Seeking a new teapot for English-style black tea brewing.
Trying to decide between the Chatsford
http://www.specialteas.com/Tea-ware/Tea ... EAPOT.html#
Or the Dan Tea Thermos
http://www.teamerchants.com/buy/3/37/58 ... /5988.aspx
Does anyone have any experience with these? Advice?
Or recommendations for another teapot altogether?
Thanks in advance.
Nov 23rd, '08, 09:45
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silverneedles
Hey GD!! Well I think it will really come down to looks or thermal protection.
I would go for the thermal myself, but I don't share my tea often.
What is the situation you will be using it mostly for?
I would go for the thermal myself, but I don't share my tea often.
What is the situation you will be using it mostly for?
- Victoria -
http://victoriasown.blogspot.com/
http://victoriasown.blogspot.com/
I actually spent some time a few days ago looking for roughly 2 cup or 16oz teapots for black tea. I found that amazon has some that were less expensive than a lot of the online tea stores, but there are a few exceptions. I did one search for "teapot" and got many pages to browse through. "Chatsford teapot" got fewer results, but there were still less expensive than the one you linked.
This teashop has pots similar to the Chatsford at a very cheap price.
Here's another one like that from Amazon.
Here's a Chatsford on Amazon.
Good luck!
This teashop has pots similar to the Chatsford at a very cheap price.
Here's another one like that from Amazon.
Here's a Chatsford on Amazon.
Good luck!
Couple of questions. First, are you committed to English style black tea brewing? Second, are you planning on serving the tea in the pot you used for brewing or will you be serving it in something fancier (High tea rather than low tea)?
If you're committed to English style black tea (right on!), the Chatsford is ok. The English Tea Store online has some cheaper, also earthenware, teapots in sizes 2 cups up which are a bit cheaper. If you find a traditional English "Brown Betty" teapot at a price that doesn't bankrupt you, go for it. Rather like the other types of pots for the greenie teas and such, the traditional Brown Betty makes a great pot of English style black tea.
I wish I had a camera so I could show you my BB and my Fiestaware Cobalt blue teapots. I almost stole it on eBay, paying under $10 for a 6 cup teapot with a lovely round handle, round body, short spout, tiered lid and absolutely perfect brewing of my black teas.
The French press is nice, but I'm not wild about it for black teas as they seem to come out a bit harsh. I honestly believe there is a difference in how the tea turns out.
Since we're doing a High Tea for Thanksgiving, I'll be making our tea in the kitchen Brown Betty teapot and transferring it to my silver plate tea service (also won on eBay for under $20 for the teapot, water pot, cream, sugar and tray, silver plate) I've tried brewing tea in it before and it was not anyway near the same as in a good, solidly heavy earthenware pot. My daughter in love is getting it for Christmas, along with the container of silver polish. She won't hate me too much because she's wanted the service for a long time.
Hope this helps. Oh, if you're my daughter in love, forget what I just wrote. At least I didn't say what else you're getting.
If you're committed to English style black tea (right on!), the Chatsford is ok. The English Tea Store online has some cheaper, also earthenware, teapots in sizes 2 cups up which are a bit cheaper. If you find a traditional English "Brown Betty" teapot at a price that doesn't bankrupt you, go for it. Rather like the other types of pots for the greenie teas and such, the traditional Brown Betty makes a great pot of English style black tea.
I wish I had a camera so I could show you my BB and my Fiestaware Cobalt blue teapots. I almost stole it on eBay, paying under $10 for a 6 cup teapot with a lovely round handle, round body, short spout, tiered lid and absolutely perfect brewing of my black teas.
The French press is nice, but I'm not wild about it for black teas as they seem to come out a bit harsh. I honestly believe there is a difference in how the tea turns out.
Since we're doing a High Tea for Thanksgiving, I'll be making our tea in the kitchen Brown Betty teapot and transferring it to my silver plate tea service (also won on eBay for under $20 for the teapot, water pot, cream, sugar and tray, silver plate) I've tried brewing tea in it before and it was not anyway near the same as in a good, solidly heavy earthenware pot. My daughter in love is getting it for Christmas, along with the container of silver polish. She won't hate me too much because she's wanted the service for a long time.
