Tea (rec.drink.tea) Discussion relating to tea, the world's second most consumed beverage (after water), made by infusing or boiling the leaves of the tea plant (C. sinensis or close relatives) in water.

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  #1 (permalink)   Report Post  
Henry
 
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Default Brown Betty

Hello,

I'm a little bit confused selecting a brown betty teapot. First off, I can't
figure out which one is the "authentic" one as various retailers have
various prices. Also the size is what I don't get. I figure 2 cups would be
enough for me, thinking that would be 16oz., I see 2 cup Brown Bettys are
12oz. So I guess I'll go to the 4 cup Brown Betty which say 24 oz.. But then
I see another store selling "2-3 cups" with or without a claimed 18oz. So
which one is correct? And is the 4 cup brown betty the standard size to go
by? Thanks!

HK


  #2 (permalink)   Report Post  
Henry
 
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Default Brown Betty

Oh and I forgot to ask if anyone knew where I could find these in Canada via
mail order or online. Or if bought locally, a brick and mortar store in
Montreal. Thanks!

HK


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Tee King
 
Posts: n/a
Default Brown Betty

On Sat, 31 Jan 2004 21:24:10 -0500, "Henry"
> tripped the light fantastic, then
quipped:

>Hello,
>
>I'm a little bit confused selecting a brown betty teapot. First off, I can't
>figure out which one is the "authentic" one as various retailers have
>various prices. Also the size is what I don't get. I figure 2 cups would be
>enough for me, thinking that would be 16oz., I see 2 cup Brown Bettys are
>12oz. So I guess I'll go to the 4 cup Brown Betty which say 24 oz.. But then
>I see another store selling "2-3 cups" with or without a claimed 18oz. So
>which one is correct? And is the 4 cup brown betty the standard size to go
>by? Thanks!
>
>HK


A "cup" of tea is usually 6 ounces, not 8 ounces. "Standard" is a
subjective term, really...how many people will you be serving tea? A
standard pot for home use by one person will, most likely, be
different than the standard pot used in a tea room. As for being
authentic, a "Brown Betty" is more of a generic name for the
particular shaped earthenware teapot made of reddish clay. As long as
you keep those things in mind, you shouldn't have any trouble picking
out a nice teapot. Welcome to the wonderful world of proper tea.

Tee
http://www.geocities.com/tee_king
Remove -no-spam- to email me.
  #4 (permalink)   Report Post  
Doc Elder
 
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Default Brown Betty

Brown Betty is a classic style as much as anything else, so outside of some
seriously pedantic, likely highly debatable historical points, any of
quality manufacture is as authentic as any other. The size
thing....somewhere along the line a decision was made that a "cup" of hot
beverage, be it tea or coffee was six ounces which likely as not had to do
with the size of cups in fancy china services, since the coffee cups I'm
used to in the US and recall from living in the UK were generally 8-10
ounces for the regular size and what is the limit for the "large" mugs. The
24 ounce was the most common I recall seeing in shops in England if that's
important to you. What I would do is consider how you will be using it. If
you never expect to serve company and will only be taking a couple cups
before it has a chance to go cold even with a tea-cosey, a 2-3 cupper will
likely be sufficient. If a guest/companion/whatever is in the mix then
adapt accordingly and if it's a bit large for everyday needs and only one
pot is in your budget at the moment, then there's nothing that says you have
to make a whole pot every time you use it.

Tea-pots are marvelous little things. They only require care when you use
them and they can be a joy to look at even when you don't. One of them is
likely sufficient, but another one can be a welcome addition....and maybe
just one more.... and even though I really don't need any more, there was
this one I happened to see at Whole Foods today.....

-Doc

--
---------

"...it's only the giving that makes you... what you are.."


"Henry" > wrote in message
...
> Hello,
>
> I'm a little bit confused selecting a brown betty teapot. First off, I

can't
> figure out which one is the "authentic" one as various retailers have
> various prices. Also the size is what I don't get. I figure 2 cups would

be
> enough for me, thinking that would be 16oz., I see 2 cup Brown Bettys are
> 12oz. So I guess I'll go to the 4 cup Brown Betty which say 24 oz.. But

then
> I see another store selling "2-3 cups" with or without a claimed 18oz. So
> which one is correct? And is the 4 cup brown betty the standard size to go
> by? Thanks!
>
> HK
>
>



  #5 (permalink)   Report Post  
fLameDogg
 
Posts: n/a
Default Brown Betty

"Henry" > wrote in
:

> Hello,
>
> I'm a little bit confused selecting a brown betty teapot. First off, I
> can't figure out which one is the "authentic" one as various retailers
> have various prices. Also the size is what I don't get. I figure 2
> cups would be enough for me, thinking that would be 16oz., I see 2 cup
> Brown Bettys are 12oz. So I guess I'll go to the 4 cup Brown Betty
> which say 24 oz.. But then I see another store selling "2-3 cups" with
> or without a claimed 18oz. So which one is correct? And is the 4 cup
> brown betty the standard size to go by? Thanks!


