Pyrometric cone chart
Every Orton cone from 022 to 14, in °F and °C, at both standard heating rates. Cones measure heat-work — temperature over time — not temperature alone, which is why the same cone bends hotter in a fast firing.
cone 6 bends at
2232 °F(1222 °C)
At 108 °F/hr (60 °C/hr) — medium. Faster firing → the same cone bends hotter. Everything about cone 6 →
Orton cone temperatures
Self-supporting regular cones. Medium = 108 °F/hr (60 °C/hr); fast = 270 °F/hr (150 °C/hr), measured over the last 200 °F of the firing. Click a cone for its own page.
| Cone | Range | Medium °F | Medium °C | Fast °F | Fast °C |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| cone 14 | Above studio range | 2489 | 1365 | 2523 | 1384 |
| cone 13 | Above studio range | 2428 | 1331 | 2458 | 1348 |
| cone 12 | Above studio range | 2383 | 1306 | 2419 | 1326 |
| cone 11 | Above studio range | 2361 | 1294 | 2399 | 1315 |
| cone 10 | High fire | 2345 | 1285 | 2381 | 1305 |
| cone 9 | High fire | 2300 | 1260 | 2336 | 1280 |
| cone 8 | High fire | 2280 | 1249 | 2320 | 1271 |
| cone 7 | Mid fire | 2262 | 1239 | 2295 | 1257 |
| cone 6 | Mid fire | 2232 | 1222 | 2269 | 1243 |
| cone 5½ | Mid fire | 2197 | 1203 | 2237 | 1225 |
| cone 5 | Mid fire | 2167 | 1186 | 2205 | 1207 |
| cone 4 | Between the ranges | 2124 | 1162 | 2161 | 1183 |
| cone 3 | Between the ranges | 2106 | 1152 | 2138 | 1170 |
| cone 2 | Between the ranges | 2088 | 1142 | 2127 | 1164 |
| cone 1 | Between the ranges | 2079 | 1137 | 2109 | 1154 |
| cone 01 | Between the ranges | 2046 | 1119 | 2080 | 1138 |
| cone 02 | Between the ranges | 2016 | 1102 | 2052 | 1122 |
| cone 03 | Between the ranges | 1987 | 1086 | 2019 | 1104 |
| cone 04 | Bisque & earthenware | 1945 | 1063 | 1971 | 1077 |
| cone 05 | Bisque & earthenware | 1888 | 1031 | 1911 | 1044 |
| cone 05½ | Bisque & earthenware | 1859 | 1015 | 1877 | 1025 |
| cone 06 | Bisque & earthenware | 1828 | 998 | 1855 | 1013 |
| cone 07 | Low fire | 1789 | 976 | 1809 | 987 |
| cone 08 | Low fire | 1728 | 942 | 1753 | 956 |
| cone 09 | Low fire | 1688 | 920 | 1706 | 930 |
| cone 010 | Low fire | 1657 | 903 | 1679 | 915 |
| cone 011 | Low fire | 1607 | 875 | 1641 | 894 |
| cone 012 | Low fire | 1582 | 861 | 1620 | 882 |
| cone 013 | Low fire | 1539 | 837 | 1582 | 861 |
| cone 014 | Low fire | 1485 | 807 | 1540 | 838 |
| cone 015 | Low fire | 1456 | 791 | 1504 | 818 |
| cone 016 | Decorating fire | 1422 | 772 | 1465 | 796 |
| cone 017 | Decorating fire | 1360 | 738 | 1405 | 763 |
| cone 018 | Decorating fire | 1319 | 715 | 1353 | 734 |
| cone 019 | Decorating fire | 1252 | 678 | 1283 | 695 |
| cone 020 | Decorating fire | 1159 | 626 | 1231 | 666 |
| cone 021 | Decorating fire | 1112 | 600 | 1189 | 643 |
| cone 022 | Decorating fire | 1087 | 586 | 1166 | 630 |
Source: Orton Ceramic Foundation, temperature equivalents for self-supporting regular cones (°F chart). °C converted from the °F chart. Orton publishes separate values for large, small, and iron-free cones.
What the ranges mean
Decorating fire
cone 022 – cone 016The lowest cones — used for overglaze work fired onto already-glazed ware: lusters, china paints, and decals. Too cool to mature clay or glaze.
1087–1422 °F (586–772 °C) at 108 °F/hr
Low fire
cone 015 – cone 07Below the usual bisque range. Some low-fire glazes, glass, and enamel work land here; cone 010–08 appears as a soft bisque for very porous ware.
1456–1789 °F (791–976 °C) at 108 °F/hr
Bisque & earthenware
cone 06 – cone 04The workhorse range for the first firing. Cone 06 and 04 are the two standard bisque targets, and most earthenware and low-fire glazes mature here too.
1828–1945 °F (998–1063 °C) at 108 °F/hr · Bartlett factory bisque profiles (cone 08/06/04); Orton
Between the ranges
cone 03 – cone 4Upper earthenware and lower mid-range. Less common as a target than the cones either side; some commercial glazes and sculpture bodies specify it.
1987–2124 °F (1086–1162 °C) at 108 °F/hr
Mid fire
cone 5 – cone 7The most common range for functional stoneware and porcelain in electric kilns. Cone 6 is the modern default; cone 5 shows up on many commercial glazes.
2167–2262 °F (1186–1239 °C) at 108 °F/hr · Mastering Cone 6 Glazes (Hesselberth & Roy)
High fire
cone 8 – cone 10Traditional stoneware and porcelain, especially in gas reduction. Cone 10 is the classic high-fire target; cone 9–10 is where shinos, celadons, and copper reds live.
2280–2345 °F (1249–1285 °C) at 108 °F/hr
Above studio range
cone 11 – cone 14Hotter than nearly all studio work. Used for some porcelains, refractories, and industrial ceramics; most studio kilns are not rated for it.
2361–2489 °F (1294–1365 °C) at 108 °F/hr
Reading a cone chart
The zero matters. Cones with a leading zero — 022 up to 01 — count down toward cone 1. Cone 06 is a bisque temperature (about 1828 °F); cone 6 is a stoneware glaze temperature (about 2232 °F). Read the zero as “oh”: “cone oh-six”.
Cones measure heat-work, not temperature. A cone bends when it has absorbed enough heat over enough time. Fire faster and the kiln must reach a higher temperature for the same cone to bend; that is why Orton publishes a value per heating rate, and why a controller set to a temperature is not the same as firing to a cone. Witness cones on the shelf are the ground truth.
Cone spacing isn't even. One cone step is anywhere from ~10 °F (cone 1 → 2) to ~90 °F (cone 020 → 019). Don't assume “one cone hotter” means a fixed number of degrees.
Claybench checks cone compatibility for you
Clay body, glazes, and firing schedule are matched by cone before a plan is saved — a cone-10 glaze never lands on a cone-6 firing.