well, after consideration lately, I'm wondering if anyone can recommend
a rather inexpensive teapot to me. I'm looking for one about the size
of a quart, possibly with a built in infuser basket, of a traditional
shape, and without excessive decoration. I'm looking on google, but I'd
rather hear recommendations from first hand users.
Thanks for your advice,
-Dave

TeaDave wrote:
> well, after consideration lately, I'm wondering if anyone can recommend
> a rather inexpensive teapot to me. I'm looking for one about the size
> of a quart, possibly with a built in infuser basket, of a traditional
> shape, and without excessive decoration. I'm looking on google, but I'd
> rather hear recommendations from first hand users.
> Thanks for your advice,
> -Dave

Maybe a bit more info and we could help better. Are you looking for a
ceramic teapot, glass, Yixing, japanese cast iron, etc?

I have a pretty large Japanese cast iron teapot with a stainless
infuser that I bought at a Marshall's store for about $10-15.

I have also seen some really nice glass teapots from companies like
Bodum at Borders/Barne's and Nobles at 40-50% off for under $20.

If I had my choice of the two, I'd go with the glass teapot actually.
You can watch the tea brew and see the color whereas the black cast
iron makes in hard to see the color of the infusion so it is all temp
and timing.

My 2 pence.

- Dominic

If you want cheap try the Ceramic "Amsterdam" pots at the English tea
store dot com (no spaces) for about 8 dollars a piece but the lid does
drop into your cup if you don't hold on to it. If you want something
very traditional try the Brown betty, the lid will stay put if you
place it right. If you want a brown betty but don't want a dark
interior try googling for them. there is a store online selling brown
bettys in colors including almond.

i had two different versions of the Bodum glass teapot and I found that
they stained too easily. The first had a plastic infuser which got ugly
rather quickly. The second had a metal infuser, but even still the
glass yellowed no matter how much I cleaned it. Glass teapots are
pretty, and it's very cool to watch the tea brew, but a ceramic or
porcelain teapot is better presentation in the long run.

Avoid yixing unless you know how to take care of it. Avoid tetsubin
(japanese enameled cast iron) if you plan on cleaning your teapot with
soap. Avoid earthenware, as it tends to eventually crack and discolor.
Porcelain, I think, is the best bet for a beautiful, long-lasting
teapot.

Dominic 4/20/06


>
> TeaDave wrote:
>> well, after consideration lately, I'm wondering if anyone can recommend
>> a rather inexpensive teapot to me. I'm looking for one about the size
>> of a quart, possibly with a built in infuser basket, of a traditional
>> shape, and without excessive decoration. I'm looking on google, but I'd
>> rather hear recommendations from first hand users.
>> Thanks for your advice,
>> -Dave

For nearly nothing you can pick one up in Chinatown, if you've got a
conveniently located Chinatown.

I always buy my regular teapots in Chinatowns since only there you buy ones
that do not spill the tea all around the teacup...
Last week I saw a nice-looking white porcelain teapot in Rayley's
supermarket and bought it. Surprise, surprise... the tea was not only all
over the table, but also all over the teapot. I looked at the label - it was
made in China but for a California design company. Apparently the designers
never took a physics course and had no idea that liquids level.
Also they never heard of surficial tension. The spout was nicely rounded and
thick at the end which made the water just flow along its curves without
going into the cup!
One way or another it was the worst ever. I took it back. The manager
returned my money without a word but asked me if I was sure that this is not
just a decoration. "People do not brew tea in these things anymore, you
know.." - said he.

I knew.

Sasha.


