive, simple, and lets you program cone firings in seconds.
Below are the steps for using Cone Fire Mode:
- Turn Cone Fire Mode on in your controller settings: From your controller’s Home Screen, press Menu>Settings>Firing Settings. Then toggle the Fire Mode to Cone Fire. (If you already have Cone Fire enabled, you can skip this step).
- Navigate back to your controller’s Home Screen: Press Back>Back to Home to get back to your controller’s Home Screen.
- Press Start and then select the cone you’re firing to: After you’ve selected your Cone, tap Next on your controller.
- Program Cone Adjustments for your firing schedule: On the next screen, you’ll have the ability to adjust Pre-Heat Time, Firing Speed, Cone Offset, Time at Peak, and Vent Enable. Customize these settings to meet your needs.
- Press Start to execute your firing schedule: After making your Cone Adjustments, press Start, and your controller will automatically execute your cone firing schedule.
Easy as that! Currently, this feature is an exclusive for the TAP II Pro Multi-Zone Controller – the most advanced, easy-to-use ceramic kiln controller ever! However, it’s important to note: Cone Fire Mode is a completely optional, toggleable feature. Glass artists, knifemakers, and bladesmiths can leave Ramp/Hold mode enabled to enjoy TAP’s signature, fully customizable schedule management:
Understanding Pyrometric Cones
If you’re new to ceramics, you might be asking: What’s a pyrometric cone? And why are they the basis of every ceramic firing schedule?
Here, we’ll tell you: Before the advent of thermocouples, kiln pyrometers, automatic kiln controllers – and other devices for monitoring and managing kiln temperatures – potters and ceramicists had to rely on observation.
In an era where ceramicists would look at the color of the clay to try to gauge its temperature, the pyrometric cone was a major innovation that revolutionized ceramic firing.
What Is a Firing Cone?
A pyrometric cone is a small piece of clay that begins to melt and bend at a specified temperature. By placing several cones in view of a peephole in the chamber of their kilns, ceramicists could better monitor temperature and track the progression of their ceramic firings.
Invented in 1885 by Dr. Herrmann Seger, the pyrometric cone was already the standard of temperature measurement for pottery by the late 1800s. Then, in the 1950s, the kiln sitter became standard-issue equipment, using melting pyrometric cones to ensure kilns shut off when they reached a specified temperature.
Over 150 years of widespread use made pyrometric codes the universal standard for quantifying temperature for pottery firings. Even with the invention of programmable touchscreen controllers and the ability to remotely control your firings from your smartphone or tablet, people still use cone numbers as the foundation for ceramic firing schedules.
How to Read a Pyrometric Cone
Pyrometric cones range from 022 to 14, with 022 being the lowest temperature and 14 being the highest. If a pyrometric cone rating has a ‘0’ in front of it, the lower the number, the higher the firing temperature. If a cone doesn’t have a ‘0’ in front of it, then a higher number corresponds with a higher firing temperature.
Each cone number represents a range of temperatures based on how fast or slow the ramp rate of your firing schedule is. Traditionally, ceramicists had to consult the Orton Cone Chart to figure out what temperature to use for their cone firings.
Now, with TAP II Pro, the controller can calculate that temperature for you – for perfect ceramic firings every time.
Execute Cone Firings Faster Than Ever Before
For the absolute most advanced cone firing experience, we invite you to check out the TAP II Pro Multi-Zone Kiln Controller! In addition to Cone Fire Mode, TAP II Pro includes intuitive touchscreen controls (on a new capacitive touchscreen with better viewing angles), unlimited firing schedules, and precise, independent control for up to 3 different temperature zones.
However, you don’t need our flagship controller to drastically modernize your kiln control. The TAP Ecosystem has options for every artist – no matter your budget or the media you fire. We invite you to explore our selection of digital controllers, conversion kits, and standalone kiln controllers.
- Evenheat
- Hot Shot Oven & Kiln
- Paragon Kilns
- Mobile Glassblowing Studios, LLC
- Jen-Ken Kilns
- Kiln Frog
- Sheffield Pottery
- Delphi Glass
Cone Fire Mode FAQ
What are the benefits of Cone Fire Mode for the TAP II Pro?
When ceramic artists purchase clay, the clay will have a cone number that specifies which temperature the clay will need to be fired to. In the past, these artists would have to consult a cone firing chart to determine the corresponding setpoint and then program their schedule.
With Cone Fire Mode, artists just select the cone number, enter a few optional details about their firing schedule, and then the controller automatically generates and executes the exact firing schedule they need. In addition to saving time, this feature maximizes precision by eliminating the possibility of user error.
However, this isn’t the only benefit of TAP II Pro when it comes to ceramics. Other benefits include:
- Intuitive, easy-to-use touchscreen controls to simplify and streamline every aspect of managing your kiln.
- An upgraded capacitive touchscreen with better viewing angles.
- Push screen notification alerts and alarms, remote kiln monitoring, and end-to-end kiln control from your smartphone or tablet.
- The ability to create, name, and save unlimited custom firing schedules – so that you can always access the schedules you need.
- An auxiliary output to automatically manage vent and fan control to protect you from harmful fumes.
- Precise, multi-zone control for up to 3 different temperature zones (making TAP II Pro perfect for even the large kilns).
- Advanced diagnostics, preventative maintenance alerts, and firing cost tracking to help ceramic artists and studio managers maximize efficiency, minimize downtime, and bring more precision to their craft.
You can purchase TAP II Pro as a digital kiln controller for new kilns and oven builds – or as a conversion kit for easily upgrading an existing automatic kiln controller.
Where can I learn more about cone firing schedules?
If you’re looking to find more about cone firings and find schedules, we have tons of awesome content on the TAP IN Blog. We recommend checking out these articles:
- Kiln Firing Chart for Pottery and Ceramics [Infographic]
- Firing Schedules for Bisque
- Low-Fire Clay: Cone 06 Firing Schedule & More
- Mid-Fire Clay: Cone 6 Temp, Firing Schedule, & More!
- High-Fire Clay: Cone 10 Temperatures & More
- How to Use a Pottery Kiln Temperature Controller
If you have any questions or other topics you’d like us to cover, don’t hesitate to reach out!
Where can I learn more about different types of kilns?
The benefits of TAP aren’t just limited to pottery kilns! However, if you’re shopping for a new kiln or just looking to learn more, there are so many different options when it comes to kilns. Honestly, it can be a little bit intimidating trying to decide which type of kiln is right for you.
That’s why we wrote Types of Kilns: An Informative Guide for Kiln Users, which provide quick, easy-to-understand descriptions of 31 types of kilns, as well as the categories people use to categorize them.
Additionally, our partners at Kiln Frog have a really cool interactive kiln finder where you can enter details about what you’re looking for and the types of projects you work on, and they will match you with the kiln that’s right for you. Just make sure it includes TAP!
