I took my boyfriend here as a surprise for his 21st birthday. It was the both of ours first time wheel turning and we went in completely clueless but Bianca was very patient and helped us make beautiful pottery together! Not to mention I booked an appointment last minute and she was still able to get us in for an amazing afternoon. I highly, highly recommend The Broken Mold if you're a first timer or even if you want to take classes as this is a great, friendly, local business. Also the prices were great for the services/products you receive and you should definitely check out the shop as it's filled with gorgeous plates, bowls, cups and even earrings. I loved my experience here!! read more

Fantastic 1st experience at The Broken Mold. Bianca provided excellent initial instruction and guidance as we each created our first clay 'masterpiece!' This needs to be at least a yearly event! read more

As a person who goes out of their way to support local businesses and artists it is hard for me to write this review but I have to be honest: the experience was not great! The store and the owner are both very nice, but the pottery experience I bought through Groupon was very disappointing. My husband and I went in JUNE to the basic pottery experience/lesson. There were only two other people, a woman and her small (8 year old) child. The owner was so focused on the child who should not of been using a wheel that we felt left out. Our only option was making a bowl with three glaze choices. The most disappointing part was waiting for our pottery. After a month of no news we both left messages to which they were never returned, then kept calling until we got a hold of the owner who told us her kiln has broken. So then we went to her shop a month later and she couldn't find our pottery. She finally found it weeks later called us to say it was never glazed. NOW in NOVEMBER we get a call that our pottery is ready for pick up. I'm glad she was successful with her Groupon sales but it is obvious she is understaffed and not organized. read more

Just started my pottery class here today and I must say I'm blown away! The staff here are wonderful and are very patient with beginners like myself. They made the class so comfortable I felt like I was reuniting with old friends. They are very active in the community and that's really rare around Troy. I can't wait until next week! I'll post pictures when the work is all finished!! ;) read more

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The only "freebie" I've received is lots of love from the best "Shop Dog", Mya, ever! I always feel welcome and thoroughly enjoy all of my time spent in this treasure trove of unique finds! read more

A friendly atmosphere and very supportive of local artists.

Bianca is amazing! Patient and knowledgeable. I really enjoyed my lessons with her. And my daughter took lessons as well (age 10) and one of the pieces she made was selected by Renn. Co. 4H to be shown at the NYS Fair. A great experience overall! read more

Bianca who was the instructor was very patient with me as I had never attempted making pottery or using a wheel. I had so much fun and learned beginner techniques. I loved the studio. It felt very welcoming. read more

I stumbled upon this place during Troy's "antidote to Black Friday" shopping night. It's a ceramic studio with a beautiful selection up for sale: it's a great place to find a small gift or a large collector's piece. read more

Bianca is amazing. Although I've been to her shop many times and made several purchases, two instances stick out in my mind. The first time, I was given a gift certificate for a lesson, which thrilled me because I had not been at a potter's wheel in decades, not since a long ago semester in college. My daughter and I went at a scheduled time and had such a good experience. We were given guidance when needed, yet allowed to be creative. I did not feel that we had to wait an unusually long time for our bowls to go through the firing and glazing processes and we were both very happy with our results. The second time, I wanted to order a mug as a gift for my husband. In elementary school, one of his teachers wrote on the back of his report card "inclined to mischief." It's become a good natured slogan for him and he jokingly (I think) says he wants it written on his tombstone! I decided to give him the opportunity to enjoy the slogan on his morning coffee cup. Bianca thought it was a fun idea and made him a gorgeous mug with "Inclined to Mischief" emblazoned on the mug. He's used it for years and it still makes us laugh! Thanks Bianca! Great city, great store, great owner! read more

I purchased some pottery classes last July. Made an appointment for 4 of us to go in August. I picked up three of the pieces in late November and had to hound the owner to get the fourth piece which was mine. Just received that the beginning of May. 10 months!?!? Very disappointing. Waste of money. Never again!!!! read more

Interesting shop to browse but save your money before signing up for a lesson. The owner ran a special on groupon and said she was too overwhelmed by the response to return calls to schedule a time. Unfortunately I got the lesson as a present, not a groupon cheapie. The instruction was minimal, owner was distracted, we got barely an hour and a "special" day was anything but. Save your money, even if you get a "deal". Not worth the trip to dead "downtown" Troy. read more

Awesome pieces and even better time had by my son who is making bowls, cups and plates from scratch. I would recommend this place to anyone looking to purchase a great gift or even better make one. read more

Awesome store, awesome owner! My wife and I had such a great time in our "groupon" lesson, we decided to go back for more. To those reviewers that complained about their groupon experience, we purchased knowing we would be grouped with 2 other people (it was stated in the groupon) . True, this store did have an overwhelming response to the groupon, a testament to how great the deal was. $30 for TWO people in a lesson for 90 min., then the instructor fires the pottery for you, glazes it in your choice of three glazes, and fires it again!! It is a process much more involved than I could have ever imagined. Definitely NOT for the "instant gratification" type, instead, they should skip the lesson, go directly to Walmart, and buy a bowl there. For those who appreciate the work and art that goes into this craft, I highly recommend lessons with Bianca. She is an excellent teacher and sooooo patient. read more