I've seen brown betty teapots at www.englishteastore.com. I've never
ordered a pot from them. I've placed several orders for tea and such.
Usually they're pretty good, though if they're out of stock on something
you might have to wait for a while. One more place to shop, anyway.

--
fD


  #6 (permalink)   Report Post  
Space Cowboy
 
Posts: n/a
Default Brown Betty

There are plenty of Brown Betty knockoffs. I'm in a store the other
day and see a tea cozy wrapped around what I presumed was a Brown
Betty. Curious I had the clerk take off the cozy and on the bottom
was a Made in Japan sticker. An authentic Brown Betty comes from
Stoke-on-Trent and is made from the distinctive red terra cotta clay
with the Rockingham glaze. If you can get one stamped by Arthur Woods
because the 250 year old business closed it doors a couple of months
ago. You'll find websites if you plug in the keywords I just
mentioned. Another trademark is Pristine which you can find in
CostPlus stores in the US.

Jim


Tee King > wrote in message >. ..
> On Sat, 31 Jan 2004 21:24:10 -0500, "Henry"
> > tripped the light fantastic, then
> quipped:
>
> >Hello,
> >
> >I'm a little bit confused selecting a brown betty teapot. First off, I can't
> >figure out which one is the "authentic" one as various retailers have
> >various prices. Also the size is what I don't get. I figure 2 cups would be
> >enough for me, thinking that would be 16oz., I see 2 cup Brown Bettys are
> >12oz. So I guess I'll go to the 4 cup Brown Betty which say 24 oz.. But then
> >I see another store selling "2-3 cups" with or without a claimed 18oz. So
> >which one is correct? And is the 4 cup brown betty the standard size to go
> >by? Thanks!
> >
> >HK

>
> A "cup" of tea is usually 6 ounces, not 8 ounces. "Standard" is a
> subjective term, really...how many people will you be serving tea? A
> standard pot for home use by one person will, most likely, be
> different than the standard pot used in a tea room. As for being
> authentic, a "Brown Betty" is more of a generic name for the
> particular shaped earthenware teapot made of reddish clay. As long as
> you keep those things in mind, you shouldn't have any trouble picking
> out a nice teapot. Welcome to the wonderful world of proper tea.
>
> Tee
> http://www.geocities.com/tee_king
> Remove -no-spam- to email me.

  #7 (permalink)   Report Post  
Chandler
 
Posts: n/a
Default Brown Betty

In article >,
"Henry" > wrote:

> Oh and I forgot to ask if anyone knew where I could find these in Canada via
> mail order or online. Or if bought locally, a brick and mortar store in
> Montreal. Thanks!
>
> HK
>
>


Canadian Tire?

--
--Chandler --
May Hog be your boatman when you reach the River Styx
  #9 (permalink)   Report Post  
Henry
 
Posts: n/a
Default Brown Betty

As a follow up, I couldn't find the Brown Betty anywhere in Canada except
for www.theteahaus.com . Some supposetly "high end" tea stores here didn't
even know what a brown betty was....anyway...FYI



  #10 (permalink)   Report Post  
Dave Croft
 
Posts: n/a
Default Brown Betty

"Henry" > wrote in message . ..
> As a follow up, I couldn't find the Brown Betty anywhere in Canada except
> for www.theteahaus.com . Some supposetly "high end" tea stores here didn't
> even know what a brown betty was....anyway...FYI


I will be going to a normal English market tomorrow & I will make a note of the teapots on sale.
These days all us English tea addicts do tend to use teabags or leaves in a Mug rather than the
traditional teapot with cups & saucers.
I am afraid that we only tend to revert to tradition at funerals & weddings.
Dave Croft





  #11 (permalink)   Report Post  
Michael Plant
 
Posts: n/a
Default Brown Betty

/4/04


> As a follow up, I couldn't find the Brown Betty anywhere in Canada except
> for www.theteahaus.com . Some supposetly "high end" tea stores here didn't
> even know what a brown betty was....anyway...FYI


Perhaps a reflection on the "'high end' tea stores," perhaps on the...you
know.

Michael

  #12 (permalink)   Report Post  
Dog Ma 1
 
Posts: n/a
Default Brown Betty

Been looking for a nice BB for years. Found a couple exactly matching my
wants in the UK, but they weren't for sale. Been using one formerly owned by
a late uncle, must be nearly a century old, chipped and well-mired with
tannins. That was fine for me, but I needed a bigger one for parties.

Just ordered an Arthur Wood via the web (from Blue Moon). The pot came
quickly, and is well-formed with the proper glaze. But the base clay is not
red stoneware - it seems to be porcelain. Hardly the authentic item, thinks
I - anyone know more about this?

Thanks-

DM


  #13 (permalink)   Report Post  
Space Cowboy
 
Posts: n/a
Default Brown Betty

Is Arthur Wood impressed on the bottom? Porcelain 'chips' or 'flakes'
and clay 'fractures' or 'radiates' horizontally. You'll have to
damage it to be sure. My AW is completely sealed with glaze so it
could be stainless steel for all I know.

