The cone 6 temperature most potters quote is 2,232°F (1,222°C). That figure comes from Orton's chart for self-supporting cones heated at 108°F per hour over the last 180°F of the firing. Heat faster and the same cone needs about 2,269°F (1,243°C); heat slower and it bends lower. The cone chart below gives every Orton cone from 022 to 10 in both Fahrenheit and Celsius, and a short section further down adds cones 11 and 12.
This page is research-based. All temperatures are copied from the Orton Ceramic Foundation's published temperature equivalents chart (the maker of the cones most US potters use), cross-checked against two dealer-hosted copies of the same chart. We did not fire cones ourselves.
Pottery cone chart: Orton self-supporting cones, 022 to 10
This is a ceramic cone temperature chart built from Orton's pyrometric cone chart. The two heating rates below are Orton's "medium" and "fast" columns. The rate refers to the last 180°F (100°C) of the firing, not the whole schedule. Celsius figures are Orton's own 60°C and 150°C per hour columns.
| Cone | °F at 108°F/hr | °C at 60°C/hr | °F at 270°F/hr | °C at 150°C/hr | Common use |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 022 | 1,094°F | 590°C | 1,166°F | 630°C | Lusters, metallic overglaze |
| 021 | 1,143°F | 617°C | 1,189°F | 643°C | Lusters |
| 020 | 1,180°F | 638°C | 1,231°F | 666°C | Lusters, decals |
| 019 | 1,252°F | 678°C | 1,283°F | 695°C | Decals |
| 018 | 1,319°F | 715°C | 1,353°F | 734°C | Decals, china paint |
| 017 | 1,360°F | 738°C | 1,405°F | 763°C | China paint |
| 016 | 1,422°F | 772°C | 1,465°F | 796°C | China paint, enamels |
| 015 | 1,456°F | 791°C | 1,504°F | 818°C | Enamels, glass |
| 014 | 1,485°F | 807°C | 1,540°F | 838°C | Glass work |
| 013 | 1,539°F | 837°C | 1,582°F | 861°C | Glass work |
| 012 | 1,582°F | 861°C | 1,620°F | 882°C | Enamels, glass |
| 011 | 1,607°F | 875°C | 1,641°F | 894°C | Enamels, glass |
| 010 | 1,657°F | 903°C | 1,679°F | 915°C | Raku (low end) |
| 09 | 1,688°F | 920°C | 1,706°F | 930°C | Raku |
| 08 | 1,728°F | 942°C | 1,753°F | 956°C | Low-fire glaze |
| 07 | 1,789°F | 976°C | 1,809°F | 987°C | Low-fire glaze |
| 06 | 1,828°F | 998°C | 1,855°F | 1,013°C | Low-fire glaze, bisque |
| 05 | 1,888°F | 1,031°C | 1,911°F | 1,044°C | Low-fire glaze, bisque |
| 04 | 1,945°F | 1,063°C | 1,971°F | 1,077°C | Bisque, low-fire clay |
| 03 | 1,987°F | 1,086°C | 2,019°F | 1,104°C | Earthenware |
| 02 | 2,016°F | 1,102°C | 2,052°F | 1,122°C | Earthenware |
| 01 | 2,046°F | 1,119°C | 2,080°F | 1,138°C | Earthenware |
| 1 | 2,079°F | 1,137°C | 2,109°F | 1,154°C | Upper earthenware |
| 2 | 2,088°F | 1,142°C | 2,127°F | 1,164°C | Upper earthenware |
| 3 | 2,106°F | 1,152°C | 2,138°F | 1,170°C | Mid-fire start |
| 4 | 2,124°F | 1,162°C | 2,161°F | 1,183°C | Mid-fire |
| 5 | 2,167°F | 1,186°C | 2,205°F | 1,207°C | Mid-fire stoneware |
| 6 | 2,232°F | 1,222°C | 2,269°F | 1,243°C | Mid-fire stoneware, porcelain |
| 7 | 2,262°F | 1,239°C | 2,295°F | 1,257°C | Mid to high fire |
| 8 | 2,280°F | 1,249°C | 2,320°F | 1,271°C | High fire |
| 9 | 2,300°F | 1,260°C | 2,336°F | 1,280°C | High fire |
| 10 | 2,345°F | 1,285°C | 2,381°F | 1,305°C | High-fire stoneware, porcelain |
Orton also makes a cone 05½, which bends at 1,859°F at 108°F per hour and 1,877°F at 270°F per hour. The "common use" column is our plain-language summary of how US hobby potters use each range; always follow the cone printed on your clay and glaze labels.
Orton's chart has separate columns for large cones and small cones. For the common cones on this page (06, 04, 6 and 10), Orton's large regular cone values at 108°F and 270°F per hour match the self-supporting values. Small cones, used in kiln sitters, have their own column, so read the right one if you use them.
