We're now shipping our clay Mixteca beans pots. Previously they were only available in our stores. This has been both good and bad. Everyone now has access, but as cooking beans can be intimidating for the uninitiated, cooking clay seems to be from the moon for some. The pots aren't perfect. They're handmade and hand burnished. They change the way they look. They can get stains and you can't run them through the dishwasher. They work best on a gas stove, a barbecue grill or hearth. And yet, I don't think there's a better way to make beans. The gentle heat seems to caress each individual bean and the clay imports a soft, mildly smoky flavor. It builds up a gorgeous patina over the years and I find myself just rubbing the belly of the pot because it feels so nice. And I know that a very lovely woman spent over an hour burnishing it with a quartz rock to give it its shine. We hear of success stories with electric stoves and a heat diffuser but we also hear some sad tales as well. Anyway, for those interested and perhaps a little intimidated, here's a mildly tongue in cheek instructional video for you to enjoy. The Magic of Cooking Beans in a Clay Pot from Steve Sando on Vimeo. If I haven't scared you off and you're still interested, good for you! You can learn more and buy a Mixteca bean pot here.