Cordierite porous ceramics were prepared by organic foam impregnation method using kaolin from Panxi region as main raw material and adding a small amount of alumina and magnesium oxide, to study the effects of organic foam pretreatment time and slurry solid content on the microstructure and physical properties of cordierite porous ceramics. The results show that when m(kaolin)∶m(Al2O3)∶m(MgO)=66∶21∶13, the sintering temperature is 1 250 ℃ and the holding time is 0.5 h, the pore size of cordierite porous ceramics is 1.0~1.2 mm, the apparent porosity is 75.42%~96.27%, the compressive strength is 0.23~1.78 MPa, and the permeability coefficient is 18.58~25.86 cm·s-1. When the mass fraction of slurry solid content is 40%, the water permeability and apparent porosity of cordierite porous ceramics produced by pretreatment of organic foam (NaOH solution soaking) for 6 h, and heat preservation at 1 250 ℃ for 0.5 h are 20.45 cm·s-1 and 90.73%, respectively.