A cone 6 glaze is a glaze made to melt and mature at cone 5 to 6, which AMACO puts at 2,167°F (1,186°C) to 2,232°F (1,222°C) in a medium-speed firing. That is the range most home electric kilns are bought for, and it is where the biggest choice of ready-made cone 6 glazes sits. For most beginners the best first cone 6 glaze is AMACO Potter's Choice PC-20 Blue Rutile, backed up by a stable brown and a celadon. Below we compare eight glazes from AMACO, Mayco and Coyote using the makers' own pages. This is a research-based guide: we compared maker pages, maker guides and US dealer listings; we did not fire these glazes ourselves.
Two neighbors have their own guides. If you need a clear to go over underglaze, see our clear glaze guide, and for flat, non-shiny surfaces see matte glaze. What the cone numbers mean is covered in the pottery cone chart, and the mid-fire vs high-fire decision in cone 6 vs cone 10.
Quick picks
- Best overall: AMACO Potter's Choice PC-20 Blue Rutile (classic blue and brown break, food safety status per AMACO)
- Best blue for beginners: AMACO Potter's Choice PC-23 Indigo Float (AMACO's own beginner pick, best color at three coats)
- Best for carved texture: AMACO Celadon C-20 Cobalt (glossy, semi-transparent, pools in carving)
- Best earthy satin: Mayco Stoneware SW-104 Black Walnut (dark brown that breaks warm brown)
- Best speckled effect: Mayco Stoneware SW-156 Galaxy (charcoal gloss with three-tone crystals)
- Best shino in an electric kiln: Coyote Shino MBG042 (Coyote calls it the original cone 6 shino)
- Best green for layering: AMACO Potter's Choice PC-42 Seaweed (deep green, brown over texture)
- Best for advanced layering: Coyote Archie's Base MBG034 (runny base that pulls other glazes into patterns)
Cone 6 glazes compared
| Glaze | Line and cone (maker) | Look | Flow | Maker food label | Pint price band | Buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PC-20 Blue Rutile | AMACO Potter's Choice, cone 5 to 6 | Light blue where thick, brown where thin | Very fluid (AMACO) | Food safety status (line FAQ) | $20 to $25 | Check price |
| PC-23 Indigo Float | AMACO Potter's Choice, cone 5 to 6 | Deep blue with a lighter float | Not stated | Food safety status (line FAQ) | $20 to $25 | Check price |
| C-20 Cobalt | AMACO Celadon, cone 5 to 6 | Glossy semi-transparent cobalt | Pools in texture | Food safe (Celadon line page) | Check the live price | Check price |
| SW-104 Black Walnut | Mayco Stoneware, cone 6 ox, cone 10 reduction | Dark brown soft matte, warm brown break | Moves and breaks (matte) | Dinnerware Safe icon | $13 to $18 (line) | Check price |
| SW-156 Galaxy | Mayco Stoneware, cone 6 ox, cone 10 reduction | Charcoal gloss, white, orange and blue crystals | Crystals flow | Dinnerware safe | $13 to $18 (line) | Check price |
| Shino MBG042 | Coyote, witness cone 5 to 6 | Rich brown, darker over texture | Not runny (Coyote) | Test all foodware (Coyote) | $27 to $30 | Check price |
| PC-42 Seaweed | AMACO Potter's Choice, cone 5 to 6 | Deep green, brownish over texture | Fluid; more when thick | Food safety status (line FAQ) | $20 to $25 | Check price |
| Archie's Base MBG034 | Coyote, witness cone 5 to 6 | Pale pink or cream alone | Runny | Test all foodware (Coyote) | $27 to $30 | Check price |
Price bands are pint prices we saw on maker stores (AMACO, Coyote) and at Krueger Pottery (Mayco Stoneware) in October 2026. Glaze prices move often and some colors were out of stock, so check the live price before you buy.
1. AMACO Potter's Choice PC-20 Blue Rutile: best overall cone 6 glaze
Blue Rutile is the glaze most people picture when they think of a cone 6 mug: a flowing light blue where the glaze is thick and a brown break where it thins over rims, edges and texture. AMACO's Potter's Choice product guide says the line is applied to cone 04 bisque and fired to cone 5 to 6, and that the glazes stay stable beyond cone 6. Its FAQ says every Potter's Choice glaze holds a food safety status except PC-4 Palladium, PC-9 Vintage Gold and PC-64 Aventurine, so Blue Rutile is on the labeled side of that list.
