Tabletop Furnace Company Rapidfire Pro Electric Kiln Review

The Rapidfire Pro Electric Kiln lives up to its name with less than eight minutes needed to reach maximum temperature, making it ideal for any crafter on the go or with multiple projects waiting.

If you’re into jewelry-making or bead-making, it’s the top choice of its kind.

But no kiln is perfect, so where does it fall flat?

If you’re an expert looking to invest in a new kiln, or a beginner seeking the best buy, the Rapidfire brings a lot of impressive advantages to the table.

Here we’ll break down the good, the bad, and the so-so, that way you can make the most informed decision. Is it the right one for you?

Tabletop Furnace Company Rapidfire Pro Electric Kiln: The Details

Specs

• Weight: 12 pounds
• Dimensions: 7 x 8 x 13 inches
• Maximum Heat: 2200 Fahrenheit
• Size of Heating Chamber: 6″ x 6″ x 5″
• Power Wattage: standard US 110 volt

How Does it Work

This kiln, like many modern ones designed for home use, operates on electricity. That means you don’t need to keep adding coals, wood, or other flammable materials to the fire like ancient or traditional kilns.

The heating process inside your home kiln is what makes all crafting you do possible; it makes your materials malleable or stronger, depending on the current process. The coils inside of your machine are heated, and this heat can be adjusted easily.

With electric kilns, you can bring this heat to a lower or higher temperature at will, a luxury that was impossible before kilns became more revolutionized.

The heat is generated by forcing electricity through the coils, and remains even throughout your work process. This means no more bumpy patches in your projects.

Because of the way electricity creates friction in the coils, continuous work on extremely high temperatures does wear them out faster, but for most people, this is most likely not an issue.

Due to its smaller size, the Rapidfire Pro Electric Kiln is best used as either a jewelry making kiln or as a beadmaking kiln.

Thanks to the high temperatures, even materials such as copper and silver can be worked with, in addition to the usual ceramics and glasswares.

Features

Rapid and High Heating

With more than 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit as the limit, most materials are available for use, thanks to the 1,500 Watt power that’s hiding in this unassuming little machine.

The pre-heating takes less than eight minutes, meaning there’s no need to sit around waiting for your kiln to be ready.

You can use this additional time gained to get crafting quicker!

Digital Control Panel

The digital control panel on the Rapidfire Pro Electric Kiln lets you choose the temperature you need, and the kiln does the rest.

This takes away some guesswork, as long as you’re informed about the material you’re working with.

Wide Opening Door

Kilns can get pretty hot, so it’s nice to have the option to place and remove things without needing to get your hands near the actual hot parts of the machine.

After you’re done you can leave the door open and cool down your kiln faster, which will increase the years of joy you’ll have when working with it.

Embedded Heating Element

The Rapidfire Pro’s compact design doesn’t just help in making it lighter, but also means that there’s less space to be heated.

Because there won’t be as many air currents inside your machine, it’s easier to achieve an even and steady heat, which can only spell good things for your projects.

The embedded heating element is crucial in the working of this kiln, and it does its job well.

Tabletop Furnace Company Rapidfire Pro Electric Kiln Review

The Positives

The Price

The low cost and small size make the Rapidfire Pro an ideally suited kiln for those who are trying out home kilns for the first time, or for people who already have a large kiln but want something more appropriately sized for small items.

You won’t have to reach too far into your savings before getting accustomed to this kiln.

Durable

The wide opening door helps you to cool off the machine faster after you’re done working with it, something which can greatly increase the life expectancy of your kiln.

It also provides a more rugged and durable exterior to the kiln, with stainless steel ensuring even outdoor use keeps it rust-free.

If you want to make a single buy without having to purchase a replacement in the future, this is a good investment.

Great for Many Different Materials and Projects While Working Quickly

2,000 degrees Fahrenheit is nothing to sneeze at. This temperature makes it possible to work with most ores, including copper and silver, making for some shiny and sophisticated jewelry options.

And the heat being spread around evenly makes work that much easier.

With less than eight minutes needed to reach the maximum temperature, waiting around is a thing of the past.