"Michael Plant" > wrote in message
...
> Dominic 4/20/06
>
>
>>
>> TeaDave wrote:
>>> well, after consideration lately, I'm wondering if anyone can recommend
>>> a rather inexpensive teapot to me. I'm looking for one about the size
>>> of a quart, possibly with a built in infuser basket, of a traditional
>>> shape, and without excessive decoration. I'm looking on google, but I'd
>>> rather hear recommendations from first hand users.
>>> Thanks for your advice,
>>> -Dave
>
> For nearly nothing you can pick one up in Chinatown, if you've got a
> conveniently located Chinatown.
>

Jason F in Los Angeles wrote:
> i had two different versions of the Bodum glass teapot and I found that
> they stained too easily. The first had a plastic infuser which got ugly
> rather quickly. The second had a metal infuser, but even still the
> glass yellowed no matter how much I cleaned it. Glass teapots are
> pretty, and it's very cool to watch the tea brew, but a ceramic or
> porcelain teapot is better presentation in the long run.
>
> Avoid yixing unless you know how to take care of it. Avoid tetsubin
> (japanese enameled cast iron) if you plan on cleaning your teapot with
> soap. Avoid earthenware, as it tends to eventually crack and discolor.
> Porcelain, I think, is the best bet for a beautiful, long-lasting
> teapot.

I have not had any problem with my glass teapots yellowing at all, I
wonder if there is something different that we do? I have two that are
over 4 years old and still are as clear and normal looking as when I
bought them, including the infuser. Strange. I even have another teapot
that is entirely clear plastic (I know, it's strange but from Korea and
well made) and it has not discolored even and I use it purely for
brewing strong iced teas.

I agree that a porcelain teapot can be had cheaply, but they are the
ones I find discolor easy and are never well made or very functional
for the most part. I also agree with your appraisal of
Yixing/tetsubin... and I have cleaned a tetsubin with a baking soda and
water solution before with no adverse results.

Again, it all comes down to personal preference. Just that in my
personal opinion my glass teapots are the easiest of all for all around
use and cleanup.

- Dominic

TeaDave > wrote:
>well, after consideration lately, I'm wondering if anyone can recommend
>a rather inexpensive teapot to me. I'm looking for one about the size
>of a quart, possibly with a built in infuser basket, of a traditional
>shape, and without excessive decoration. I'm looking on google, but I'd
>rather hear recommendations from first hand users.
>Thanks for your advice,

A quart is absolutely HUGE. I think that Chatsford makes a 6 cup
teapot in the "Series E" earthenware stuff, though they don't have
a vitrified hotelware anywhere near that size. Upton's has it for
something like thirty bucks.

I do like the "steelite" vitrified hotelware ones a lot more because
they are FAR more difficult to break. But Chatsford's biggest one is
a 4-cup.

The Chatsford pots don't drip, they hold heat well, and they don't cost
a fortune.
--scott
--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."

Soak glassware in bleach diluted with water to solve the stain problems. Works like a charm. I swear by my ingenuiTEA, from Adagio. It's not a traditional teapot, but it's good enough for me and then some.

Thanks,
Bill

Tea Guy Speaks
http://wileng.blogspot.com/

Tea Industry News
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/teaindustrynews/

A quart is huge? Well, I tend to drink 2-4 quarts of tea throughout the
course of a day, so I figure a quart sized pot might not be a bad idea.

One liter glass,SS pots are dime-a-dozen. Chinese clay and British
porcelain is harder to find but not impossible and still cheap enough.

Jim

TeaDave wrote:
> A quart is huge? Well, I tend to drink 2-4 quarts of tea throughout the
> course of a day, so I figure a quart sized pot might not be a bad idea.

"TeaDave" > wrote in message
oups.com...
> well, after consideration lately, I'm wondering if anyone can recommend
> a rather inexpensive teapot to me. I'm looking for one about the size
> of a quart, possibly with a built in infuser basket, of a traditional
> shape, and without excessive decoration. I'm looking on google, but I'd
> rather hear recommendations from first hand users.
> Thanks for your advice,
> -Dave

My favorite dripless pot with an infuser basket that does an excellent job
of preventing leaf particles from escaping is Jenaer's Mikado Gold:

http://www.adagio.com/teaware/mikado_gold_teapot.html.

