An early 20th century unsigned tetsubin recently came my way, and although I enjoy using it for the added depth and slight sweetness it brings to my oolongs, I've found that the water seems to catch a bit in the back of my mouth on the way down. I've tried cleaning out the inside (which was pretty rusted when I got it) to no avail, so my question is whether this slight sensation of a lump in the throat is a normal pig-iron thing or the mark of a low-end, mass-produced kettle.
Thanks for any and all input from you tea-veterans out there!
Cheers,
10010100102
Re: Old Tetsubin Aftertaste Question
It seems most akin to a lasting feeling of rough astringency, only in the upper throat rather than the mouth. The water comes out almost completely clear, but there are usually some deposits at the bottom of my cup, so I'm wondering if it might be that.
Re: Old Tetsubin Aftertaste Question
And just to clarify, you get this taste or sensation with plain water that has been heated in the tetsubin (that is, before brewing tea)?
Re: Old Tetsubin Aftertaste Question
Hello 10010100102;
You should know that because every foundry creates its own mix of iron, that each iron foundry's tetsubin can taste a bit different. I have an antique tetsubin that I don't use for that reason. For everything that I did, the water just didn't taste good to me.
As for the water itself, I'm not sure why the water wouldn't come out completely clear. I usually scrape as much rust out with the back of a plastic dish brush (I have an OXO brush).
In response to the deposits in the bottom of your cup: if you are seeing rust chips, I would suggest cleaning out the tetsubin further. If what you see are the tiniest of black spots in the bottom of your cup, it may be iron. Remember, using iron pots for cooking is the way that people staved of iron deficiency in years past.
I hope this helps.
Best,
- T
You should know that because every foundry creates its own mix of iron, that each iron foundry's tetsubin can taste a bit different. I have an antique tetsubin that I don't use for that reason. For everything that I did, the water just didn't taste good to me.
As for the water itself, I'm not sure why the water wouldn't come out completely clear. I usually scrape as much rust out with the back of a plastic dish brush (I have an OXO brush).
In response to the deposits in the bottom of your cup: if you are seeing rust chips, I would suggest cleaning out the tetsubin further. If what you see are the tiniest of black spots in the bottom of your cup, it may be iron. Remember, using iron pots for cooking is the way that people staved of iron deficiency in years past.
I hope this helps.
Best,
- T