It tops this guide because one glaze gives a beginner two colors and real movement without learning to layer first. AMACO's shop page calls it a very fluid glaze, so keep the bottom of the pot clean and use a cookie or catch tray until you know how far it moves on your clay.
AMACO prints no coat count for Blue Rutile, but says most Potter's Choice glazes benefit from a heavy application. Our AMACO Blue Rutile review covers combinations.
- Cone: 5 to 6 on cone 04 bisque (AMACO Potter's Choice guide)
- Look: light blue where thick, brown where thin
- Flow: very fluid, per AMACO
- Food label: holds AMACO's food safety status (line FAQ)
- Sizes: pint and gallon
Pros
- Two-tone break from one glaze
- Food safety status per AMACO
- Layers with most of the Potter's Choice line
Cons
- Fluid enough to reach the shelf if applied thick at the foot
- Color varies with thickness
Who should skip it: potters who want a flat, even color across a set of plates. A stable celadon or a satin glaze will match from piece to piece more easily.
2. AMACO Potter's Choice PC-23 Indigo Float: best blue for beginners
Indigo Float is one of the four glazes AMACO itself recommends as beginner glazes in its blog post on easy glazes to start with. AMACO describes it as an intense blue with a lighter blue float on the surface, breaking deep blue where it thins. It is a darker, more saturated blue than Blue Rutile, with less brown in the break, so it suits potters who want "blue" rather than "blue and brown".
AMACO also gives a coat count. Its beginner article says thin coats can look gray or greenish and that three coats give the best color, floated on with a loaded soft fan brush. It says the glaze works on both smooth and textured surfaces.
It shares the Potter's Choice firing guidance (cone 04 bisque, cone 5 to 6 glaze fire) and the line's food safety status. The AP seal on the shop page is about art-material toxicity, not food use.
- Cone: 5 to 6 (Potter's Choice line)
- Coats: three for the best color, per AMACO's beginner article
- Look: deep blue with a lighter surface float; deep blue where thin
- Labels: AP seal on the shop page; line food safety status
- Sizes: pint and gallon
Pros
- Clear three-coat rule from AMACO
- Strong color on smooth or textured ware
- One of AMACO's own beginner picks
Cons
- Gray or green if applied thin
- Dark on dark clay
Who should skip it: potters who already own Blue Rutile and want a second color. Pick a green or a brown instead so your first glazes cover more ground.
3. AMACO Celadon C-20 Cobalt: best for carved and stamped texture
Celadons are glossy, see-through glazes that collect in low spots, so carving, stamps and throwing lines turn into darker lines of color. AMACO's Celadon line page describes its celadons as glossy and transparent, pooling to accent textured and carved surfaces, and lists them for cone 5 to 6 on cone 04 bisque. The same page marks the line food safe. C-20 Cobalt is the strongest color in the line: a deep, glossy cobalt blue that AMACO says pools and accents textured ware.
AMACO says the Celadons are 100% mixable, so you can blend Cobalt with Snow or Mixing Clear for a paler blue. AMACO also uses Celadons as the base in its layering examples, three coats of Celadon under three coats of a Potter's Choice glaze, which makes C-20 a sensible anchor if you plan to layer later.
It also comes as a 10 lb dry mix for dipping.
- Cone: 5 to 6 on cone 04 bisque (Celadon line page)
- Look: deep glossy cobalt, semi-transparent
- Mixing: 100% mixable with other AMACO Celadons
- Food label: food safe, per the Celadon line page
- Sizes: pint, gallon, 10 lb dry mix
Pros
- Shows off every carved line
- Mixable for custom blues
- Dry mix for dipping
Cons
- Little drama on smooth forms
- Very dark where it pools deep
Who should skip it: potters who make smooth, untextured forms and want opaque color. An opaque glaze such as Indigo Float hides the clay better.
4. Mayco Stoneware SW-104 Black Walnut: best earthy satin
Every glaze shelf needs a dark, quiet glaze that frames brighter colors and looks good on its own. Mayco describes Black Walnut as a dark brown soft matte that breaks a rich warm brown, and lists results at cone 6 oxidation and cone 10 reduction. The same page also calls the finish satin, so expect a low sheen rather than a dead-flat matte. The product page shows Mayco's Dinnerware Safe icon and the ACMI seal.
Mayco is specific about thickness. For a saturated, opaque finish it says to apply four or more coats; thinner coats fire to a lighter brown. Its matte tips add that thickness is the key to making mattes work and that matte glazes move and break, so color varies across a piece.
Black Walnut is also a common base under brighter Mayco Stoneware glazes. Our Mayco Black Walnut review lists pairings and how it behaves when layered.
