How to choose a kettle?

  • 15 November 2019
  • Views: 3325

A kettle is the main attribute of tea drinking. After good tea, of course. What is needed to prepare your favorite aromatic drink as best and tastier as possible? So that he retains all his useful properties, gives a spiritual state of tea and that he looks beautiful and aesthetically pleasing? Choose the right kettle!

It would seem simpler - the kettle should be of high quality and beautiful. A huge number of them offer tea-ware shops - small and large, clay and glass, of any kind, design and price category. How not to get confused and make the right choice?

Firstly, we will determine in what conditions you will drink tea. At home, in a comfortable family circle? In the office rush? In car? Or maybe in nature? How many tea party participants? Or will you enjoy tea alone? What kind of tea will you brew?

Based on these nuances, the requirements for utensils for tea drinking are formed. Let's try to analyze each individual situation in more detail.

Kettle for family tea


For home tea drinking, it is important to consider the number of participants. If it is only family members, a ceramic or glass teapot with a volume of 600 - 800 ml is suitable. In it, you can make tea for 3-4 people and pour into 200 ml cups. If you expect guests - it is good to have a tea set with a large number of cups and a voluminous kettle. The service always looks festive and aesthetically pleasing.

You can purchase beautiful glass cups and a kettle separately. In a friendly company it is always a bit crowded at the table, so choose an ergonomic kettle, which with a large volume will occupy a small area on your table.

When accepting guests, do not forget that you should not brew too exotic or unusual tea in a common teapot - not all guests may be subtle connoisseurs. Not everyone can share your addiction to smoked tea, but classic black tea will go well with homemade cakes. Ideally, of course, before the tea party begins, specify the taste preferences of your guests. Maybe they do not mind having fun in a fascinating conversation over a teapot of puer? ;-) Of course, puer deserves proper brewing.

Chinese Tea Party or Strait Tea


Brewing tea with a spill is the best way for real tea. To do this, you need a small glass or clay teapot or gaiwan, small bowls for 1 sip, ideally a tea board and tea tools. Advanced teahouses prefer teapots made from Yixing clay - in them tea breathes and retains heat for a long time. Authentic Isin teapots cost a lot and require a professional approach in choosing.

How to choose a clay teapot

Decide on the volume and shape. Take the kettle in your hands and listen to your sensations - a good kettle is nice to hold in your hands, it literally sings, you will definitely feel it. The lid of the kettle should be tightly rubbed and not create any play - scroll it around its axis. There must be a hole in the lid for steam - tea should breathe when brewed. If you close the hole in the lid and try to drain the water from the kettle - it should not pour. This is called a water castle. If you hold the spout and turn the kettle upside down - the lid should remain in place. When you check - be careful with boiling water. And hold the cover just in case. And one more thing: in every good teapot, the nose, neck and top edge of the handle are on one straight line: if you turn the kettle without a lid and place it on the table, all three points will approximately touch the table. This creates a good balance, prevents the teapot from leaking and allows you to completely drain all the tea leaves. Fill the kettle and drain the water - the trickle should be even, keep up with the kettle and not drain down the spout.

However, we were carried away. Perhaps the choice of the Isin teapot is a topic for a separate article. And in this we are trying to figure out how to choose a kettle.

In the tea party by the strait, all the attributes of the tea ceremony need not be used. They can be successfully replaced by only one gongfu-kettle (teapod).

Kettle for office


The office environment, as a rule, is not conducive to "breeding ceremonies." And the space on the desktop is not enough. An office kettle should be compact, reliable and not too fragile. Button kettles or tea cups are ideally suited to these requirements. There are types - mugs from which you can drink. In our opinion - the most convenient option. You are not distracted from work, and freshly brewed tea is always at hand.

Kettle for travel

If your work takes place on trips and frequent business trips, you need a teapot that you can take with you. It must be hermetically sealed and not leak. A great option is a jar with a teapot. In it you can get freshly brewed tea at any moment, it does not leak and is not afraid of damage. In addition, the shape of the flask is specially designed in such a way that it can be easily and conveniently placed in the passenger compartment. If you are not traveling alone, the tea set must be compact and securely packaged. Pick up a kettle, packagedtogether with cups in a special travel case.

Picnic kettle

In nature, you can boil water directly on a fire in a large kettle. But it is not necessary to refuse tea drinking according to the rules of the tea ceremony, especially since nature inspires and allows you to get double meditative pleasure from proper brewing. A travel kit with a tea board that includes everything you need and is securely packaged - a great choice! It does not take up much space, is easily transported and folded, and your tea party in nature will leave an unforgettable experience!

And finally, I would like to say about some types of tea that require very specific utensils.

Bound tea should be brewed exclusively in a glass teapot - otherwise you will not be able to admire the process of a blossoming tea flower.

Mate tea is best brewed in a special calabash, and Japanese matcha powder tea is prepared not in a teapot, but in a wide bowl, whipping with a whisk.

For each specific situation you need a certain kettle. We hope that this article will help you choose the right utensils and get the maximum benefit and pleasure from tea parties.