Undue bulkiness, which characterizes most design in the past, is gradually giving way to economic approach to design, which gives optimal solutions to engineering problems through optimum design techniques, leading to material and cost economy. This paper formulates a mathematical problem and presents a computer–aided solution for determination of economic thickness of local fire-clay cooking pot for functional performance in heat retention at minimum expense on heating and material. Cost analysis of heating and pot material was integrated into heat transfer phenomenon in spherical shells. The thickness of the pot at which the total cost function goes through a minimum, found to be 10.02 mm for hemispherical pot of 3.3523 × 10^-8 capacity was taken as the economic solution.

Key words: Hemispherical pot, clay, heat transfer, economic thickness.