Ceramic Kettles

[AdamMY]

For those of you that have used ceramic kettles, I am wondering where you found them, and what you thought of them. Also to make sure its what I want to get what are you findings on teas they work well with and teas they do not work with very well?

I also am interested in if ceramic kettles work on electric hotplates, or would that risk cracking the kettle?

I know imperial tea court has a few different ceramic kettles, and Cloudwalker teas has a "lin's" kettle.

I know Lins has a great reputation, but I honestly have no clue how to order directly from lins, or if they are able to ship to the United States.

[wyardley]

re: Lin's, have a look at:
http://www.teachat.com/viewtopic.php?t=8676

I believe there's an outfit in Canada that is a direct retailer... someone posted info here at one point, but I couldn't find it.

Best Tea House's branch in Richmond (Vancouver area), Canada also sells some of their stuff; search this site for their info if you want to contact them.

[Intuit]

Gordon, Dragon House Teas, sells a reasonably-priced ($50+ $16/19 shipping), 30-oz version suitable for stovetop or induction heater:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Ceramic-Water-Kettl ... 335621ebe8\

Joyce Chen sells a slightly smaller economy, stove-top model for about $30 USD retail.

[bearsbearsbears]

For those of you that have used ceramic kettles, I am wondering where you found them, and what you thought of them. Also to make sure its what I want to get what are you findings on teas they work well with and teas they do not work with very well?

I also am interested in if ceramic kettles work on electric hotplates, or would that risk cracking the kettle? {snip}

I only use ceramic kettles, because I enjoy how well the clay insulates the water and keeps it hot.

I have two: a Lin's stoneware kettle (unglazed interior) and a Joyce Chen flameware kettle (glazed interior). Both work great for tea, but the Lin's kettle makes softer water.

I usually boil the water on a gas stove and then switch to an electric hotplate (just cuz boiling on the hotplate is very slow) to keep the water warm and/or reboil if necessary.

A good flameware body will not crack from any heat source. However, few companies or potters make pots for use over a direct flame in the US because making a flameware body and firing it properly is difficult, and they fear injury lawsuits should a defect make the kettle explode. Joyce Chen is the only company to sell such wares en masse in the US, which means the company must be very confident in their clay and process.

One studio potter, Terry Silverman (link here: http://www.flamewarepottery.com/) makes flameware, but oddly enough does not make a kettle (he does make a teapot...maybe that would work?). IIRC, Silverman uses a lithium-feldspar-based body, which is the usual direction Western potters go for making these works--a rather expensive raw material. Still, he advises caution with regards to rapid cooling of his pieces after use.

More info than you probably needed, but there it is

[tenuki]

I love my unlined Lins, love love love it. Do anything you can to get one, you will not regret it. I also have, use often and can recommend the joyce chen (amazon).

I quite often use my alcohol kettle stove (bought from hou de) with either of my ceramic kettles at the table or outside - boil on stove first, then keep near boiling on the alcohol stove. Alcohol is nice in that it keeps exactly the right temp for your water naturally without adjusting anything.

[Maitre_Tea]

I was talking with a friend, and the tiger-canada is an official reseller of Lin's Ceramic products. The link is: http://www.tiger-canada.com/teaset1.htm
But I believe you may have to ask for a price list. The same friend forwarded me a copy of the price list he had, so if you're interested, send me a PM so I can email you the price list. Please note that the prices may have changed, so please email and make sure if you're actually going to buy anything

[Intuit]

Can't speak to the purported water-softening aspect of the Lin's Ceramic Studio Purion kettles because of the unknown doping minerals employed are proprietary, but there is another point worth pondering when making choices among glazed and unglazed pottery kettles: oxygen release from the thick and porous walls on the unglazed kettles.

This comes on follow-up to previous posters comments on heating the kettles, then keeping them simmering on an alcohol burner unit.

I haven't tested this point, but it does make sense from a chemical-physics standpoint that the thick unglazed vessel walls, if given a chance to dry thoroughly between uses (lid off), may absorb enough air such that water degassing over extended periods of heating is minimized or at least reduced, post boiling.

Ordinarily, extended heating is ill-advised, as it can make the water taste flat.

[brandon]

Can't speak to the purported water-softening aspect of the Lin's Ceramic Studio Purion kettles because of the unknown doping minerals employed are proprietary, but there is another point worth pondering when making choices among glazed and unglazed pottery kettles: oxygen release from the thick and porous walls on the unglazed kettles.