- Cone: cone 6 oxidation and cone 10 reduction (Mayco)
- Coats: four or more for a saturated opaque finish
- Look: dark brown soft matte or satin, breaking warm brown
- Labels: Dinnerware Safe icon; ACMI seal
- Sizes: SW-104 pint; SD-104 10 lb dry
Pros
- Dark base for layering
- Works at cone 6 and in cone 10 reduction
- Dinnerware-safe label
Cons
- Needs four or more coats
- Mayco's own page calls it both soft matte and satin
Who should skip it: potters who want bright or glossy color. Black Walnut is a supporting glaze, not a showpiece.
5. Mayco Stoneware SW-156 Galaxy: best speckled crystal effect
Galaxy is a crystal glaze: a semi-transparent charcoal gloss base, which Mayco names as SW-209 Charcoal, loaded with white, orange and blue crystals that bloom as they melt. Mayco shows it at cone 6 oxidation and cone 10 reduction and notes that cone 10 reduction shows more blue. The product page carries the dinnerware safe label and the ACMI seal.
Crystal glazes take more care than plain glazes, and Mayco spells out the steps. Stir thoroughly before first use because the crystals settle, re-stir between coats with a palette knife, and spread the crystals with a fan brush while the glaze is wet. Mayco warns to keep crystals away from the bottom third of a vertical piece because they move during firing and flow more than the base glaze. Over-application or heavy crystal deposits can cause pinholing or running. For a lighter crystal effect, Mayco suggests two coats of Charcoal with Galaxy as the third coat.
- Cone: cone 6 oxidation and cone 10 reduction (Mayco)
- Look: charcoal gloss with white, orange and blue crystals
- Coats: Mayco shows one to three; re-stir between coats
- Labels: dinnerware safe; ACMI seal
- Sizes: SW-156 pint; SD-156 10 lb dry
Pros
- Dramatic speckle from one glaze
- Clear application steps from Mayco
- Dinnerware-safe label
Cons
- Crystals settle in the jar
- Can run or pinhole if over-applied low on a pot
Who should skip it: potters glazing tall vases in a hurry. Keeping crystals off the bottom third takes time on every piece.
6. Coyote Shino MBG042: best shino in an electric kiln
Traditional shinos come from gas kilns, so a cone 6 electric shino is always an imitation of that look. Coyote calls MBG042 the original cone 6 Shino and describes it as a rich brown that breaks darker over texture and brown where thinner. Coyote says its cone six glazes are designed to be fired between witness cone 5 and witness cone 6, and the Shino page says the glaze is easy to apply, not runny and at its best over texture. It is also, per Coyote, great over other glazes.
That stability is the main reason to pick it, though Coyote notes the color is sensitive to thickness, so apply evenly. On food safety the page says to test all foodware to determine food safety, while also showing dinnerware-safe and non-toxic logos. Store it somewhere warm: Coyote says crystals may form in liquid glaze kept below 65°F. Our Coyote glazes review compares other Coyote options.
- Cone: witness cone 5 to 6 (Coyote)
- Look: rich brown, darker over texture, brown where thin
- Flow: not runny, per Coyote
- Food label: "Test all foodware to determine food safety"; dinnerware-safe logo shown
- Sizes: pint, 1 and 3 gallon, 5, 10 and 25 lb dry
Pros
- Stable and easy to apply
- Shows texture well
- Dry sizes for dipping
Cons
- Highest pint price band here
- Earthy palette
- Must be stored warm
Who should skip it: potters who want bright color, or who need a firm food-safe statement rather than a "test your ware" note.
7. AMACO Potter's Choice PC-42 Seaweed: best green for layering
Seaweed is AMACO's go-to green for cone 6. AMACO describes it as a fluid, deep green that breaks brownish over texture and becomes more fluid the thicker it goes on, and says it layers beautifully with many Potter's Choice glazes. Like the rest of Potter's Choice it is applied to cone 04 bisque and fired to cone 5 to 6, and it sits inside the line's food safety status.
Seaweed earns its place as the second color in a starter order: paired with Blue Rutile or Indigo Float, it gives you blue, green and every combination of the two.
The warning is the same as for any fluid glaze. AMACO's page says to pay attention to application thickness so the glaze does not flow onto kiln shelves. Keep thick layers on the upper two thirds of a pot and leave the bottom clean.
