The Kitchen's pots were made of clay. If it were the old him, he assumed clay was made of dirt. But he knew there was more than just dirt in that composition. If it was just dirt, the goblins could replicate those pots a long time ago. However, the goblin got the pots by looting the human caravan.
After watching the alloying process and smithing in his awakening. He was aware of the importance of materials after the awakening. That was how he came to believe that the clay pot was not made of any random soil.
That's how he chose to make the pot with metal instead. With limited metal, the pot was just half a finger thick. That was to save up for his next project, but he made sure to temper and refine the metal to ensure the pot lasted longer.
Making the pot didn't really require an intense focus, so it was quicker than making a hoe. He didn't forget to make the list. He didn't deem the pot-making useless, as it helped him train in shaping the metal through the Mana Forging.
