Teapot 101

[Meesh]

My husband and I have really been enjoying tea lately, and it's time for us to move up over the cup by cup method I think. We'd like to make a pot, but the pot I have is so small that we just get one nice mug each and that's it. In looking around for other pots, they all seem to be small. Am I just too jaded from being a coffee drinker, and we should not really drink more than a mug? Why are the pots all so small? Should I make multiple batches so the tea doesn't sit? If so, do I just dump in more water with the same tea or do I do a whole new batch? If there is an existing post or link you can refer me to that would also be great. Thanks!

[procarel]

I think what you said about making multple batches is the way to go using just the amount of water that you will be pouring. As you mentioned it is not good to let the tea leaves sit as the tea will tend to get bitter. We usually get 2 or 3 batches from the tea that we have.

[daughteroftheKing]

Don't give up looking for the type of teapot you want. Porcelain, ceramic, and glass ones come in all SORTS of sizes and shapes. My most-used pots generally hold 32 oz. But once in a great while I still use one found at a yard sale 25-30 years ago -- it holds half a gallon and is great for a crowd!
Once you start looking for the perfect teapot, you'll see them everywhere. Be careful, though, or you could end up with 3 shelves full of them like I have!

Once your tea is steeped to the way you like it, remove the leaves from the pot so that it doesn't get bitter. Many types of leaves can be re-infused (some a number of different times) revealing wonderfully subtle flavors...especially Darjeelings, Jasmines, Oolongs, Whites. Don't wait too long to re-steep those leaves, though, since wet leaves can form bacterian and mold after a while.

If your tea is cooling more quickly than you'd like, you might look for a tea cozy. It's like a coat or a blanket for your teapot. They really do work.

And as to drinking only one mug of tea...may you never be limited to less than a potfut!

[teaspoon]

You can definitely find larger teapots, and you can also find smaller cups for tea. I used to drink from a mug, but I found really cute teacups that are more, er, teacup sized (8 oz.). If you find a larger teapot and use smaller cups, you might be able to enjoy your tea longer. Unless you're like my mom, who drinks her tea really fast...

~tsp

[kodama]

My main teapot holds only about 7oz (cheep, porcelain). I usually get a small mug and a termos full of hot water, and steep-drink-steep-drink-steep-drink till the tea starts getting too mild or bitter. That depends on the kind of tea, but nearly everything that isn't really finely chopped is just as good the second time, and good oolongs can last up to six or seven - even more if you do a form of Gongfu (~3x leaves for <15sec steeps), which is good for multiple people with a small pot.

[MarshalN]

I'd really recommend staying with the small pot. If both of you can get a mug out of the teapot you already have, then it's plenty big. If you want more tea, simply pour hot water in it and do it again (with the same tea leaves). It's a bit of a hassle, but worth the effort -- beats having a double sized pot with double the leaves, taste wise.