Here's a link to the AV pots I have:

http://www.emersoncreekpottery.com/african-violet-pots.shtml

Is this the kind of expensive pot that you think is causing the problem?

Maybe I'll try the pots with new plants but add extra perlite and be more stingy with my watering. I definitely did not repot them and they've been in the pots for at least a year.

The AV plants I have now are not particularly special so I'll just buy new ones but I'll be more careful this time.

Thank you for your advice on my AV plants!

Yes - double ceramic pots are tricky.

If you prefer to use self-watering pots - try Oyama pots.

http://www.avplanters.com/category-s/1814.htm

These are much better for the violets and cost less.

They are not fancy, but not ugly. Kind of minimalistic. But - you will pay attention to the AVs, not to the pottery.

Well grown and happily blooming violet does pretty well without a lipstick ;-)).

I have had incredibly good luck with the lechuza line of pots. they include a substrate they call P O N. i strip the root down to nearly no soil and put the PON around it. Then i add water and it wicks it up.

i use the mini deltini [under table planters]

I take them to work in bloom and the gals say they've never seen an AV so vibrant.

I also use optimara 'sauce' heavily dilute ...

I have a similar pot, the double ceramic deals. Bought it before I knew better, but I really like the look of it paired with the violet that lives in it. With that said, I do not use the self watering bit, ever. I top water my Violets with a narrow spout watering can when dry and am careful to keep the water off the leaves. I would like to try the lechuza and oyama pots some day, but for now this works for me and my plants.

I just heard from a friend - she grows her Primulinas in lechuza pots - she only needs to water once a month and the plants look fabulous. The only minus - they are expensive and if you have a collection of plants (translate - hoard)- gets to be prohibitive.