Cast Iron Teapots

Cast iron teapots originated in China and Japan and have become popular with many tea drinkers and collectors. A typical cast iron teapot is fairly small and has beautiful raised ornamentation on the outside and many of them are brightly painted. In Japan they are know as tetsubin and have special status. When used for brewing cast iron is acclaimed as yielding a very good quality tea.

Decorative cast iron trivets usually accompany these fancy teapots as well as mesh baskets called infusers which fit inside the teapot and hold the tea leaves while brewing. The interior of the teapot is almost always enamel coated to prevent it from rusting.

Before using a cast iron teapot for the first time it should be rinsed thoroughly several times with boiling water.

Cast iron teapots are for brewing and serving tea. To brew tea you put tea leaves into the mesh infuser which is placed in the teapot and then you pour boiling water over them and allow it to steep for an appropriate length of time. It is suggested that you preheat the pot by pouring a little hot water in it first and then pouring this out before you begin making the tea. You can also put the tea leaves directly into the cast iron pot to steep and then strain the tea later into a different teapot or into the teacups.

Cast iron teapots were originally also used to boil water over a fire or stove. Although this is still possible with todays cast iron teapots it is rather discuouraged especially with authentic Japanese tetsubin or very expensive teapots. It is recommended that you boil water in some other container and use a cast iron teapot only to brew and serve the tea. This is to avoid doing any damage to the enamel coating on the interior of the teapot or the bright finish on the exterior.

If you have a cast iron teapot you can be sure that it will remain beautiful and useful for years to come if you take proper care of it. Because it is made of cast iron there are a few things you will need to remember.

To clean a cast iron teapot simply rinse it with warm water, do not use any soap, detergents, or abrasive pads. Also avoid contact with salt or oil and make sure you dry the teapot inside and out after each use to prevent it from rusting. Along the same lines, never leave tea or any liquid in the teapot for extended periods of time.

You should never put a cast iron teapot into a dishwasher to clean it and you should never put it into a microwave oven either since it is a metal item. Do not try to cool a hot teapot quickly by putting it in a freezer or by any other means. If you wish to use a cast iron teapot to boil water on a stove top you should be particularly cautious since the enamel lining could be damaged, and you must never let the pot boil dry or it will certainly be ruined.

Another thing to remember is that it is best not to scratch the enamel interior, use any utensils carefully.