The Best Cast Iron Teapot For Teas

[ming57]

Cast iron teapot is the best teapot for teas, it allows gradual and even heating. When Heating, the teapot will release the elements of Fe2+, which could help increase the tea flavor and is also beneficial to the health.
The cast iron teapot is sturdy and could not be damaged easily, and you could use it for lifetime.
About cast iron teapot maintaince, To clean teapot, Dishwashing detergent is not recommended. Simply clean it with water is enough.
If you are a tea lover, maybe you could choice a cast iron teapot, it will give you a big surprice.

[miig]

Hi,

I don't want to be cynical, but I'd contest a few of your claims.

- Cast iron is a poor conductor of heat. This means, it doesn't distribute it well. Even heating is not a strength of cast iron. It saves a lot of heat, that is true.

- Cast iron tea pots are usually glazed. No iron will be released in that case.

[Xyldor]

Hi,

I don't want to be cynical, but I'd contest a few of your claims.

- Cast iron is a poor conductor of heat. This means, it doesn't distribute it well. Even heating is not a strength of cast iron. It saves a lot of heat, that is true.

- Cast iron tea pots are usually glazed. No iron will be released in that case.

I have the model of tetsubin shown in the picture. It comes in 2 versions. One is enameled on the inside and the other is not. Cast iron is a much better conductor of heat than ceramic, glass or porcelain, so ming's statement is accurate. Having said that, I don't consider even heating to be particularly relevant when making tea.

[Xyldor]

This is a tetsubin, which is an iron kettle for heating water. It is not technically a teapot but can be used as such if you take it off the heat before adding the tea. The fact it conducts heat quite well means it can be used on a stove to heat the water. It also means that it loses heat very quickly after it is removed from the heat source which isn't ideal from the tea making point of view. Personally I only use mine for heating the water which it does admirably. I use a ceramic, glass or porcelain teapot or gaiwan for actually brewing the tea.

[miig]

Many books attribute that ability to the "fact" that cast iron is a good conductor of heat. But the truth is exactly the opposite. The reason it holds its heat so well is that cast iron is a relatively poor conductor of heat: one-third as good as aluminum and only one-fifth as good as copper.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/ ... 5cf9f4418/

I agree that cast iron in tea is best used in a good, unlined tetsubin. If one likes the aesthetic of a lined cast iron teapot, have fun with it. But few people who are serious about tea will use cast iron teapots, because frankly, ironwares aren't very good for that purpose.

[Xyldor]

Many books attribute that ability to the "fact" that cast iron is a good conductor of heat. But the truth is exactly the opposite. The reason it holds its heat so well is that cast iron is a relatively poor conductor of heat: one-third as good as aluminum and only one-fifth as good as copper.

I think I see where you are coming from, and I also think we are both in agreement that tea is best brewed in a ceramic teapot (I am including glass, pottery and porcelain in the term "ceramic").

What you say about thermal conductivity is a little confusing. To say that cast iron is a poor conductor of heat is only true when comparing it to other metals such as pure copper which has the highest thermal conductance of all the common metals. If however you are comparing it to the ceramics it is an order of magnitude more conductive.

The best pots for steeping tea require low thermal conductivity, such that the brew retains heat for longer, and is less likely to scald a person touching the outside of the pot. Conversly, the best kettles for heating the water have either an internal heating element or a thermally conductive surface which allows them to be heated externally on a stove/fire. That's why the best teapots are made out of ceramic materials whereas kettles designed for stove use are made out of metals such as cast iron.
My advise is to keep kettles for heating water, and teapots for steeping tea, and don't mix the two up.

I must say that I do like watching the bubbles form when I use that style of tetsubin for boiling the water. It is part of the tea making process for me which is one of the reasons I like using it. Be aware that too much iron in the water can spoil the taste of some of the delicate teas, so you might want to use some other vessel for heating your water depending on what tea you are brewing.