- Cone: 5 to 6 (Potter's Choice line)
- Look: deep green, brownish over texture
- Flow: fluid, more so when thick (AMACO)
- Food label: line food safety status (AMACO FAQ)
- Sizes: pint and gallon
Pros
- Rich green that layers with most Potter's Choice colors
- Texture break
- Widely stocked
Cons
- Runs if applied thick near the foot
- Color shifts a lot with thickness
Who should skip it: potters who glaze right down to the foot without a cookie. Choose a stable glaze such as Coyote Shino first.
8. Coyote Archie's Base MBG034: best for advanced layering
Archie's Base is not a glaze most people use alone. Coyote describes it as runny, pale pink or sometimes cream on its own, and strongly recommends combining it with other glazes, where it flows and pulls them into new patterns. The examples on Coyote's page include it under green, over red and as a shoulder accent, which gives a good sense of how far it can move a layer on top of it.
Coyote adds three cautions. The glaze is strongly affected by slow cooling, so your kiln's cooling program changes the result. It may not fit every clay body, so test for shivering (glaze flaking off edges) on your clay. And, as with all Coyote glazes, it says to test all foodware to determine food safety.
Treat it as a second-year glaze, bought once you have a few stable glazes and a habit of using catch trays. The glaze layering guide explains the base-and-top approach.
- Cone: witness cone 5 to 6 (Coyote cone 6 line)
- Look: pale pink or cream alone; dramatic when layered
- Flow: runny; strongly affected by slow cooling
- Food label: "Test all foodware to determine food safety"
- Sizes: pint, 1 and 3 gallon, 5, 10 and 25 lb dry
Pros
- Creates effects no single glaze gives
- Responds to slow cooling
- Dry sizes
Cons
- Runs
- May shiver on some clays
- Hard to control
Who should skip it: beginners and anyone without spare kiln shelves or catch trays.
How to choose a cone 6 glaze
Match the glaze to your clay and kiln
Buy cone 6 glazes only if your clay body is rated to cone 5 or 6 and your kiln reaches cone 6 with room to spare. AMACO lists cone 5 and cone 6 together for its lines, and Coyote designs for witness cone 5 to 6, so most of these glazes work in both. Put a witness cone on the shelf to see what the glaze actually received. Low fire clay cannot take cone 6, so use low fire glazes on it instead.
Decide how much movement you want
Stable glazes, such as Coyote's Shino, which Coyote calls not runny, stay roughly where you put them. Fluid glazes (Blue Rutile, Seaweed, Archie's Base) move, break over edges and pool, which is beautiful and also how pots get glued to shelves. A good first order is two stable glazes and one fluid one. Keep fluid glazes off the bottom inch of every pot until you have test results.
Pints, gallons or dry mix
Pints are the cheapest way to try a color. Dry mixes cost less per pot once you dip a lot, but AMACO notes that dipping versions behave differently and can carry different labels, so read the label on the size you buy.
Follow the maker's coat count
Coat counts vary by glaze: AMACO says three coats for Indigo Float and a heavy hand for most Potter's Choice, and Mayco says four or more coats for a saturated Black Walnut. Our how to glaze pottery guide covers brushing and dipping technique.
Read the food-safety label, then test
Makers label glazes in different ways. AMACO gives a food safety status by line and color, Mayco prints a Dinnerware Safe icon, and Coyote tells you to test all foodware. None of these labels covers your clay, your thickness, your kiln or a layer of two glazes together. See our food safe glaze guide for what testing involves.
We cannot promise that any glaze will be food safe on your pots. A maker's label describes that glaze fired to its stated cone and applied as directed. Layering, under-firing, a different clay body or a thin coat can all change the result, so test functional ware before you use it for food or drink.
Safety while glazing
Glazes contain silica and other minerals. Mix dry glaze outdoors or with good ventilation and wear a NIOSH-approved respirator while the powder is in the air; clean up with water and a sponge, never by dry sweeping. Read the maker's SDS for each glaze, keep food and drink out of the glaze area, and give the kiln the clearance and ventilation its maker specifies.
Sources: AMACO Potter's Choice product guide (cone 5 to 6, cone 04 bisque, food safety status FAQ, coat test tiles); AMACO shop pages for PC-20 Blue Rutile, PC-23 Indigo Float, PC-42 Seaweed and C-20 Cobalt; AMACO Celadon line page; AMACO blog "Best beginner pottery glazes"; Mayco product pages for SW-104 Black Walnut and SW-156 Galaxy; Coyote Clay & Color cone six glaze page and product pages for Shino MBG042 and Archie's Base MBG034; Krueger Pottery Mayco Stoneware listings (price band). Specs checked October 2026.