Handmade Stoneware Crock - Made in the USA

Description

A hand thrown stoneware crock, made for us by Martinez Pottery in Texas. Available in four sizes, with or without a lid, in a simple off-white glaze.

Why it’s here

There's a particular kind of satisfaction that comes from finding a piece of stoneware in an antique store. Something heavy and well-made that clearly dates back decades, used daily and none the worse for it. That's exactly what Martinez pottery feels like, except you don't have to go looking for it.

Martinez have been hand throwing stoneware in Texas for twenty-five years. They are one of the last operations in the United States that still throws ceramics by hand at scale. A small family workshop producing pieces the same way they always have, because there isn't a better way. The forms haven't changed much. They didn't need to.

What you’re getting

The crock is one of the oldest kitchen forms there is. Originally designed for pickling and preserving, from a time when produce needed to be stored naturally through the winter rather than flown in whatever the season. It has been a fixture of rural kitchens for centuries. The form hasn't changed because it doesn't need to.

Ours work just as well for pickling as they always did. But they're equally at home holding utensils on a counter, storing dry goods, or doing quiet duty as a vase. The larger sizes make particularly good utensil pots, substantial enough to hold a full set of kitchen tools without tipping. The smaller ones are the right size for a bunch of garden flowers or a collection of wooden spoons.

Pick one up and you'll notice the weight immediately. Thick walled, solid, and reassuring in a way that lighter ceramics aren't.

Look closely and you'll see the evidence of how it was made. The subtle ridges left by the potter's hands during throwing, each one slightly different from the last. No two pieces are exactly alike. These are not factory ceramics that happen to look handmade. They are handmade, and they look it.

The simple off-white glaze is unadorned by design, letting the form and the making speak for themselves.

The lid is available as an option for those who want to use the crock for fermenting, preserving, or simply keeping things covered. It fits snugly and is made from the same stoneware as the crock itself.

Sizes

Care

Oven, microwave, and dishwasher safe. Fired at 2,200 degrees, this stoneware is built to last. Like all ceramics, it doesn't appreciate sudden changes in temperature. Don't take it straight from the oven to a cold surface or run it under cold water while hot. Let it cool naturally and it will serve you well for a very long time.