Hope this helps. Oh, if you're my daughter in love, forget what I just wrote. At least I didn't say what else you're getting.
Thanks everybody!
I will be using it solely for English-style brewing of black tea. I suppose you could say I'm committed to it, since try as I might, I just can't get "into" green teas. Different tastes for different folks...
I will be serving it in the pot I use for brewing about 99% of the time, it's just for myself and family, mainly.
Now I'm seriously considering the Brown Betty. It's adorable!
I will be using it solely for English-style brewing of black tea. I suppose you could say I'm committed to it, since try as I might, I just can't get "into" green teas. Different tastes for different folks...
I will be serving it in the pot I use for brewing about 99% of the time, it's just for myself and family, mainly.
Now I'm seriously considering the Brown Betty. It's adorable!
It's nothing expensive or fancy, but for "looks" and English-style brewing, I really love using a clear glass pot. I got this one for a gift last Christmas, and though I never used any of the blooming teas, I have used the glass pot nearly every day. I just love how the leaves look inside the pot as the infusion progresses:
Click here!
Now, the shortcoming to this pot is the glass infuser. The slits in it get stopped up easily and don't necessarily allow the tea to strain through as fast as I wanted. As good luck would have it, I dropped and broke it... and have since been just dumping in the leaf without any infuser at all.. and then straining the tea through a mesh kitchen strainer. This works great for me, and I think the tea definitely tastes better with this unrestrained infusion process; but it might be more problematic for someone who wants to brew and serve out of the same pot, as you need some way to get the leaf out.
I don't have one, but I understand there are some good infuser baskets available. I love watching the leaves swirling around in the glass pot, so I don't plan on getting an infuser basket... it's part of the charm of using glass, I think.
Sarah
Click here!
Now, the shortcoming to this pot is the glass infuser. The slits in it get stopped up easily and don't necessarily allow the tea to strain through as fast as I wanted. As good luck would have it, I dropped and broke it... and have since been just dumping in the leaf without any infuser at all.. and then straining the tea through a mesh kitchen strainer. This works great for me, and I think the tea definitely tastes better with this unrestrained infusion process; but it might be more problematic for someone who wants to brew and serve out of the same pot, as you need some way to get the leaf out.
I don't have one, but I understand there are some good infuser baskets available. I love watching the leaves swirling around in the glass pot, so I don't plan on getting an infuser basket... it's part of the charm of using glass, I think.
Sarah
What I use for brewing tea "english style" for just myself is a porcelain kyusu which makes exactly one cup, and which has a convenient ball filter. That works perfect for me, though of course it doesn't look typically british.
Regarding strainer baskets inside the pot - the fact that this does not allow the leaves to swirl around doesn't only have esthetical implications, it does also mean that the tea does not infuse properly. This is in fact one of the points on George Orwells list of tricks for making a nice cuppa!
So I wouldn't get the Chatsford pot which has a strainer basket, and a hole in the lid for it. Also, the Chatsford pot isn't made in England, but somewhere in southeast asia, like most english china and stoneware nowadays. But the Brown Betty at least is made in England!
If you want to serve many people from the pot, and maybe leave some tea in the pot to be served later, maybe you can get two Brown Bettys, and put the tea in the second when it has infused?
Regarding strainer baskets inside the pot - the fact that this does not allow the leaves to swirl around doesn't only have esthetical implications, it does also mean that the tea does not infuse properly. This is in fact one of the points on George Orwells list of tricks for making a nice cuppa!
So I wouldn't get the Chatsford pot which has a strainer basket, and a hole in the lid for it. Also, the Chatsford pot isn't made in England, but somewhere in southeast asia, like most english china and stoneware nowadays. But the Brown Betty at least is made in England!
If you want to serve many people from the pot, and maybe leave some tea in the pot to be served later, maybe you can get two Brown Bettys, and put the tea in the second when it has infused?