It has become apparent to me, in my time working in a tea shop, that not all people are aware of the difference between a tea kettle and a teapot, and we want to help with that 👍. Sure, it's easy enough to confuse them. They both look sort of similar with a spout and a lid. They both have names which include the word tea. And they both contain hot water at some point in the tea-making process. Confusing the two, however, can have dire consequences for yourself, your tea, and especially your teapot. 🫖
When making tea using a teapot, you should have both a teapot and a tea kettle. A kettle is simply what you use to heat the water to be used in steeping your tea. You then pour the heated water into the teapot which should have an infuser in it. The leaves will go in the infuser in the teapot. The teapot and infuser are where the actual steeping of the tea occurs. The leaves do not go in the tea kettle at all and the teapot should not go on the stove. To help with this, we've created a little guide below. Please feel free to save this, print it out, or have it handy in your kitchen to hopefully keep you from damaging your tea, tea kettle, and your teapot. (We've heard stories... 😳)
Teapots are not designed to be put on stoves due to the heat. 🔥 They’re often made with specialized materials and are delicate and fragile. Putting them on stoves can cause them to warp, darken, or even crack. 😔
Tea kettles are not designed to be used for brewing tea. They usually don’t have an infuser or strainer of any kind, so your tea would be full of leaves or not strained, and your kettle would be rather difficult to properly clean. 👎
It is also worth noting that the steeping instructions for each of our teas, including the temperature of the water and the steeping time, are on the label of each of our bags so you will never have to worry if you are doing it correctly. Also, our electric tea kettle allows you to decide what temperature to steep your tea at with 6 different temperature settings. This ensures that you do not burn your tea leaves or release mistakingly tannins from the leaves leaving you with a bitter cup of tea. Yuck!
If you have any further questions on the difference between a tea kettle and a teapot, don't hesitate to comment below! We hope you have a wonderful weekend! Heat your tea in your kettle then enjoy it in your teapot to stay warm! ☺️ Happy sipping, friends! :) - Kaytea
Blog Key Takeaways:
1. **Distinct Functions**: A tea kettle is used to heat water, while a teapot is used to steep the tea leaves. The tea leaves go into an infuser inside the teapot, not into the kettle.
2. **Proper Usage**: Teapots are not meant to be placed on the stove. They are made from delicate materials that can warp, darken, or crack when exposed to direct heat.
3. **Design Differences**: Tea kettles do not have infusers or strainers, making them unsuitable for brewing tea directly. Using a kettle to brew tea would result in unstrained tea full of leaves and a difficult-to-clean kettle.
4. **Steeping Instructions**: The blog emphasizes the importance of following specific steeping instructions, including water temperature and steeping time, which are provided on their tea labels. Using an electric tea kettle with adjustable temperature settings can help avoid burning the tea leaves or releasing undesirable tannins.
5. **Educational Guide**: The post includes a guide to help readers distinguish between a tea kettle and a teapot and use them correctly to avoid damaging their equipment and ensuring a proper tea-making process.
P.S. Don't forget about our Teas of the Month for October! ☕ 🗓️This is the last week to enjoy 20% off of them! Check them out here!