Question about Teapots

OnlyTheBest · March 2, 2005

I was wondering about silver versus a ceramic pot. If you make tea in a silver teapot.... does the metal make any difference in the brewing of the tea...that somehow it might alter the flavor?

I noticed that tea made in those iron Chinese teapots seems to kind of stew the tea and I notice a difference in flavor.

Has anyone been using a silver teapot? I am so tempted to get a lovely older one but i want to really use it....but not if its going to alter the flavor of the tea.

I would apprecaite your comments....thanks so much.

jpr54_ · March 2, 2005

I noticed that tea made in those

iron Chinese teapots

seems to kind of stew the tea and I notice a difference in flavor----

iron japanese pots are called tetsubin

what type of teas do you enjoy?

glass, porcelain, yixing clay are better than silver in mho

OnlyTheBest · March 2, 2005

I noticed that tea made in those
iron Chinese teapots
seems to kind of stew the tea and I notice a difference in flavor----
iron japanese pots are called tetsubin
what type of teas do you enjoy?
glass, porcelain, yixing clay are better than silver in mho
←

I like most kinds of teas....usually i use a loose green tea. I know that glass and porcelain etc are better but i was just considering a silver teapot becuse i liked them and was wondering if it altered the taste of the tea.

I do have other pots...but i was wondering about the silver ones.

Have you had tea brewed in a silver pot?

helenjp · March 3, 2005

I was always told not to scrub a silver teapot - just rinse it out so that the accumulated tannin on the inside of the teapot is not disturbed. So I assume that silver teapots may produce a metallic taste when new?

Carolyn Tillie · March 3, 2005

Well, there is Sterling Silver, Silver Plate, and German Silver.

I have constructed teapots in sterling silver and own several -- as well some that are silver plate and German silver. The ones constructed out of German silver and silver plate CAN add a slight taste to the tea, because of the metals involved (zinc, copper, nickel, etc). However, I do not personally believe that tea in Sterling Silver tastes at all metallic. I personally adore having my tea in metal teapots as acting as a heat conduit, the tea tends to stay hotter longer.

emmalish · March 3, 2005

I noticed that tea made in those iron Chinese teapots seems to kind of stew the tea and I notice a difference in flavor.
←

All the cast iron teapots I've seen have a porcelain enamel coating. Have you used one without a coating?

Edited to clarify that the coating is on the inside of the teapot.

Edited March 3, 2005 by emmalish (log)

**andiesenji** · March 3, 2005

I have used many silver teapots from solid to plate and have never noticed any particular metalic taste.

OnlyTheBest · March 3, 2005

I noticed that tea made in those iron Chinese teapots seems to kind of stew the tea and I notice a difference in flavor.
←
All the cast iron teapots I've seen have a porcelain enamel coating. Have you used one without a coating?
Edited to clarify that the coating is on the inside of the teapot.
←

the cast iron tea pot i have does have the enamel coating but it was not the coating i was refering to it was that the pot was cast iron and kept the tea SO HOT for SO long.. it seemed like it stewed the tea...therefor changing the flavor of it.....or so it seems to me. Thats why i was wondering if a silver pot would do the same. The teapot i am looking at is solid silver.....english sterling silver. It's so lovely i would use it every day but i just wondered about the metal and the tea.

Thanks for your input

Edited March 3, 2005 by OnlyTheBest (log)

emmalish · March 3, 2005

All the cast iron teapots I've seen have a porcelain enamel coating. Have you used one without a coating?
Edited to clarify that the coating is on the inside of the teapot.
←
the cast iron tea pot i have does have the enamel coating but it was not the coating i was refering to it was that the pot was cast iron and kept the tea SO HOT for SO long.. it seemed like it stewed the tea...therefor changing the flavor of it.....or so it seems to me.
←

Ahhh, I thought you meant that it was imparting a metallic taste. Never mind. Carry on... :unsure:

