Once you’ve decided the tea you’d like to brew, then you’ll have to determine the best teapot to get the best flavour from that tea. Did you know, the type of teapot you prepare your tea in plays an important role in its ultimate flavor and also makes an impact on the whole tea-drinking experience?
Over years, teapots have been designed in different styles with different materials, etc., to suit different requirements. Let’s take a look at the different factors that need to be taken into consideration before purchasing a regular teapot.
The teapot chamber -
The teapot chamber is where you put the tea and water. The chamber needs to be big enough to allow the tea leaves to expand as well as let the water circulate. The easiest way to see if a teapot has a chamber that is big enough is to look at the tea when you are finished brewing it. If there looks like there is a lot of room left in the chamber, then it is good size. If the tea leaves look like they are a bit compressed, you need to move a size up. So how do you select the ideal chamber size? Get started by looking at the shape of the chamber. In our opinion, the wider the chamber the better. So if it looks short and squat, then the chamber should be perfect.
Infusers play a large role in tea expansion
Infuser baskets are those mesh looking things that make straining and cleaning your teapot easy. They are great for everyday tea, but you need to make sure that they are big enough.
Why is a small infuser bad?
If the infuser basket is too small, the tea leaves will never open fully meaning that the full flavor is never going to be released. The perfect example of a tea brewing device that is too small is a “tea ball.” After you brew tea with one of these, the tea usually is stuffed in there to the point where you almost need to pry it out. This is not ideal.
The Teapot Material
Teapots are available in different materials, right from glass, ceramic, porcelain, clay, cast iron, and even silver or aluminum―with each material having its own pros and cons.
Porcelain teapots
Most often used for brewing white and green teas, the walls are often thinner than those of ceramic teapots and have a low heat transference compared to other materials, so maintains the temperature of the tea well, although not as long as ceramic teapots. As white and green teas are brewed at a lower temperature, porcelain teapots would be the most appropriate to use.
However, their poor heat-retention capacity makes them less favorable for brewing black teas.
Glass teapots
Perfect for when you are brewing display teas or any kind of tea that is particularly worth observing. The walls of the glass teapots can vary in different thicknesses but generally are thin. Glass is not good for insulating and does mean the tea will suffer from greater heat loss, although much less than their metal teapot cousins. The greatest attraction of glass is the leaves and the colour of the infusion can clearly be seen throughout the brewing process. This can also be helpful to distinguish the perfect length of steeping time by being able to observe the leaves opening and the extraction of the tea liquor.
Ceramic teapots
The ceramic kind is the most favored type for black teas, because of its high heat-retention capacity. They also come with glazed interiors, which prevent flavors of the tea from getting absorbed into it.
Black teas are brewed hotter and this material will ensure that there is minimal temperature loss and allows the tea to keep warm for longer. The ideal teapot will have a spout that narrows slightly at the end, this indicates a better pouring capability.
