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 […]
Did you know that the inspiration behind the TAP Kiln Controller came from my experiences owning a glass studio? We set out to develop the kiln controller I’d want for my own glass studio – with intuitive touchscreen controls for programming your kiln, the ability to save an unlimited number of firing schedules, and the […]
When it was invented in the 1950s, the kiln sitter revolutionized kiln firing. Although kiln sitters are analog devices, they represented the first step towards automation by ensuring that a kiln would shut off once it reached a specific firing temperature. In fact, kiln sitters became so prominent that pyrometric cone numbers are still used […]
As an artist, your electric kiln temperature controller will have the single biggest impact on how you experience using your kiln. But there are a lot of different electric kiln control options to choose from! This can be super intimidating for newer artists – or even long-time artists who want to upgrade their controller but […]
If you’re shopping for kiln controllers, you’ve come to the right place! Buying a new (or your first!) kiln controller can be an intimidating prospect. There are a lot of different kiln control methods and types of electric kiln controllers – as well as a wide variety of different kiln controller manufactures to choose from. […]
For newer artists, figuring out what type of kiln controller you need for your kiln or oven build can be an intimidating prospect. Do you need a conversion kit? A standalone kiln controller? A tabletop kiln controller? Don’t worry, below is a simple cheat sheet for understanding kiln controller categories: Digital Controllers: For new kilns […]
Kilns get hot! When it comes to kiln safety, using a safety limit controller helps ensure that a kiln automatically shuts off if it exceeds a pre-defined temperature. Over the course of this article, we’ll be exploring the role of safety limit controllers and why you should consider adding one to your kiln or oven […]
Similar to other industries, the mid-1980s brought major advancements to kiln control technology. Manual kilns and kiln sitters gave way to programmable digital kiln controllers. Kiln operators no longer had to manually adjust their kilns for each segment of their kiln firing schedule. Instead, they could use programmable kiln controllers to input their entire firing […]
When it comes to controlling the temperature of an electric kiln, there’s a ton of electric kiln temperature controller options. Below are 14 types of kiln temperature controllers – from old school analog kiln sitters to advanced digital kiln controllers for complex firing processes. By the end of this article, you’ll have everything you need […]
Before the invention of automatic kiln controllers, the kiln sitter was a major innovation in kiln control technology. Introduced in the 1950s, a kiln sitter is a mechanical device that automatically shuts off a manual kiln when it has reached a specified temperature. Unlike digital controllers, which utilize thermocouples, control algorithms, and microchips to precisely […]