Question about Teapots

[KatieLoeb]

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 !!!!

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I for one, would be interested in seeing a photo of the teapot you are coveting, once you have purchased it.

Sometimes, it's nice to have something, just because. I have a lovely soup tureen that matches my china set. I use the "formal" china infrequently, the soup tureen even less. But once in a great while, I like to make something really special and use that soup tureen to "show off" for company, and to add a little elegance to my life.

Go buy yourself that silver teapot, OnlyTheBest! It'll make you very happy.

[OnlyTheBest]

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!

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HA! I like the thought of that. I use to live one valley over from Nappa and i do miss it. I like the Northwest but i loved being surrounded by vines when i lived there. So MUCH wine...so little time.

Careful... i might take you up on that...... AND...i'll bring my teapot !

[OnlyTheBest]

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.

←

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 !!!!

←

I for one, would be interested in seeing a photo of the teapot you are coveting, once you have purchased it.

Sometimes, it's nice to have something, just because. I have a lovely soup tureen that matches my china set. I use the "formal" china infrequently, the soup tureen even less. But once in a great while, I like to make something really special and use that soup tureen to "show off" for company, and to add a little elegance to my life.

Go buy yourself that silver teapot, OnlyTheBest! It'll make you very happy.

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Hey Katie...i didnt realize you were in Philly. I was raised there....but oddly enough i never did get to the oyster house. I'll make a point to stop by next time i am back in town. And yeah... you are right....a silver teapot would make me happy....make me smile everytime i see it. I'll be drinking more tea than i already am. I'll try to post a picture if i can. The style of pot i like is the 'oil can' style...kind of oval and squat....usually has a wooden handle too.

Have to make a decision though.... so many teapots to choose from. And yes... you are also right...sometimes it IS nice to have something...just becuse.

Edited March 15, 2005 by OnlyTheBest (log)

[slkinsey]

Just to clarify a few points made here:

1. Silver has excellent thermal conductivity. This is one reason why the best Sterling tea and coffee services have a piece of ceramic or other insulating material between the body of the pot and the handle -- otherwise the handle would become too hot to hold. This excellent thermal conuctivity also means that heat is conducted out of the pot very efficiently. As a result, hot tea in a silver teapot will actually cool off more rapidly than hot tea in a ceramic teapot (ceramic has very low thermal conductivity).

2. Silver has relatively low reactivity to things like pure air and water, but it does react with sulfir and sulfides to create silver sulfide -- aka silver tarnish. Silver sulfide, while not very pretty, is actually highly insoluble in aqueous (watery) solutions, so it is probably good advice to not polish the inside of a silver teapot.

3. Most of the reactivity of sterling silver comes from the 7.5% of (highly reactive) copper that is usually the other metal in the mix. This is why silver tarnishes less as purity goes up. Any "metalic" taste is likely to come from the copper.

[ghostrider]

We were at the Dali Exhibition at the Phila. Museum of Art last week. In perusing the museum's pamphlet of current installations, one on "Libations: Wine & Tea in East Asia" naturally caught my eye. (Overview right here.) We had to check it out.

Although there was a preponderance of wine vessels, they also had an interesting collection of teapots. Many were made from pewter, which immediately brought this thread to mind.

There was a particularly interesting pewter "traveller's teapot," made in China in 1873, which came with a tapered cylindrical infuser, a nice little pewter bowl for measuring the tea leaves which would rest inside the infuser on journey, and a top to hold the assembly in place. A lovely design in its simplicity & practicality; I surely would have had one if I'd been around then.

According to the installation's notes, the most prized material for teapots was Yixing Clay, which fires to a deep orange shade, because repeated use somehow seasons the clay, eventually enabling it to produce a superior-tasting infusion. They had several examples of Yixing pots, including one with a clay lining that had been clad with pewter molded with an intricate deslgn.

If you're reading this thread, you'll probably find that the installation makes a nice little detour if you happen to be seeing the Dali.

[joiei]

OnlytheBest, go ahead and get your teapot. My bet is that you deserve it. Make up a pot or two of your favorite tea and enjoy the afternoon. If you do detect a taste that does not appeal to you then go with something else. Nothing ventured, nothing gained. And if you can, send us a pic of your lovely new pot.

[fiftydollars]

I’m looking for a good quality Japanese cast-iron teapot. What should I look for?

Any particular manufacturer I should look for or avoid?