Teaware Handle Angles

[AdamMY]

Growing up in the US, I am used to seeing teapots/ kettles with their handles either directly opposite the spout, or above the entire pot. I was actually shocked when I started seeing teapots with side handles, first thinking it would be entirely awkward to pour with it, which it really turned out it was not.

With Side handled pots, you often see the handles at slightly off from 90 degree angles from the spout. usually cheating slightly towards the spout rather than away. Then I saw a Korean teaset, and thought the water coolers handle was a bit odd, but decided to go with it.


Park Jong Il Faircup - Water cooler ( teaset) by Adam Yusko, on Flickr

The handle is well beyond 90 degrees from the spout, but quite far from directly opposite the spout. It was definitely placed there on purpose but I had a hard time visualizing why. Sadly just by myself I couldn't take a lot of photos of how wonderfully the handle works ( a video would probably be best), but hopefully this next photo gives a hint.


Interesting Handle by Adam Yusko, on Flickr

The key thing to notice here is that my wrist is nearly perfectly straight. In fact I can pour from this water cooler into the cups, or into the pot with just a pivot of my forearm, without bending my wrist in any sort of awkward fashion.

[minor_glitch]

Usually I'd say opposite or right angle. However, these just arrived on my doorstep an hour ago, so I may have to re-evaluate that!
I think some "testing" is required

[Alex]

Wow those look good MG

[Chip]

I voted less than 90* from the spout, but up to 90* is OK. This is pretty ergo for me personally. I remember picking up my very first kyusu ... first time I picked up any kyusu ... I was thrilled with it. I ended up brewing almost anything (nonflavored, non roasted, etc.) in it. It became an extension of my arm ... a teaware implant.

From there I go to no handle (houhins and the like) and then 180* from the spout.

I see "dobin" or top handles that appeal to my eye, but sense they would get little use. Still, very stylish. Really like Jinshu's!

I don't think I have any experience with greater than 90* and at the moment I am uncertain what to make of them.

[minor_glitch]

Wow those look good MG

Indeed! They're from Andrzej.

[AdamMY]

Not sure I completely weighed in on this, even though I was the OP.

I have always found over the pot, and directly opposite handles to be a little hard to deal with on a regular basis due to the wrist motions needed. I was rather fond of the 90* and slightly less than 90* angles previously ( but I have yet to see a handle in the same style as my the water cooler until now). I guess I am ranking how I feel about these handle placements by how awkward my wrist feels, or how much it hurts when I am having wrist problems, to pour using the item.

Somehow less than and up to 90* was by far the favorite as you can pour with it with minimal excessive wrist motions. But this new piece is astounding to me because when the table is slightly lower than elbow level, its possible to pour with basically no motion of the wrist, everything done with just a slight twist of the forearm.

One that hasn't been mentioned much but I believe I left room for in the poll, is No handle. That is still a very good option in my mind. As long as fingers are not burning, you can hold and pour almost how ever you would like.

Thought I would give a few more insight into why I find this new handle so fascinating.

[Chip]

Related to the topic ... I think.

Another thing I like about the 90* or less, is the different hand positions that work in different situations ... or for different handle sizes.

4 basic ...

Fist - my personal fave. For this reason I like the end of the handle folded in like Petr's
Handshake - likely the most common
the Pointer - works well if the table is higher
Two-hand - maybe when the pot is scalding hot during a later steep

And I would also add holding as if the handle was not even there (when the brew is cool enough), grasping the body of the kyusu.