For over 5000 years, people have been cooking in pots carved from soapstone. In Newfoundland 4000 years ago, the Maritime Archaic Indians carved cookware; the Paleoeskimos used carved stone cookware between 1100 and 1600 years ago. Today, Inuit of the Arctic carve fabulous sculptures from soapstone. While deposits of this natural solid stone are found worldwide, Vermont is the only place in the US where soapstone is presently mined for construction material for making countertops, sinks, and wood stoves. In Brazil soapstone is quarried to carve these handsome stone pots banded with copper.

Soapstone is prized for its ability to conduct heat evenly, to hold heat twice as long as metal cookware, for being odorless and tasteless, to be virtually non-stick (it's hard to burn foods in soapstone), for promoting low-fat cooking, for use as a slow cooker, for being practical as well as decorative, for being versatile, going from oven to table, and for being long-lasting.

New pots of soapstone are a medium gray color. With oiling, curing, and repeated use they take on a dark rich patina, varying in colors of black and green with flecks of brown. Instructions for curing your casserole are included. Soapstone casseroles can be used both on the stovetop and in the oven. For stovetop use, the 5L size requires a heat diffuser (see item #50.htdiff).

Soapstone is easy to care for, once cured, with no problems of rusting. Wash normally with sponge, water and mild liquid detergent. You may need to apply a little oil after using detergent. Soapstone pots improve with age and use. They are unquestionably heirloom quality cookware. Because of the excessive size and weight of this item, a $4.00 shipping charge will be added to the 3 qt. and 5 qt. pots.