Cone 6 temperature and the cones you will use most
Most home potters only ever fire a handful of cones. Here they are with Orton's slow column (27°F per hour) added, so you can see how much the heating rate moves the number.
| Cone | Slow, 27°F/hr | Medium, 108°F/hr | Fast, 270°F/hr | Typical job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 06 | 1,798°F (981°C) | 1,828°F (998°C) | 1,855°F (1,013°C) | Low-fire glaze |
| 05 | 1,870°F (1,021°C) | 1,888°F (1,031°C) | 1,911°F (1,044°C) | Low-fire glaze |
| 04 | 1,915°F (1,046°C) | 1,945°F (1,063°C) | 1,971°F (1,077°C) | Bisque |
| 1 | Not in our check | 2,079°F (1,137°C) | 2,109°F (1,154°C) | Upper earthenware |
| 5 | 2,118°F (1,159°C) | 2,167°F (1,186°C) | 2,205°F (1,207°C) | Mid-fire glaze |
| 6 | 2,165°F (1,185°C) | 2,232°F (1,222°C) | 2,269°F (1,243°C) | Mid-fire glaze |
| 7 | Not in our check | 2,262°F (1,239°C) | 2,295°F (1,257°C) | Hotter mid-fire |
| 10 | 2,284°F (1,251°C) | 2,345°F (1,285°C) | 2,381°F (1,305°C) | High-fire glaze |
If your controller asks for a cone number, it already builds these rates into its programs. If you fire by temperature alone, use the medium column as a starting point and confirm with witness cones.
Cone temperatures people look up most
These are the single cone temperatures searched for most often, all from Orton's self-supporting columns at the 108°F per hour finish unless noted. Use them as quick answers, and use the full table above when your firing finishes faster or slower.
- Cone 018 temp: 1,319°F (715°C), or 1,353°F at a 270°F per hour finish. This is a decal and china paint firing, far below any clay firing.
- Cone 06 temperature in Fahrenheit: 1,828°F (998°C), rising to 1,855°F with a fast finish. It is the usual low-fire glaze cone.
- Cone 05 temp: 1,888°F (1,031°C), with 1,870°F on Orton's slow 27°F per hour column. It sits between cone 06 and cone 04, the usual low-fire glaze and bisque cones.
- Cone 2 temperature: 2,088°F (1,142°C), or 2,034°F at the slow rate. Few home potters fire here; it sits between low fire and mid fire.
- What temp is cone 5: 2,167°F (1,186°C), or 2,205°F with a fast finish.
- Cone 10 temperature: 2,345°F (1,285°C), or 2,381°F with a fast finish. Most hobby kilns rated to 2,350°F reach cone 10 with very little margin.
Above cone 10: cone 11 and cone 12 temperatures
Orton's chart keeps going past cone 10. For self-supporting cones, cone 11 bends at 2,361°F (about 1,294°C) at a 108°F per hour finish and 2,399°F (about 1,315°C) at 270°F per hour. The cone 12 temperature is 2,383°F (about 1,306°C) at 108°F per hour and 2,419°F (about 1,326°C) at 270°F per hour. Celsius figures here are our conversions of Orton's Fahrenheit values.
These cones matter to home potters mainly as a warning. A kiln rated to 2,350°F (1,288°C), the usual top rating for hobby electric kilns, cannot reach cone 11 or 12 at a normal finish rate, and firing at the very top of a kiln's rating wears elements fast. If a clay or glaze calls for cone 11 or 12, it is outside what a typical home electric kiln is built to do.
How to read the cone numbers
Cone numbers look backwards at first. Cones with a leading zero get cooler as the number grows: cone 022 is the coolest on the chart and cone 01 is the hottest of the zero series. Numbers without a zero run the other way, from cone 1 up to cone 10 and beyond. So cone 06 (said "oh-six") is about 400°F cooler than cone 6 at the same heating rate.
Potters group them into three bands:
- Low fire: cone 06 to about cone 04, where earthenware, terracotta and most bright commercial glazes mature.
- Mid fire: cone 4 to 7, centered on cone 5 and 6, where most home stoneware and porcelain is fired.
- High fire: cone 8 to 10, the traditional stoneware and porcelain range. Our cone 6 vs cone 10 page compares the two main choices.
Why the heating rate matters
A pyrometric cone is a small pyramid of ceramic material that softens and bends when it has absorbed enough heat over time. Orton says the final degree of bending depends on the heating rate during the last 100°C (180°F) of the firing and on the final temperature. A slow finish gives the cone (and your glaze) longer to react, so it bends at a lower temperature. A fast finish needs more heat to reach the same bend.
