New and needing Teapot guidance!

[Vulture]

I am new to brewing tea so I am currently using the ingenuiTea infuser to make my loose leaf. I heat water on the stove in a noiseless kettle (not the best for someone distracted easily). I am considering getting (or having someone get me, go go Bday) the utiliTea kettle so I can get exact temperatures for water.

First question is what do people use to heat their water. I don't think there is too much of a difference here as long as its the right temperature.

Second question, for now the ingenuiTea is good for taking into work but is there better teapots that will change how the brew turns out? (for keeping at home)

I know there is different 'styles' of brewing but I am not too deep into it yet to get into that yet. If teapots go with different styles of brewing please explain them a bit.

Thanks for all your help!

[olivierco]

I am very often heating my water in a sauce pan but as long as you get the desired temperature it is OK. I don't like the idea to boil water in plastic kettle though.

For many teas, a porcelain teapot is all you need if you intend to buy just one.
A gaiwan is also a good idea if you like to experiment.

[Trioxin]

I'm lazy as hell, so I just nuke my water in a glass pitcher. As for the teapot, it really depends upon what your brewing. As olivierco said, a small porcelain pot, or gaiwan are both perfect for all round brewing. If its just you drinking, I wouldn't get anything too large though. Its best to brew a cup at a time.

[Vulture]

I'm lazy as hell, so I just nuke my water in a glass pitcher. As for the teapot, it really depends upon what your brewing. As olivierco said, a small porcelain pot, or gaiwan are both perfect for all round brewing. If its just you drinking, I wouldn't get anything too large though. Its best to brew a cup at a time.

If you are using pots, what sort of infuser do you use? There has to be some filter to let only the tea through. Besides blacks I usually like rooibos which is small particles.

[Trioxin]

I'm lazy as hell, so I just nuke my water in a glass pitcher. As for the teapot, it really depends upon what your brewing. As olivierco said, a small porcelain pot, or gaiwan are both perfect for all round brewing. If its just you drinking, I wouldn't get anything too large though. Its best to brew a cup at a time.

If you are using pots, what sort of infuser do you use? There has to be some filter to let only the tea through. Besides blacks I usually like rooibos which is small particles.

No infuser or strainer. All my teas are full leaf, and I don't mind a few small leaves (seldom happens) or what not getting through. They always seem to sink to the bottom of the cup so its not much of a problem.

[Vulture]

No infuser or strainer. All my teas are full leaf, and I don't mind a few small leaves (seldom happens) or what not getting through. They always seem to sink to the bottom of the cup so its not much of a problem.

Well for now I have been ordering alot of black/flavored teas from adagio. Because they have a lot of caffeine, I like to change it up and have a good rooibos tea. The stuff from adagio is very granular pieces. I still get a few pieces even through a filter . Granted that having some isn't bad but a small pot might just let a bit too much out. I might have to really try it though to be sure.

[olivierco]

For Rooibos I usually use a small paper filter when pouring it.
For other teas, build in filters work very well with leaf tea.



or you can buy some with metal filters which will work well with rooibos

[Vulture]

I am new to brewing anything as I never drank coffee. I totally forgot about the paper filters. But as I would be using it a lot (cup of rooibos every day near dinner or bedtime) I might want to go for the metal one.

Is there any rooibos fan out there that can link or PM me some links to metal filters they know work?

I would love to setup my tea in a more daily routine rather than having 2-4 cups sporadically through the day. I end up trying different types and having too much caffeine . I have an odd enough sleep schedule as it is working graveyard.

[zacstill]

You could use adagio's fill-your-own teabags. Theyre cheap and great for making rooibos. If you drink tea by yourself, a large (200ml) glass gaiwan (chinese brewing vessel, google it) would work really well with almost any tea (actual tea, some herbals and rooibos may have too small particles that they may escape the lid of the gaiwan).

Good Luck!

My first teapot was a 2 cup bodum tea press, but I hardly ever use it anymore, gaiwan offers much more control and is easier to steep multiple times.

[Cinnamon Kitty]

First off, how much tea do you generally make at one time?

If you are drinking primarily black tea or flavored black tea, a porcelain tea pot would work pretty well, but the size of that depends on how much tea you tend to drink at one time or if you share the tea with anyone while you are home.

