Skip Le Creuset: The Handmade Dishware Brand From New York To Hunt For At Thrift Stores

There's nothing wrong with keeping an eye out for vintage Le Creuset dishes that will make your thrift store haul more valuable – but a newer handmade dishware brand from New York could add a similar splash of color to your kitchen. Founded in 2013 by ceramicist William Reardon, New York Stoneware Company is an urban pottery studio based in the South Bronx. Focused on making heirloom-quality tableware, Reardon collaborates with a small team to create mugs, plates, and jars made of warm red clay. Each handmade piece is personally thrown on a potter's wheel by Reardon before being trimmed, stamped, bisqued, and hand-glazed.

"I want to make pottery that can be incorporated into people's everyday lives — hoping that in doing so individuals come to appreciate the spontaneity and beautiful variation of the handmade object," Reardon says on the New York Stoneware Company website. The thoughtful time and personal care that goes into throwing each one-of-a-kind piece is among the reasons ceramic pieces cost so much. You can certainly purchase New York Stoneware Company pieces brand new, but to get your hands on one of the sold out Dickensian beer steins or colorful classic breakfast sets, you'll probably need to hunt for them at thrift stores around New York City or Bedford, where Reardon opened a brick-and-mortar shop in 2024.

Identifying a piece of New York Stoneware Company's pottery is easy thanks to William Reardon's distinctive style. The range of pieces you might find is vast, from seafoam green honeypots to denim berry bowls, which recall the unmistakably cheerful colors of your favorite Le Creuset finds. Because the production process involves applying a white clay slip over the red clay before bisque firing begins, the hand-dipped or sprayed glazes are saturated and complex when each piece comes out of the kiln. The New York Stoneware Company team leaves a small ring of red clay exposed at the bottom of most pieces, which varies in height slightly on each item.

Pitchers and mugs from the studio have pleasantly curvaceous yet utilitarian handles, which start at the lip and end just as the exposed red clay ring begins. Extremely lucky thrifters will find large confit jars with eagle, peacock, or flower motifs stamped into the side. Limited edition crocks stamped with large Bedford oaks and snake-wrapped coffee mugs are also rare finds. Although the shape occasionally varies, since each New York Stoneware Company piece is hand stamped, finding the company name pressed into the bottom or just below a handle is a sign of authenticity.