OnlyTheBest · March 4, 2005

All the cast iron teapots I've seen have a porcelain enamel coating. Have you used one without a coating?
Edited to clarify that the coating is on the inside of the teapot.
←
the cast iron tea pot i have does have the enamel coating but it was not the coating i was refering to it was that the pot was cast iron and kept the tea SO HOT for SO long.. it seemed like it stewed the tea...therefor changing the flavor of it.....or so it seems to me.
←
Ahhh, I thought you meant that it was imparting a metallic taste. Never mind. Carry on...
←

Actually no metalic taste but more of a taste that seems like i am drinking something that has been stewed instead of brewed. But yes ...actually i was asking about the metallic tase as well. I was wondering if a metal pot made the tea taste funny from the extended heating .....because it is metal....and if there WAS a possible metallic taste imparted to the tea.

But i do see that some have said they noticed no difference...so...thats certainly good news. Not for my bank account though....hahaha...those silver teapots are not cheap....but i SOOO want one.

Also... i keep breaking the little china ones i have.

Ok then... thanks to everyone for your input i do appreciate it

Yajna Patni · March 6, 2005

I have four inherited silver tea pots, and i dont notice any off flavour. except one time i was zelous and silver polished the inside. I got them though because my mom thinks they make the tea taste funny. my family is not the rich kind so i assume most of them are plate. my palate is usually sharper than my moms, so i dont know.

**andiesenji** · March 6, 2005

Silver is a very good heat conductor.

At one time very high end copper pans were lined with silver for cooking delicate sauces and mushrooms (the idea being that if a poison mushroom had sneaked into the batch, the silver would instantly turn black).

The "99%" silver which is in hallmarked English silver teapots (Georgian, Victorian, etc.), will not impart any metallic taste to the tea.

Plate, if it has worn areas that allow contact with the base metal may do so, however you would probably notice the wear on the outside as most vessels were not polished on the interior just to avoid this problem.

Some teapots were made of pewter and polished to look like silver and these can impart a metallic taste (and possibly a dose of lead) to tea.

Carolyn Tillie · March 6, 2005

The "99%" silver which is in hallmarked English silver teapots (Georgian, Victorian, etc.), will not impart any metallic taste to the tea.
←

Actually, if a teapot is Georgian or Victorian and made in England, it will NEVER be marked "99% Silver."

Two Points

1. Nothing is ever made with 99% silver. That is considered "fine" and is too soft for any silversmithing. "Sterling" silver is 92.5% "fine" silver and 7.5% copper. The copper is needed to harden the silver and keep it from being too malleable. It is also why you don't see jewelry in 24k gold (although jewelry from India can be as high as 22k gold) -- there needs to be a little bit of copper alloyed in for strength. This is why some people with copper allergies can't wear sterling or most yellow golds, but must wear platinum or white gold.

2. If a piece is authentic European silver, the Europeans have a VERY strict method of hallmarking their silver for identification purposes (mostly established by the Brits). The British hallmarks include a mark for the city where it was produced, a lion passant for sterling silver, and a letter for the year in which the piece was made. Then there is usually also a maker's mark. Some American producers emulate the European system, but our laws are not in place to demand it -- all we are required to do is mark the silver content.

Here is a good explanation of European hallmark symbols

**andiesenji** · March 6, 2005

That is the reason the 99% is in quotes.

Some people refer to hallmarked silver as 99%.

It is erroneous but appears in quite a few books to differentiate it from "German" silver and others, just as the description for gold, though seldom actually used is referred to as:

"24-carat, absolute, accurate, actual, authenticated, bona fide, certain, certified, demonstrable, exact, existent, factual, for real, good, hard, honest, honest-to-goodness, indubitable, kosher, legit, legitimate, literal, natural, official, original, palpable, plain, positive, precise, proved, pure, real, real stuff, sound, sterling, sure-enough, tested, true, unadulterated, unalloyed, undoubted, unimpeachable, unquestionable, unvarnished, valid, veritable, very, whole

Source: Roget's New Millennium™ Thesaurus, First Edition (v 1.1.1)

maggiethecat · March 6, 2005

My parents drink tea with lunch. Their teapot is an ebony-handled late Georgian sterling silver beauty, hallmarked Newcastle, I believe. It has been making magnificent tea for over two hundred years.