I brew my rooibos in the paper filters. I have two different infuser baskets, one nylon and the other stainless steel. The nylon one works a little better for rooibos than the stainless steel one, but the paper filters work the best. Adagio has them for $3 for a pack of 100. They are cheap and make clean up incredibly easy.

My first teapot, once I decided to go beyond an infuser basket in a mug, was Adagio's PersonaliTEA. It currently is being kept at home for the occasional times when I have someone else who wants a cup of tea at the same time I do. It's very nice for the price, but 21oz is more than one person can drink at one sitting without the tea getting cold.

My second teapot was a Japanese style teapot from Den's Tea called Teapot Yutori. It is fully glazed and has a metal screen already in it. Some people may consider it sacrilege to use teapots across different cultures, but since this one is glazed all around, it should be fine for any types of tea. Now that I have a different teapot for Japanese greens, my Yutori gets used for many different types of tea with no issues. At a 10oz capacity, I find that it is a good size for making a cup of tea.

Some people on the forums use even smaller tea brewing vessels, but if you are not used to something that size yet, you might want to start off with something slightly bigger and similar in size to what you are used to and work your way down to a smaller pot eventually.

[Vulture]

First off, how much tea do you generally make at one time?

If you are drinking ...

Thanks that was really helpful. I normal drink just for myself at home though I might be doing it for 2 when my friend (who I just re-addicted to tea). The 10oz sounds like it would work for me. I still haven't gotten out of black/flavored/herbal teas at the moment. I tried a couple greens and a Jasmin but nothing stuck so far.

So until I go exploring some more I think I will settle down with those paper filters and probably that teapot you linked. Unless someone else has another option .

[cheaton]

My first teapot was a chatsford teapot. They come with a very fine mesh infuser basket. I loved that pot, but alas, I lost it along time ago in a move. They brew black tea incredibly well (thick walled earthenware, really hold heat nicely when warmed before brewing). I have found though, even when washed, teapots of all kinds can hold smells and flavors. I have one pot at my house dedicated to my wife's consumption of flavored teas and chamomile to avoid tainting other regular teas.

[t4texas]

My first teapot was a chatsford teapot. They come with a very fine mesh infuser basket. I loved that pot, but alas, I lost it along time ago in a move. They brew black tea incredibly well (thick walled earthenware, really hold heat nicely when warmed before brewing). I have found though, even when washed, teapots of all kinds can hold smells and flavors. I have one pot at my house dedicated to my wife's consumption of flavored teas and chamomile to avoid tainting other regular teas.

Good point. I also would suggest you get a second teapot for non-flavored blacks. And regarding washing - just hot water, no soap which can leave an odor of its own.

[cheaton]

My first teapot was a chatsford teapot. They come with a very fine mesh infuser basket. I loved that pot, but alas, I lost it along time ago in a move. They brew black tea incredibly well (thick walled earthenware, really hold heat nicely when warmed before brewing). I have found though, even when washed, teapots of all kinds can hold smells and flavors. I have one pot at my house dedicated to my wife's consumption of flavored teas and chamomile to avoid tainting other regular teas.

Good point. I also would suggest you get a second teapot for non-flavored blacks. And regarding washing - just hot water, no soap which can leave an odor of its own.

Very true, although, I never hesitated to put my chatsford teapot in the dishwasher. Funnily enough it never came out smelling of soap but would still retain the smell of Jasmine Pearls if I used it for them. lol. I think dishwashers do enough rinsing at such high heat and pressure that most if not all soapy residue should be gone.

This is the exact pot I used to own.
http://www.uptontea.com/shopcart/item.a ... egoryID=88

Here's a pic from the chatsford website which shows the infuser basket.
http://www.tltpc.demonweb.co.uk/graphics/pic_5pots.jpg

[kymidwife]

I got a fine mesh metal kitchen strainer to use with my glass teapot after I managed to drop and shatter the glass infuser basket that came with it. I brew in the glass pot... full leaf expansion, which I like especially for my larger leaf oolongs... and then pour through the strainer into cups. It works for everything including rooibos, honeybush, steamed green, and every other tea in my cabinet.

That being said, I just bought 2 gaiwans on Ebay and I'm waiting for them to arrive... really looking forward to learning this brewing style.

Sarah