That is why cone 6 covers a spread of about 100°F, from 2,165°F at 27°F per hour to 2,269°F at 270°F per hour. It is also why a "cone 6" program with a long hold at the top can start to bend cone 7. Holds, slow cooling and heavy loads all add heatwork. Our guide to the cone 6 firing schedule shows how a typical program is built.
Cone 5 vs cone 6: which is hotter, and how far apart are they?
Cone 6 is the hotter of the two. Cone 5 and cone 6 are only about 65°F apart at the same heating rate: 2,167°F (1,186°C) against 2,232°F (1,222°C) at 108°F per hour. That gap is small enough that many "cone 5 to 6" glazes are sold for both, but large enough to matter for some clay bodies. Laguna's B-Mix 5 is a cone 5 clay, and Laguna warns that its speckled version should not be over-fired past cone 5. AMACO's No. 46 Buff Stoneware, by contrast, lists a range of cone 5 to 10.
If your clay and glazes disagree, fire to the lower of the two cones or test first. Over-firing a cone 5 body can cause bloating or slumping, while under-firing a cone 6 glaze can leave it dry and rough. The question of matching glaze to clay is covered in depth in our clay and glazes hub.
Using the chart with a digital controller
Most modern electric kilns let you type in a cone number and a speed, then build the schedule for you. Skutt's KilnMaster, for example, runs Cone Fire Mode programs from cone 022 to cone 10 at slow, medium or fast speeds. The controller still works by temperature, so it has to assume a heating rate near the end. If your firings come out a little hot or cold, the fix is usually a small temperature offset or a short hold, judged by witness cones rather than by the display.
If you write a custom ramp and hold program instead, look up your target cone here, pick the column closest to your final ramp rate, and program that temperature. Then fire a cone pack the first few times to confirm the result.
Self-supporting cones vs other cone types
Orton makes cones in several shapes. Self-supporting cones have their own base, stand at the correct height (1 3/4 in exposed above the base) and have the 8 degree mounting angle built in, so you can set them on any flat shelf. Large cones need a plaque or clay pat to hold them at 2 in and the right angle. Small cones (15/16 in) are mainly used in kiln sitters. Orton sells self-supporting cones from cone 022 to 32 in boxes of 25.
For reduction firings between cones 010 and 3, Orton recommends its iron-free cones, because regular cones in that range contain iron oxide that can react to a reducing atmosphere. More detail on reading and placing cones is on our pyrometric cones page.
Cone firing chart for pottery kilns: PDF and printing
Orton publishes its full temperature equivalents chart, the ceramic firing temperature chart that dealers such as The Ceramic Shop and Archie Bray Clay also host, as a free PDF on its website, with large, self-supporting, small and bar columns in °F and °C. The table on this page reproduces the self-supporting columns most potters need, so you can print it from your browser and pin it next to the kiln. If you fire in reduction or use small sitter cones, download Orton's PDF for the iron-free and small-cone columns.
Which cones to buy
Buy the cone you fire most plus the cones on either side of it. Orton's own advice for checking a kiln is to pick one cone above and one below your target and fire all three together. A cone 6 potter needs cones 5, 6 and 7; a bisque firing to cone 04 uses 05, 04 and 03.
Each box holds 25 cones, so a box of each lasts a home kiln a long while. Orton lists boxes of 25 at under $20 in October 2026, and dealer prices vary; check the live price. For bisque firings, see the Orton cone 04 self-supporting cones, and for low-fire glaze, the cone 06 version.
Common mistakes when using a cone chart
- Reading the wrong column. Large and small cones are listed separately, and the heating rate column must match your firing.
- Confusing 06 and 6. Firing low-fire clay to cone 6 can melt it onto the shelf. Firing stoneware glaze to cone 06 leaves it raw and powdery.
- Treating the number as exact. The chart gives temperature equivalents for set conditions in an air atmosphere. Your kiln, load and schedule change the result, which is why witness cones exist.
- Ignoring holds. A hold at peak adds heatwork, so glazes can run more than expected. See glaze running if that happens.
What you need
To fire to any of these cones you need a kiln rated for it: most small 120V kilns stop at cone 6, while 240V models rated to 2,350°F reach cone 10. Our best kilns for home pottery guide compares maximum cones, and our guide to how hot a kiln gets explains the limits.
Sources: Orton Ceramic Foundation, Temperature Equivalents for Orton Pyrometric Cones (°F and °C, cones 022 to 14), current chart PDF on ortonceramic.com and the 2016 edition hosted by The Ceramic Shop and Archie Bray Clay; Orton pyrometric cones and self-supporting cones product pages (mounting height, angle, box size, cone range); Orton chart notes on heating rate, mounting height and iron-free cones; Laguna Clay cone 5/6 glaze firing guide (PDF, segment rates and cooling); Skutt KilnMaster operating manual (cone 04 firing speed times). Specs checked October 2026.