**andiesenji** · March 6, 2005

My parents drink tea with lunch. Their teapot is an ebony-handled late Georgian sterling silver beauty, hallmarked Newcastle, I believe. It has been making magnificent tea for over two hundred years.
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It sounds beautiful. I love the Georgian silver teapots.

Carolyn Tillie · March 6, 2005

That is the reason the 99% is in quotes.
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Makes perfect sense -- I just wanted to assure a newbie that if he/she were to go out and look to buy an antique teapot, they wouldn't be looking for one marked 99% and subsequently be disappointed by never finding one. (Or, IF finding such a mark, to be concerned for its authenticity.)

**andiesenji** · March 6, 2005

It is a problem for people who do not familiarize themselves with terminology before going out to buy anything of this nature.

Sometimes things are identified as "999. fine", "stirling" or "pure sterling" or "coin silver" (not identifying what coinage is specified as some countries "silver" coins are anything but.)

It is the same with misidentifying gemstones. I have worked at and attended many gem and mineral shows where bogus material was being sold.

I used to do demonstrations of gemstone carving and engraving and have had people bring me items that were identified as natural gems but were manufactured or created or the color had been changed or enhanced by heat or radiation.

I would direct these people to the GIA booth to have their purchases correctly identified.

Too many people are all too willing to take advantage of the gullible.

Edited March 6, 2005 by andiesenji (log)

OnlyTheBest · March 6, 2005

My parents drink tea with lunch. Their teapot is an ebony-handled late Georgian sterling silver beauty, hallmarked Newcastle, I believe. It has been making magnificent tea for over two hundred years.
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Yes...sounds wonderful. What is it about a teapot ....it is something so personal maybe that we love them so. Do you have a picture of the pot or can you describe it? I love the oval ones....there is something about that look.

Thanks

food mom · March 8, 2005

What was the original question? Silver vs. ceramic?

Silver, by nature, and DEPENDING ON THE "TEA" BREWED, can impart a metallic tasts. Ceramic, glass, and porcelain, by nature, will not.

Depending upon the type of tea one is brewing, various teapots will come to call. Remember, tea is drunk in every country in the world (yes, in Antarctica as well), and is the second most widely drunk beverage in the world (H2O) is the first).

"TEA" is nothing more than water infused with leaves. Why are you all so fussy? Are you really interested in drinking something good, or is the ceremony foremost?

OnlyTheBest · March 9, 2005

What was the original question? Silver vs. ceramic?
Silver, by nature, and DEPENDING ON THE "TEA" BREWED, can impart a metallic tasts. Ceramic, glass, and porcelain, by nature, will not.
Depending upon the type of tea one is brewing, various teapots will come to call. Remember, tea is drunk in every country in the world (yes, in Antarctica as well), and is the second most widely drunk beverage in the world (H2O) is the first).
"TEA" is nothing more than water infused with leaves. Why are you all so fussy? Are you really interested in drinking something good, or is the ceremony foremost?
←

The only kind of tea i expect to brew will be loose green and black tea. I have a very functional ceramic pot and it does make very nice tea.

The orginal question was would a silver teapot impart any metallic taste and would it...because it was metal.....give the tea a stewed taste. I brought this up becuse i have noticed that the japanese cast iron pot that i bought seems to do that. I dont know...maybe it is just me.

Sorry to say there is no ceremony in my tea drinking....unless you call occasional friends round for a cuppa.

I happen to like a silver teapot and was thinking of buying one...thats all...plain and simple...and thought the board might have some opinions....and they have.