I have a smaller Mikado and do not recommend your getting one with the glass
infuser because it isn't as good as the SwissGold infuser that comes with
the Mikado Gold.

My next favorite are the Chatsford teapots which are available in
earthenware, bone china, and Steelite Vitrified hotelware from 2- to
10-cuppers:

http://www.uptontea.com/shopcart/cat...&categoryID=88.

Perhaps a good infuser basket purchased separately from the teapot would be
more economical:

http://www.finum.com/l-engl/p_tea-filters-perm.htm
http://www.teeli.com/englisch/products/main.html#FDAfry
(Finum and Teeli are the same - I have baskets of both labels and they're
great.)

http://www.swissgold.com/e/t_produkt03.asp
http://www.swissgold.com/e/t_produkt05.asp.

The Brown Betty, made by Caledonia Pottery, is available in the traditional
brown Rockingham glaze in a Tea-for-One set, 2-cup, 4-cup, 6-cup, and 8-cup
sizes. Heat retention is excellent and other colors are available. Mine is
dripless or very nearly dripless depending on how I pour.

HTH.

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

"Scott Dorsey" > wrote in message
...
<snip>
> But Chatsford's biggest one is a 4-cup.

It seems to me that you might have the patented Chatsford design confused
with one of the manufacturers who are licensed to produce them because
Chatsford teapots are available as 2, 4, 6, and 10 cuppers from Upton:

http://www.uptontea.com/shopcart/cat...&categoryID=88

http://www.fjcleveland.com/teapot.html.

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

"Jason F in Los Angeles" > wrote in message
ups.com...
> i had two different versions of the Bodum glass teapot and I found that
> they stained too easily. The first had a plastic infuser which got ugly
> rather quickly. The second had a metal infuser, but even still the
> glass yellowed no matter how much I cleaned it. Glass teapots are
> pretty, and it's very cool to watch the tea brew, but a ceramic or
> porcelain teapot is better presentation in the long run.
>
> Avoid yixing unless you know how to take care of it. Avoid tetsubin
> (japanese enameled cast iron) if you plan on cleaning your teapot with
> soap. Avoid earthenware, as it tends to eventually crack and discolor.
> Porcelain, I think, is the best bet for a beautiful, long-lasting
> teapot.

A simple solution of baking soda and water is best because it cleans easily
and effectively, & rinses out thoroughly without leaving behind anything
that's taste-altering.

For me, glass is the easiest to clean.

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

Jason F wrote:
"I had two different versions of the Bodum glass teapot and I found
that
they stained too easily. The first had a plastic infuser which got ugly
rather quickly. The second had a metal infuser, but even still the
glass yellowed no matter how much I cleaned it."

Glass is one of the hardest things to actually stain. It is Very easy
to clean with a paste of salt or Baking Soda. I think vinegar will
release tea stains as well. On plastic you might get some real
staining, but even there a vinegar and salt solution might release
that, or oxygen bleach, since that doesn't leave the flavor changes
that Clorine bleach would.

Just my 2CW

Bluesea > wrote:
>"Scott Dorsey" > wrote in message
...
><snip>
>> But Chatsford's biggest one is a 4-cup.
>
>It seems to me that you might have the patented Chatsford design confused
>with one of the manufacturers who are licensed to produce them because
>Chatsford teapots are available as 2, 4, 6, and 10 cuppers from Upton:
>
>http://www.uptontea.com/shopcart/cat...&categoryID=88

I see 6 and 10 cup ones in earthenware there, but I don't see anything
larger than 4 cups in Steelite.

>http://www.fjcleveland.com/teapot.html.

I don't see ANY Steelite stuff here at all.

I do not think Chatsford makes any Steelite ones larger than the 4-cup one.
If you want larger you either need to go to earthenware or bone china, both
of which are much more fragile.
--scott

--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."