Since we apply ourselves so diligently to means and methods for obtaining
the best taste from our tea, why don't more of us use glass or ceramic
kettles or vessels in which to boil our water? They're not as widely
available, of course, but it's occurred to me that my water spends as much
or more time in my stainless steel kettle as it does in my teapot especially
when I'm making only 1 serving per person that will be poured as soon as the
steeping time's up. Since I use more green tea than others, typical steeps
last only about 2-1/2 min.

It seems to me that if metal teapots are able to impart a metallic taste to
our tea, metal kettles or cooking pots/pans would also.

--
~~Bluesea~~
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Please take out the trash before sending a direct reply.

"Bluesea" > wrote in message

> Since we apply ourselves so diligently to means and methods for obtaining
> the best taste from our tea, why don't more of us use glass or ceramic
> kettles or vessels in which to boil our water?

I cannot put glass or ceramic on the induction because it has to be
magnetic. I also avoid them on the gaz because they break easily if you
heat quickly, and if you go slowly it's very long to obtain boiling water.

> It seems to me that if metal teapots are able to impart a metallic taste
to
> our tea, metal kettles or cooking pots/pans would also.

Personnally, I have never found that my water had a metallic after-taste.

I have always read/heard that boiling your water in a metallic kettle,
especially black iron (like the tetsubin) was very good for the taste of
water as it kinds of purify it. For your water, you want to suppress all the
smell it may have. For your tea, the same effect would lesser the flavor.

In Chinese stores I have seen glass kettles that were used on braseros. They
would feel them with hot water, but the brasero was there to rebring the
water to near-boiling point each time that was necessary for gong fu cha.
But they didn't seem to do that for the reason you said as in the same
places, they also used metallic kettles.

Kuri

"kuri" > wrote in message
...
>
> "Bluesea" > wrote in message
>
> > Since we apply ourselves so diligently to means and methods for
obtaining
> > the best taste from our tea, why don't more of us use glass or ceramic
> > kettles or vessels in which to boil our water?
>
> I cannot put glass or ceramic on the induction because it has to be
> magnetic. I also avoid them on the gaz because they break easily if you
> heat quickly, and if you go slowly it's very long to obtain boiling water.
>
> > It seems to me that if metal teapots are able to impart a metallic taste
> to
> > our tea, metal kettles or cooking pots/pans would also.
>
> Personnally, I have never found that my water had a metallic after-taste.
>
> I have always read/heard that boiling your water in a metallic kettle,
> especially black iron (like the tetsubin) was very good for the taste of
> water as it kinds of purify it. For your water, you want to suppress all
the
> smell it may have. For your tea, the same effect would lesser the flavor.
>
> In Chinese stores I have seen glass kettles that were used on braseros.
They
> would feel them with hot water, but the brasero was there to rebring the
> water to near-boiling point each time that was necessary for gong fu cha.
> But they didn't seem to do that for the reason you said as in the same
> places, they also used metallic kettles.

I've used a 6-cup Corning teapot to boil water on the stove and my stainless
steel kettle is a lot faster, but now there are cordless electric glass
kettles in addition to the metal and plastic ones and they aren't as slow as
the stovetop.


--
~~Bluesea~~
Spam is great in musubi but not in email.
Please take out the trash before sending a direct reply.

Bluesea wrote:
> Since we apply ourselves so diligently to means and methods for obtaining
> the best taste from our tea, why don't more of us use glass or ceramic
> kettles or vessels in which to boil our water? They're not as widely
> available, of course, but it's occurred to me that my water spends as much
> or more time in my stainless steel kettle as it does in my teapot especially
> when I'm making only 1 serving per person that will be poured as soon as the
> steeping time's up. Since I use more green tea than others, typical steeps
> last only about 2-1/2 min.
>
> It seems to me that if metal teapots are able to impart a metallic taste to
> our tea, metal kettles or cooking pots/pans would also.
>

FWIW, my metal teapot (Copco?) has some kind of coating on the inside
which I think is to prevent that metallic tang of which you speak.

Steve

kuri wrote:
> I have always read/heard that boiling your water in a metallic kettle,
> especially black iron (like the tetsubin) was very good for the taste of
> water as it kinds of purify it. For your water, you want to suppress all the
> smell it may have. For your tea, the same effect would lesser the flavor.

It occurs to me you may be making an excellent point; some teas might do
better in water that had a slightly metallic flavor. In particular,
when I read that, I was thinking some Pu-erhs might be interesting to
experiment with. Still, I've had mostly a negative experience with
metallic flavors. When I've noticed them, they have been overpowering
and unpleasant.. Perhaps there is an interesting happy medium. Those
that swear by cast-iron cookware sometimes speak of the transmittal of
iron into the food they cook as a good thing for the flavor. Hmm..

Use a metal pot long enough and it will develop a mineral patina on the
inside which is another reason I always boil water for making tea. I'm
no chemist but I think the back pressure from the steam deposits the
minerals. A good breakin method is to boil the kettle almost empty a
few times.

Jim

Bluesea wrote:
> Since we apply ourselves so diligently to means and methods for
obtaining
> the best taste from our tea, why don't more of us use glass or
ceramic
> kettles or vessels in which to boil our water? They're not as widely
> available, of course, but it's occurred to me that my water spends as
much
> or more time in my stainless steel kettle as it does in my teapot
especially
> when I'm making only 1 serving per person that will be poured as soon
as the
> steeping time's up. Since I use more green tea than others, typical
steeps
> last only about 2-1/2 min.
>
> It seems to me that if metal teapots are able to impart a metallic
taste to
> our tea, metal kettles or cooking pots/pans would also.
>
> --
> ~~Bluesea~~

Well, I pulled out my little 6-cup Corning and either got so annoyed with
how much longer I had to wait for 2 cups to boil that it biased my taste
buds or there isn't a difference when compared to water from my stainless
steel kettle.

Will try again, later.

--
~~Bluesea~~ (maybe)
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Please take out the trash before sending a direct reply.