If you have an opinion on tea brewed in silver pots....i would like to hear it.

It certainly sounds like it makes no difference in the taste...and thats great news since i have seen several i really like.

ellencho · March 11, 2005

Interesting thread. I used to wonder myself about metallic teapots, like aluminum, cast iron, silver etc. For the most part, I try to steep my tea in a ceramic vessel or stainless steel because I can definitely taste something unpleasant and metallic when I use other materials. At the moment, I'm the only tea drinker in my household so I brew my teas in a plastic filter that my sister brought back from London that I place in my teacup/coffee mug. That seems to work out pretty well for me.

food mom · March 13, 2005

Silver teapots?

Would you cook anything in silver? Brewing tea involves heat, liquid and a solid. So does cooking. Yes, of course silver imparts a taste. Also dependant on how one cleanes the inside of the pot.

Stainless steel imparts no taste. Nor do glass, ceramic, and porcelain, as the brewing surfaces are "sealed" (non-porous), and non-reactive. One buys non-reactive cookware - why should it be different from tea?

With many of the better silver utensils, the taste imparted from the teapot should essentially be minimal, but for "purists", yes, there will be a taste. "Purists" for me are the people who complain about the staples for string & tag teas.

A better comparason - would you eat soup with a (true) silver spoon? If so, then by all means use a silver teapot. This is common sense.

There are beautiful teapots on the market today, and the joy is in the experience of tea. Remember, tea is consumed on every continent of the world, and I'd reason that 90% of the consumers don't much think about what their teapot is made of (compare: what kind of wood are wooden spoons made of?). They're just happy to have a beverage.

OnlyTheBest · March 15, 2005

Silver teapots?
Would you cook anything in silver? Brewing tea involves heat, liquid and a solid. So does cooking. Yes, of course silver imparts a taste. Also dependant on how one cleanes the inside of the pot.
Stainless steel imparts no taste. Nor do glass, ceramic, and porcelain, as the brewing surfaces are "sealed" (non-porous), and non-reactive. One buys non-reactive cookware - why should it be different from tea?
With many of the better silver utensils, the taste imparted from the teapot should essentially be minimal, but for "purists", yes, there will be a taste. "Purists" for me are the people who complain about the staples for string & tag teas.
A better comparason - would you eat soup with a (true) silver spoon? If so, then by all means use a silver teapot. This is common sense.
There are beautiful teapots on the market today, and the joy is in the experience of tea. Remember, tea is consumed on every continent of the world, and I'd reason that 90% of the consumers don't much think about what their teapot is made of (compare: what kind of wood are wooden spoons made of?). They're just happy to have a beverage.
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I do enjoy tea....and drink quite alot of it....thats already been established AND.... Thats NOT the question. I am considering buying a silver teapot....because.....i happen to LIKE silver TEAPOTS!!!

I dont care that 90% of consumers dont think much about their teapot...I DO.

I like tea...and i like teapots.

I dont need a lesson about the joys of tea....nor do i happen to care about the tea habits of the rest of the world.

If you have a problem with the fact that i happen to be interested in a silver teapot...i'm sorry but thats MY business.

The question was about tea made in a silver pot....and THATS ALL !

You have given me your take on that...and i appreciate it. BUT...as to whether i should buy a silver teapot at all ... well.... thats up to me to decide then ......ISN'T IT !!!!

Carolyn Tillie · March 15, 2005

Would you cook anything in silver?
A better comparason - would you eat soup with a (true) silver spoon? If so, then by all means use a silver teapot.
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Why, yes - on several accounts I COOK in my silver chafing dish (Victorian, thankyouverymuch) and adore my silver soup spoons (which are only used when I'm not using my Victorian consomme bowls).

It truly does not impart a discernable taste.

And, OnlytheBest, you can come over and have tea with me in any one of silver pots anytime you like! :biggrin:

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