PotteryUpdated
Why terracotta keeps water cool
It is not insulation — it is evaporation. The physics behind a clay pitcher, and what that means for how you use one.
Administrator
1 min read
Fired clay is slightly porous. Water seeps very slowly through the wall of the pot and evaporates off the outside surface, and evaporation takes heat with it. The result is water a few degrees below room temperature, indefinitely, with no electricity.
This is also why a terracotta pot should never be glazed on the outside if you want it to cool. A glaze seals the pores and turns it into an ordinary jug.
Seasoning a new pot. Fill it, leave it a day, discard that water. Repeat twice. The first fills carry the taste of the clay; after three the water tastes clean.
Expect a damp ring. A pot that stays perfectly dry on the outside is not working. Stand it on a tray or a tile, not on wood.