Where to invest my money?

[BW85]

Thanks again for all the suggestions. I think I may be getting one of the Lin's kettles as I may have found one in the SF Bay Area where I live.

That's fortunate as shipping those kettles can be pricey!

I'm sure you'll be happy with your investment. Kettles can provide a nice improvement

[Tead Off]

Thanks again for all the suggestions. I think I may be getting one of the Lin's kettles as I may have found one in the SF Bay Area where I live.

Does anyone have any suggestions for buying a new tetsubin besides Hojo and AN? I've seen links to Tokyo stores in another thread, but the language barrier seems insurmountable.

Horaido used to have a great selection some years ago. Give them a try.

[ryancha]

Horaido used to have a great selection some years ago. Give them a try.

Thanks! The first one they list is only Y220,000. Looks like they don't have many options any more, but I emailed them to find out.

[kyarazen]

Horaido used to have a great selection some years ago. Give them a try.

Thanks! The first one they list is only Y220,000. Looks like they don't have many options any more, but I emailed them to find out.

deeep pockets you have

[Tead Off]

Horaido used to have a great selection some years ago. Give them a try.

Thanks! The first one they list is only Y220,000. Looks like they don't have many options any more, but I emailed them to find out.

I haven't looked at their site in years. Their selection used to start at about US$200 and there were dozens to choose from. I guess things have changed.

[ryancha]

This is gorgeous. I wish I could afford it -- and was responsible enough to handle it (I'd dent it in a second):

http://www.thes-du-japon.com/index.php? ... cts_id=345

In looking for places that sold tetsubin's, I had overlooked kyarazen's suggestion of Global Rakuten, where there are a ton listed. My email's to Horaido, on the other hand, are bouncing.

I am bit confused by conflicting info about Lin's Kettles. The consensus, if I understand, is that they can be used on hotplates but not induction?

[kyarazen]

I am bit confused by conflicting info about Lin's Kettles. The consensus, if I understand, is that they can be used on hotplates but not induction?

lin's kettles has 3 types of bases.
type 1 is traditional, its smooth and the same material as what the kettle is made of. this is the oldest design and can be seen on their purion gen 1 gen 2 kettles. only for hotplate/halogen

type 2 is a flat, round glazed ceramic base on the outside, this conducts heat better, more evenly, and boils faster. this is most common in kettles after '12. only for hot plate and halogen.

type 3 is the flat, round glazed ceramic base but with a metal plate inside, so that it can be used with induction heaters. i'm just about to get one or two pieces, BUT impossible to find in singapore. will hunt from malaysia instead...

[ryancha]

thank you again, kyarazen, for the info. (I ordered a big batch from Phoenix Hill, by the way, on your suggestion.) I take it you prefer induction to hotplate/halogen?

[kyarazen]

thank you again, kyarazen, for the info. (I ordered a big batch from Phoenix Hill, by the way, on your suggestion.) I take it you prefer induction to hotplate/halogen?

ah.. you should order small samplers instead of big batches though. tea preference is rather subjective it is really fun to A/B compare their teas between the types.

i actually prefer halogen the most. induction's probably convenient because its fast/efficient, great for gatherings and office use, but halogen is the closest mimic to using charcoal (which heats via infrared). the infrared from a good halogen burner has good penetration through the kettle into the water, this is unlike a hotplate (conduction)

[ryancha]

ah.. you should order small samplers instead of big batches though. tea preference is rather subjective it is really fun to A/B compare their teas between the types.

Sorry, I should have said: I ordered a whole bunch of samples.

[ryancha]

Would a iron skillet (like the U.S. Lodge brand) work as a cheaper alternative to a tetsubin? They are "pre-seasoned," whatever that means.

[bonescwa]

I asked that and everyone was like no.

[Chip]

Doesn't preseasoned include adding oil layer? This would be ... bad.

[ryancha]

good call on the pre-seasoning...

kyarazen, why do you prefer the non-purion to the purion LC kettle for your daily use?

LC quoted me $130 USD for the non-purion kettle sets. The purion kettle is 238 USD.

[ryancha]

Thanks to everyone for the advice. I ended up getting a tetsubin from AN.

My next decision, of course, is how to heat the thing. On Amazon, the Waring 1300W and the Duxtop 1800W both have pretty good reviews. The duxtop is about $15 more.

I've never used a hotplate before. Should I go for the 1800W, or is that too much power for a 1.2 L tetsubin? The instructions says not to go above medium on heat.

Thanks again!