This comes on follow-up to previous posters comments on heating the kettles, then keeping them simmering on an alcohol burner unit.

I haven't tested this point, but it does make sense from a chemical-physics standpoint that the thick unglazed vessel walls, if given a chance to dry thoroughly between uses (lid off), may absorb enough air such that water degassing over extended periods of heating is minimized or at least reduced, post boiling.

Ordinarily, extended heating is ill-advised, as it can make the water taste flat.

Can you explain the concept of water "off gassing" (or have even heard "losing oxygen") during a boil? I certainly understand that water changes state at a certain temperature and some molecules exit your kettle as a gas. But as for what's left behind, how can it be anything but 2 hydrogens, 1 oxygen? What gasses are lost disproportionate to the h2o that has yet to become a gas, and how does that impact my tea.

[JBaymore]

However, few companies or potters make pots for use over a direct flame in the US because making a flameware body and firing it properly is difficult, and they fear injury lawsuits should a defect make the kettle explode. Joyce Chen is the only company to sell such wares en masse in the US, which means the company must be very confident in their clay and process.

One studio potter, Terry Silverman (link here: http://www.flamewarepottery.com/) makes flameware, but oddly enough does not make a kettle (he does make a teapot...maybe that would work?). IIRC, Silverman uses a lithium-feldspar-based body, which is the usual direction Western potters go for making these works--a rather expensive raw material. Still, he advises caution with regards to rapid cooling of his pieces after use.

Excellent synopsis of the issues, bearsbearsbears. I am known as a bit of a a "tech weenie" in the studio ceramics field and I won't go near producing flameware for commercial sale. That in spite of carrying a good level of product liabilty insurance.

Industrial levels of controling variables allow places like Joyce Chen to maintain consistent product output at a level that is difficult for most studio potters.

I know Terry a bit; he lives about 20 minutes from me. Terry has been at this idea a long, long time and has the process down very, very well.

best,

....................john

[JBaymore]

EDIT... double posting.

[JBaymore]

But as for what's left behind, how can it be anything but 2 hydrogens, 1 oxygen? What gasses are lost disproportionate to the h2o that has yet to become a gas, and how does that impact my tea.

I think he is talking about disolved oxygen content, Brandon. Not changing the molecular structure. The stuff that is "in between" the loose association of actual water molecules. Unless the teapot has some electrodes in there! (Hum........ feed the hydrogen down to the burner to heat the teapot. Brilliant!)

I'm sure he'll chime in soon.

best,

...................john

[Intuit]

What happens when you boil water:

http://chestofbooks.com/food/recipes/Bo ... Water.html

"We will put a cupful of cold water in a saucepan over the fire, and see what happens. When it becomes so hot that we cannot bear the fingers in it we will take the temperature. This is scalding hot water. Soon we see tiny bubbles forming on the edges and bottom of the pan. This is the air in the water which expands by the heat. These air bubbles disappear as they reach the colder water near the top, and the cold water being heavier goes to the bottom. This makes a slight motion in the water which we call simmering, and which is often mistaken for boiling. Water simmers at about 180°.

After a while all the water is very hot, that nearer the bottom is changed into steam, large bubbles of steam rise rapidly and soon break above the surface, making quite a commotion or bubbling all over the top, and we say " the water boils."

We take the temperature, and find it boils at 212°. As the bubbles break the steam escapes, and when it comes in contact with the cold air above and outside the kettle it is changed, or condensed, into a fine mist. We call this mist steam, but the real steam is invisible.

Thus we learn that boiling is the changing of water or liquid into steam by the action of heat sufficient to cause commotion or bubbling on the surface."

[Chip]

I came upon the Tea Chat site by chance and I noticed a few posts inquiring about Lin's Ceramic Studio teaware. I work for Tiger Canada Distribution just outside of Toronto in Ontario. We distribute the Lin's Ceramic line and we have many customers in the US that purchase their Lin's from us. If you are interested please visit our website: tiger-canada.com . I would be happy to email you a list of all available product and prices. If you prefer to contact me through email, my address is jennifer@tiger-canada.com.

[cloudwalkerteas]

Hi, I'd just like to make a quick note that although Cloudwalker Teas is a small company, anything you find in the Lin's Ceramics catalogue, we can price and order for you. We're a small Canadian company with dedicated staff to tea excellence in both Taiwan and Canada. You can email us at cloudwalker@cloudwalkerteas.com . Thanks!