Ceramic Incense Burners (Best Choices)

When properly maintained, a high-quality ceramic incense burner can last for an extended period of time. However, choosing the best one for your needs can be a challenge.

The following guide aims to assist you in making an informed decision.

In the past, it was common for individuals to burn incense at home using a simple pot or jar filled with sand to hold a few incense sticks.

Now, we have come to realize that incense burners come in a wide variety of shapes, types, and materials.

They can be used to hold incense sticks, coils, powder, or cones, and even ~~backflow cones~~ that guide the smoke downwards rather than upwards into the air.

When it comes to materials, incense burners are available in wood, resin, metal, and ceramic. Of these options, I personally find ceramic to be the most preferable material.

Quick Picks:

Ceramic Incense Holders

Waterfall Burner

Most-Reviewed Product:

This burner lives up to its name, as the smoke drifts down creating a waterfall effect. Handcrafted from ceramic material, it is vase shaped and is available in five different colors to fit any décor theme.

Each cone burns for around 15 minutes but the fragrance lingers for much longer.

This burner has a simple yet sophisticated design and is an ideal décor item for any home.

Fisherman Burner

The Giulin Scenery Burner is inspired by the Giulin region of China, famous for its scenery of karst mountains and unusual rock formations, along the Li River.

It features a moss covered hill-top, where the incense cone is placed, and the smoke flows down into a pool where an old man is fishing.

Instead of a fishing pole the old man holds an incense stick completing the illusion of fishing. It is handmade ceramic, and It creates a very tranquil scene; I always imagine myself sitting at the edge of the pool, waiting for a fish to bite!

It is priced at around $30 and is a novel item, with traditional values.

The INONE Ceramic Burner

Best Branded Product:

This is a nice example of an elegant design, with a large ‘pod’ shape, inside which is entwined a series of leaf shapes. It uses a backflow cone, placed at the top, and the smoke drifts down over the leaves creating a waterfall effect.

The smoke lands in a pool shape at the base of the waterfall, in which two small ceramic koi carp are swimming.

It is in a jade green ceramic with gold trim, and would grace any coffee table or shelf.

The OTOFY Backflow Ceramic Burner

This unique burner is actually inside a clear glass cylinder.

A backflow cone is placed on a ceramic leaf shape at the top of the cylinder, and the smoke flows down like the stem of a flower, down onto a lotus-style ceramic base, and onto a glass ball.

Inside the ball is an LED light which constantly changes color, and the smoke around the ball adds an air of mystery.

Because most of the smoke is contained within the glass cylinder it is more of an object to delight the eye, and acts as a conversation piece for visitors.

The various parts – top, cylinder, base and battery holder – can be easily separated for cleaning.

Ceramic Skull Burner:

If you are feeling a little adventurous with your home décor, you may wish to consider this burner.

In a brown ceramic, it is in the shape of a skull. The backflow cone is placed in a small cavity in the head and the smoke flows out of the eyes.

There is a colour-changing LED light inside the skull, giving an eerie effect in a darkened room.

Although the concept may not suit everyone, it is well made, handcrafted and beautifully finished. I have seen one in a friend’s lounge, and it was the first thing I noticed!

Tea Pot Burner

There are so many different shapes for burners it could inspire someone to start a collection. This is an excellent example of a collectible item.

It is in the shape of a tilting tea pot, balanced on an elegant hand. The backflow cone sits on top of the pot handle, and the smoke pours out of the spout into a small teacup.

It is a small and delicate item, and when the smoke starts to pour, it is sure to bring a smile. What a wonderful gift this would be, especially for an elderly relative or neighbor.

Fish Bowl Burners

In this traditional-style burner, the backflow cone sits on a leaf-shaped ledge, and the smoke flows into a pool containing two ceramic goldfish.

The effect is to show the fish swimming in a pool of water with a small waterfall above. It is quite a small piece and is suitable for anywhere in the home or at work in the office.

Priced at around $18, it would certainly be an unusual gift for a friend.

A similar item has the cone sitting in a leaf, with the smoke flowing into a pool containing two small koi carp.

Both pieces come complete with mat for the base, cones and incense sticks.

Lotus Hand Style Burners

This burner immediately creates an aura of peace and tranquility. The backflow cone sits next to the hand of Buddha and the smoke drifts down to make a small pool around a lotus blossom.

The material is a bronze-look ceramic with a white lotus flower and you can imagine how relaxed you would feel just watching the smoke slowly pooling around the lotus, relieving tension and assisting meditation.

Video: Lotus Flower/Monk Backflow Incense Burner

A similar item features two hands in a peaceful shape, handcrafted in a green jade glazed ceramic with gold highlights, with the incense flowing down through the hands into a pool.

This maybe one of the most attractive objects, and anyone would love to display it in their lounge or bedroom.

This is the third burner that features an elegant hand. In this instance, the hand is holding up a leaf. Using a backflow cone on the leaf, the smoke flows down a small channel, around a white lotus blossom, down into a small pool on the base.

Most Elegant:

There is also a small hole in the lotus flower to hold an incense stick, to add to the fragrance. The piece is in a semi-gloss brown glazed ceramic and it’s effect can be summed up as ‘peace’.

Bowl Burners

A traditional shape for burning incense in coil form, powder, or ordinary cones, is a bowl shape, with a perforated lid to allow the smoke to rise.

All of these also have a metal stick holder which can be removed when other types of incense are being used.

Often these are mixed materials – ceramic with metal adornment for example.

These are my favorite style of burners; they are reminiscent of ancient China, of Emperors and forbidden palaces.

The following burner comes in up to eleven different colors.

Best Budget Option:

They are glazed and fired in natural soil, and have a finely worked lid, decorated with images of chrysanthemums.

Video: LamDawn Incense Burner Ceramics Incense Holder

This next burner seems almost a sacred object, in a matte jade glaze, the lid perforations cut in ancient Chinese symbols, and the bowl chased with dragons and lotuses.

Best Overall:

The dragon represents power and majesty, the lotus represents purity and peace.

The bowl burner below is made in a high-gloss dark pink ‘cracked glaze’ which gives it an aged look.

Best for Continuous Use:

It has a brass lid decorated in a flower design. It also has three small nodes on the base, so it is slightly raised, again giving it a look redolent of ancient times.

Parting Words

Incense burners are available in a plethora of designs, but ceramic burners are among the most widely used. They are clean, simple, and efficient.

Whether you use incense for meditation, relaxation, or simply to enhance the ambiance of your home, ceramic burners offer a timeless elegance.

With their smooth glazed, handcrafted shapes, they can serve as ornamental pieces, adding to your home décor even when not being used to burn incense.

If you are new to burning incense, a ceramic incense burner can be an excellent choice.

With its timeless elegance, it is both functional and decorative, making it a great addition to any home.

Ceramic Incense Burners (Best Choices)