Jim

"Dog Ma 1" (reply w/o spam)> wrote in message >...
> Just ordered an Arthur Wood via the web (from Blue Moon). The pot came
> quickly, and is well-formed with the proper glaze. But the base clay is not
> red stoneware - it seems to be porcelain. Hardly the authentic item, thinks
> I - anyone know more about this?
>
> Thanks-
>
> DM

  #14 (permalink)   Report Post  
Dog Ma 1
 
Posts: n/a
Default Brown Betty


"Space Cowboy" > wrote in message
m...
> Is Arthur Wood impressed on the bottom? Porcelain 'chips' or 'flakes'
> and clay 'fractures' or 'radiates' horizontally. You'll have to
> damage it to be sure. My AW is completely sealed with glaze so it
> could be stainless steel for all I know.


Interestingly, there's no AW marking. The Blue Moon web site says that
they're porcelain, and the cardboard box has AW promo writing on it. But now
I'm wondering...


  #15 (permalink)   Report Post  
Henry
 
Posts: n/a
Default Brown Betty

In my quest to find a brown betty, this is what I gathered. The only company
making somewhat genuine brown betty's is Caledonia Pottery. The Arthur Wood
ones, which were made under the name Pristine or vice versa......are made
with porcelain and not the red clay traditional brown betty's are.
Unfortunately, the name brown betty only goes as far as describing the
shape, and color of the teapot and not the true material.

I say somewhat genuine for the Caledonia Pottery Brown Betty because they
use terracotta red clay from Stoke on Trent, and was told the true true ones
weren't terra cota clay but a different red clay.....also the new ones are
slip casted and not jolleyed like the originals. However, I think this will
be the closest you'll get to an authentic Brown Betty, short of finding one
in an antique store, flea market etc.....

Hope this helps.





"Dog Ma 1" (reply w/o spam)> wrote in message
...
>
> "Space Cowboy" > wrote in message
> m...
> > Is Arthur Wood impressed on the bottom? Porcelain 'chips' or 'flakes'
> > and clay 'fractures' or 'radiates' horizontally. You'll have to
> > damage it to be sure. My AW is completely sealed with glaze so it
> > could be stainless steel for all I know.

>
> Interestingly, there's no AW marking. The Blue Moon web site says that
> they're porcelain, and the cardboard box has AW promo writing on it. But

now
> I'm wondering...
>
>





  #16 (permalink)   Report Post  
Dog Ma 1
 
Posts: n/a
Default Brown Betty

> Interestingly, there's no AW marking. The Blue Moon web site says that
> they're porcelain, and the cardboard box has AW promo writing on it. But

now
> I'm wondering...



Latest: AW apparently changed mould designs more or less at random. Importer
says that name-stamping, presence/absence of a built-in strainer, etc. were
randomly variable.

Colour of the glaze backed by porcelain isn't quite as rich, to my eye, as
with the old red clay. I must say, though, that the finish quality of these
end-of-the-line brown teapots is as perfect as any commercial ware I've ever
seen. And the porcelain weighs about half as much, not a trivial point on
the 10-cup pot. I might just pick up a couple more for future gift needs.

-DM


  #17 (permalink)   Report Post  
Space Cowboy
 
Posts: n/a
Default Brown Betty

My AW BB is the biggest brutish most massive teapot I have. If I was
going to break it I'd use a sledgehammer. Porcelain is denser and
heavier and in this case you would need a fork lift if it wasn't clay
because of surface volume and thickness. I have a Chinese teapot
about the same proportions which is clay and they weigh about the
same. At some point in the process there is a law of deminishing
returns for porcelain price versus clay size. It's been awhile but I
think my huge (10 cup?) BB was $25 a couple of years ago. If it was
porcelain it would be much more expensive. You're simply not going to
find a porcelain teapot that big from anyone that cheap. If it
doesn't have the makers trademark send it back. You can find other
knockoffs probably cheaper although not Biggie Sized which I think is
the characteristic signature of a BB. It belongs on a breakfast
table. English teapots never come with infusers. You always use a
strainer. All leaves are emptied through the spout. I spent years
verifying that English tidbit. Since there is nothing new under the
sun someone else could have told you that but they prefer to remain
part of the anonymous masses who drink tea so I beat them too it.

Jim

"Dog Ma 1" (reply w/o spam)> wrote in message >...
> > Interestingly, there's no AW marking. The Blue Moon web site says that
> > they're porcelain, and the cardboard box has AW promo writing on it. But

> now
> > I'm wondering...

>
>
> Latest: AW apparently changed mould designs more or less at random. Importer
> says that name-stamping, presence/absence of a built-in strainer, etc. were
> randomly variable.
>
> Colour of the glaze backed by porcelain isn't quite as rich, to my eye, as
> with the old red clay. I must say, though, that the finish quality of these
> end-of-the-line brown teapots is as perfect as any commercial ware I've ever
> seen. And the porcelain weighs about half as much, not a trivial point on
> the 10-cup pot. I might just pick up a couple more for future gift needs.
>
> -DM

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