Toque Blanche Chamba Black Clay Soup Pot with Handles & Cover

I have recently become a fan of cooking with ceramic cookware. My collection includes Graupera (Spain) cookware and Donabes (Japan). Ceramics cook with a very evenly distributed heat which seems to be ideal for cooking slow simmered foods, e.g., dried beans and soups. I first saw Chamba ceramic cookware from Columbia at the Toque Blanche shop in Half Moon Bay (now closed, I believe). The uneven finish resulting from being handmade gave a nice rustic appearance. The Chamba lid doesn't fit perfectly, again, due to the handmade nature of the product. These qualities give it a true wabi sabi expression. The inner and outer surfaces of the pot are unglazed, unlike the Graupera cookware, with a matt black finish. The clay, explained in the product brochure, contains a high percentage of mica, of which some particles can be seen protruding from the bottom of the pot. The presence of mica strengthens the clay against the heating source. The presence of mica causes the bottom surfaces to turn reddish-brown after cooking a few times. One important point is that the bottom is likely to be not perfectly flat (mine isn't) being handmade, so I purchased a heat diffuser for moka pots from Amazon to make the pot more stable on the gas burner. Needless to say, if you have another heat source you'll need to use a heat diffuser which distributes the heat. I wanted to use the Chamba as a frijolera, for cooking Rancho Gordo dried beans. I'm from the pre-soaking the beans school: soak 1/2 C of dried beans in 2 cups (500 ml) of water with 1 1/2 tsp (7.5 ml) of Diamond Crystal Kosher salt (1/5% brine) overnight. Next day, drain the beans, add to the pot with 4 C water (1 liter). Or, if you prefer, soften a mire poix of carrot, celery and onion in EVOO before adding the beans and water. I like to add an additional 1 1/2 tsp (7.5 ml) of Diamond Crystal Kosher salt as well, but others may not want to add more sodium. Adding salt to the bean cooking liquid does NOT make the bean skins tough - this is a myth. Throw in some dried herbs: bay, fennel, oregano, and epazote is wonderful. Start with a low flame, raise heat till the water comes to a boil, then reduce heat, cover and simmer on very low heat. I like the results very much. This product exceeded my expectations, and I look forward to cooking with it. Finally, the seller, Toque Blanche, is an outstanding vendor: the packaging is extremely protective, they ship quickly, and the product arrived in perfect condition promptly. I highly recommend this Chamba product. I have no connection with Toque Blanche and fully paid for Chamba.

All I can say is that this clay pot is the best device I have ever used to cook with.I always thought that all you could cook with was steel or aluminum, but I have learned that cooking with natural cookware is better, and beneficial for better health.Simply follow the instructions on how to cook with a clay cooking device, and you will find that you are cooking the best food you have ever cooked, and you are retaining all the natural ingredients.

Love, love, love it. Love looks and how works . Made chicken noodle soup.was great

Not much to dislike, a clay pot with a nice and smooth black finish that is led free. It makes really good beans.

I am learning how to cook with a clay pot. This is so beautiful and interesting. it was packaged very well when it arrived. I will consider buying more from this line of black pottery.

I like to give credit where credit is due and thank both the artists that created this cookware and the people at Toque for getting it to me in one piece. The quality is truly top notch and would look just as nice in an art museum focusing on pre-columbian art as it does in my kitchen.I've researched this product to quite a bit before I ordered it. My passion is cooking and this piece plays into that passion perfectly. Not only will it give me a tool to create dishes for my family and friends, but as a conversation piece at the table.My only question now is "What's for dinner?".Thanks again to my friends in La Chamba and the staff of Toque!

Not a lot of heat conduction compared to metal so I had to put the oven temperature up to 400° instead of standard 350°

excellent and as described. follow the instructions how to care for and how to use and this pot will last you a lifetime. keep in mind if youre not used to cooking with a clay pot it will take some practice to get your dishes how you want them.