a casting receptable for processing melt . the receptable comprises a lid , a shell , the bottom part of which is in the shape of a downwards convergent cut cone , a filling opening at the bottom of the casting receptable , and further a shutter plug that is movable in the vertical direction by means of an actuator and arranged to close and open the filling opening to allow melt to enter and correspondingly exit the casting receptable . the bottom end of the shutter plug is a sharp cone in shape , and the bottom end of the shutter plug extends in its closed position a distance further than the conical part of the shell , thus forming a sharp point at the bottom of the casting receptable . further , the invention relates to a casting method that utilizes the casting receptable of the invention .