It’s a matter of flicking the button, and by the time you’ve gathered the rest of your supplies, you’re good to go.

Mobile

If you don’t have a large studio where you can store a kiln, or you need to travel to friends’ homes or classes, then the Rapidfire Pro Electric Kiln offers freedom.

It’s small enough to fit in most workspaces, and since it’s so light, it’s also easy to move from place to place.

This easily portable Kiln weighs in at just twelve pounds with a carrying handle making it transferable with little effort.

You won’t have to commit to one workspace with the Rapidfire Kiln.

It’s Pretty!

It may be a cheap kiln, but that doesn’t mean it can’t look professional.

Nothing’s more irritating than a tacky kiln that throws off the aesthetic of your workspace, but this one delivers above others of its price point.

The stainless steel cover makes it look sleek and pleasing to the eye, perfect to casually show off to your friends.

Easy Set-Up

You won’t have to rush out to purchase any special kind of wiring or connectors with the Rapidfire Kiln.

This kiln is made to be simply plugged into the wall before hitting the on button to get started.

This is great for beginners as it doesn’t require a background in science or an electrician before you are up and running.

More time for your projects!

Keeps Wiring Cool

While you need to take precautionary steps to be careful while handling the kiln while its hot, you won’t have to worry about the electronics in the lower shell overheating.

The lower shell will stay cool enough to avoid major damages to your kiln and its wiring and it even comes equipped with a fan in this compartment to further help with keeping this important piece cool.

Since the furnace will still be very hot even after you’ve completed all your projects, it’s best to leave this fan powered on for about an hour as an extra safety measure when you’re done using your kiln for the day.

Great Customer Service

Some of us dread calling into a customer service line. Most of the time this is because we usually expect to be put on hold for a lifetime before getting vague answers on how to resolve an issue.

Fortunately the folks at the Tabletop Furnace Company won’t leave you hanging.

Customers have reported their customer service to be quick, responsive, and helpful when contacting them about a problem.

They are available to walk you through any issue from set-up and beyond.

The Negatives

Burn-In Procedure

The burn-in – also known as burn-off – procedure generates quite a bit of smoke, which is a distressing factor when used indoors.

If you planned on keeping it firmly secure in your studio 24/7, that may not be an option.

Since this is something you need to do before you can use your kiln, it’s recommended you have a place outdoors where you can do this.

Keep Away from Children and Pets

Ideally you should never leave a kiln unsupervised for long amounts of time, but if you are popping out of the room for a while, make sure nobody can accidentally touch the kiln.

The outside can get pretty hot, so make sure to keep your family safe.

You Need Gloves

For the same reason that children have no business playing around this kiln, you should wear gloves when opening the latch on the door.

This machine gets hot, and burning yourself isn’t worth it, no matter how pretty the necklace you’re making.

This machine can’t be 100% safe on our behalf so you’ll have to take some extra safety precautions.

Uninformative Instructions

A little extra bit of help when going through the instruction manual would be great as some things are left for the user to figure out on their own.

This might be a little worrying especially if you’re a beginner.

The instructions on the digital controller could be more detailed to know what to do if the user accidentally pushes a wrong button, or uses a wrong setting.

While the temperature settings on the digital controller is what you’ll be using most, extra details would be great for getting some users out of a bind.

A call to their customer service should be able to clear up any difficulties.

Overall Verdict

The Rapidfire Pro Electric Kiln is ideal for those who either only wish to make jewelry or other, similar projects.

Alternatively, people who already own a kiln but are looking for a compact, cheap home kiln might be interested in adding this one to their tools.

The rapid heating time and impressive maximum heat are most likely to appeal to those looking for a new kiln, since these open up a wide variety of options.

Recommended mostly for crafters who already have some previous experience themselves or friends with experience; this kiln is not automated and requires the user to know what they are doing.

Where to Buy The Rapidfire Pro Electric Kiln

Despite its popularity, the Rapidfire Pro Electric Kiln might be a  little tricky to find locally in-stores or online.

To start, check out the following online retailer.

• PMC Supplies (from $455)

But of course, you can also find it on Amazon.

That’s it for our review on the Rapidfire Pro Electric Kiln. Curious to give it a go?