Mixteca Bean Pot
Free shipping on orders $50+
Pre-Conquest design for gentle, even heating. Works right on a gas stove. Beans love the constant heat and the clever shape helps hold in moisture.
From the beautiful Valley of Tehuacan, we offer these unique, handmade bean pots.
Each piece is burnished by hand using quartz rocks that have been handed down through the generations. The gloss of each piece comes from the burnishing. No glaze is involved so there is no danger of lead in the pots.
The texture and patina of the piece will change over time. Exposure to heat, fire, and food will only make it more beautiful. Even better, cooking beans in clay is almost magical. The slow, even heat and natural clay are considered the best way to cook beans. Ask a grandmother and she'll agree.
The pots aren't perfect and aren't intended to be. Once you start cooking with clay, you may find you have a happy new addiction. They have a rustic charm and the wisdom of the ages behind them, but they shouldn't be washed in a machine and they will keep changing over the years.
Some things to consider: These clay pots are handmade and there will be variances with the size, finishes, and capacity. Clay can last for years but it's also fragile and it's unlikely you'll be passing this down as an heirloom. Clay pots are tolerant of many situations, but extreme changes in temperature make them the most vulnerable. The pot was designed for use on a pronged grate with a gas stove. The bottom is somewhat rounded and can be a little wobbly on a flat surface.
No curing or preparation is needed. While they are clay and susceptible to breakage when dropped, the real danger is placing a hot pot on a cold surface (or vice versa) or adding too cold a liquid to a boiling pot.
When cooking, start with a low flame and gently raise the heat as needed. Cook directly over a gas flame. You can also use the pieces when you barbecue. They only look better the more you use them. An electric range is not recommended; if you are determined to try it, you will need a heat diffuser.
Wash with warm water and if needed, a gentle dishwashing liquid.
Because the clay is porous and there's no glaze, it's best not to use a dishwasher.
Please note: The Mixteca Bean Pot will ship in a separate box from other items in your order. Please inspect your pot well when you receive it. If it is damaged or broken in the shipment, we will be happy to replace it or refund you. We cannot offer a return or replacement on the item after 90 days of purchase.
The pot holds approximately 12 cups of liquid up to the neck (just over half a gallon) but you wouldn't want to fill the pot that high. Ideal for making a pound or a half pound of beans.
This pot was tested by Tamara Rubin for lead and the results were that the pot is lead-free. "This is a rare find. A piece of Mexican pottery that is marked and sold as Lead-free that is ACTUALLY Lead-free."
Not available for shipping to Canada.
Country of origin
Mexico
Shipping Details
Free Shipping on each order $50 and over
FedEx Ground shipments, and one shipping location per order.
For orders less than $50:
Our flat-fee shipping charges via FedEx Ground is $11 (regardless of weight)
One pound or One Thousand pounds, it's the same price.
Our flat-fee shipping charge via US Postal Service is as follows:
$11 each 15 pounds
All shipments to Hawaii, Alaska, P.O. boxes, and APO/FPO/DPO addresses must go via USPS.
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It normally takes us 1 to 3 business days to process orders. If we are experiencing further shipping delays, we will add a note to the checkout page with further information.
We process and ship orders from Northern California Monday through Friday, via FedEx or US Postal Service. A shipment can take from 2 to 5 working days to be delivered after it leaves our warehouse, depending on where you live and what shipping service you selected. Please call us (707/259-1935) to arrange for faster shipping if you need your order to arrive sooner.
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The Rancho Gordo Story
You Can Blame it All on the Dutch
I was shopping one August for tomatoes and, despite Napa being one of the world's most magnificent agricultural regions, all the tomatoes were from a hothouse in Holland! Worse, they were hard and pale pink instead of the ripe tomatoes I was craving. I started to grow my own tomatoes and this eventually led to beans.
My first harvested heirloom bean was Rio Zape. They were pretty and easy to grow but I had no idea what to expect when I cooked them. They were similar to the pintos I liked but there was so much more going on. Hints of chocolate and coffee mixed with an earthy texture made my head spin. I was blown away by Rio Zape and the other heirloom beans I was growing, but also really confused why they were such a big secret. I took the beans to the farmers market, organizing things on my kitchen table. Soon there was a warehouse, followed by more markets and mail order. It seems we had struck a nerve. People agreed that heirloom beans were worth saving, growing and cooking. Currently our warehouse, a retail shop, and offices are in Napa, California, and a stop here is part of many tours of the wine country.
All of my agricultural pursuits have been based on being someone who likes to cook but gets frustrated by the lack of ingredients, especially those that are native to the Americas. One of the things that originally drew me to beans was the fact that they are indigenous to the Americas. It seems to me these indigenous ingredients should be familiar, if not common. American cuisine is re-inventing itself and I'd love to include ingredients, traditions and recipes from north and south of the border as part of the equation. I love the concept of The Americas. I feel as if it's just as important as the European heritage many of us share.
You can read more about the Rancho Gordo story here.