All our pieces are designed and produced in our workshop in La Bisbal d'Empordà.
At SAMPERE we want to recover a trade that has been lost over the years: the trade of ceramics.
That is why we want to publicize the entire process behind our tableware. And that is also why our workshop is open to the public.
Handmade with the best materials and with a lot of passion.
Inspired by the Mediterranean.
Originally born in Barcelona, SAMPERE is inspired by the Mediterranean to create ceramic pieces through the use of traditional manufacturing techniques.
Discover the steps to produce our tableware
01. Preparation of stoneware
For the manufacture of our tableware, we select a stoneware of the highest quality. We work with both liquid and solid stoneware and the preparation process is different depending on one or the other.
For the liquid, we mix it with water until we get the ideal density.
For its part, the solid stoneware is passed through an extruder to homogenize the body and eliminate air particles.
02. Molded
Our ceramics are molded in 2 different ways depending on the type of piece: Through an automatic lathe called Steck or through casting molds.
Most circular pieces are made using the Steck machine. On the contrary, all the pieces that do not have circular shapes are manufactured using casting moulds. The molds, which are made of plaster, are also made by ourselves, in a separate part of the workshop.
03. Polished & sponged
When the stoneware has dried to the point of what is called the “leather” state, the excess stoneware on the edges is polished by hand and any rough edges are smoothed out.
This gives our pieces a smooth finish and also helps the glaze adhere consistently.
04. Drying & 1st batch
Once polished, the pieces must be completely dried before going into the kiln for the first time. This drying process varies depending on the climate: in the summer months, the pieces can be dry in one day, while in winter, the pieces can be several days.
Subsequently, a 1st batch is made at 1,000ºC to eliminate residual humidity, harden the product and make it more porous for the enameling phase.
05. Glazed
Once the pieces are removed from the cake batch, they are ready to be glazed!
Each piece is carefully dipped into the glaze and the bases are sponged clean. Once the glaze dries, we load them into the kiln for the final firing.
06. Baking glaze
We fire the ceramic in our gas kiln at a temperature of 1,260ºC (much higher than the biscuit batch).
Firing at such a high temperature achieves a vitrified surface and results in unique and highly resistant pieces.
Between the 2 firings, each ceramic piece is in the kiln for about 48 hours.
07. Straightening
Once the enamel kiln cools, we use a sanding belt to remove any roughness that may remain and ensure a perfect finish.
08. Quality control & packaging
Finally, when the ceramic is smooth and clean, we quality control piece by piece and package it for shipment.
In an effort to reduce waste, we reuse shredded cardboard boxes and other sustainable packaging materials to protect orders.
Visit us at our workshop-shop at Calle de l'Aigüeta 49, in La Bisbal d'Empordà
