Miriam’s Earthen Cookware features a unique handle design where the handle is incorporated onto the rim of pot/pan, griddle while the pot is being made. This “handle” is the protruding lip that runs around the circumference on the top.

They are made by a special method of coil-compressing the clay into place. This special method of crafting the lid allows for the handle to stay cooler than the rest of the body of the pot. It is also the same method the knob on the lid is made! The handles provide a firm grip just like a traditional two-sided handle, but the good news is that this newer design solves many problems that traditional handles pose:

• The handle runs around the circumference of the pot, so it is easy to grab and hold the pot from any side. There is no need to over-think handle accessibility while placing a pot full of ingredients on the stove! If you do end up placing the pot in the wrong direction, you do not need to worry about turning around a hot pot with food to the correct position just to access the handles.
• The handle is not affixed to the pot after it is made; it is made while the pot itself is being formed. This means that after years of use, you do not need to worry about screws coming out or an affixed handle breaking off.
• Coil pressing the clay into a handle means no silicone padding or other materials for cooling are required, keeping the pot entirely non-toxic and eco-friendly. The handle stays naturally cooler than the rest of the pot because of this method. Sometimes, it may be necessary to use oven mitts to handle the pot if the pot has been cooking food for more than 30 or 40 minutes, but recipes usually do not require this long, anyways!
• The handle is uniform throughout the circumference of the pot and does not protrude, making it a chip-resistant design. This means less kitchen accidents, too!
• When stirring food in conventional cookware (metal/ceramic), the smooth metal pan moves all around your stovetop, forcing you to grab the handle before stiring. With MEC, the material has a higher density and offers more friction, meaning your pot will not move around while stirring!