5 Reasons I Use Glass Teapots

They Look Great!
They Keep Tea Warm
They are Easy to Clean
Perfect for Displaying Tea
Visual Guide to Brewed Tea

Not only do I sell glass tea ware but I also regularly use it at home, often in preference to using other teapots.  Yes, you do have to be somewhat careful with glass teapots — like any glassware it will break if dropped (then again, so will a ceramic teapot).  The other day, when asked what type of tea pot I used at home, without hesitation I answered, “a glass teapot.”  When asked why, I could not immediately answer–perhaps it is simply because it’s sitting there on my kitchen bench ready to use?  No, that wasn’t the reason, there are plenty of tea pots hanging around begging to be used.

 

Any given time you walk into my kitchen you will find quite a collection of teapots sitting around on benches, kitchen shelves and on the shelf above my sink–and that’s not counting the numerous other teapots patiently waiting their turn to be used in various kitchen cupboards. There are Ipots, clay Yixing teapots, stainless steel teapots (not many of those, though) and a Handybrew aside from an assortment of glass tea pots. Overall, in order of use, we probably use glass teapots the most. Next would be the Handybrew, then Yixing or other small, Chinese clay teapots.

 

1) They Look Great: Even as a decorative item, glass tea ware looks beautiful. Whether sparkling in sunlight streaming through a window, or reflecting soft candlelight glass ware is eye-catching. It looks crisp, clean and begs you to use it. I know some of my customers buy glass teapots purely to display.

 

2) Keeps Tea Warm: Paired with a glass candle warmer, they will keep tea warm for at least an hour.  If you are brewing tea for several people and intend on offering top-ups, a glass teapot sitting on top of a lit candle tea warmer will definitely keep tea drinkably warm for long enough to finish all your tea.  At our market stall we prepare a blooming tea in a tall Jewel teapot and set it on a lit warmer. It is still very warm to the touch even a couple of hours later, although the tea may be a bit too lukewarm and over steeped by then to enjoy.

 

3) Easy to Clean: Glass can be a bit delicate to care for.  No, you probably shouldn’t put it in the dishwasher with all of your other dishes and be particularly careful of spouts and handles if you have a ceramic sink.  Aside from that, though, they are fairly easy to clean. What I like is that it is very easy to see any stains or discolouration–the sooner you notice it and clean it off, the better shape your teapot will remain in. This is preferable to me, to ceramic or stainless steel teapots that hide stains until they’ve built up to where they are very difficult to clean.

 

4) Displays Teas:  Anyone who has watched tea brewing knows how fascinating this is. I’m not talking about the tea fannings that are often sold in supermarkets as “tea”, rather I am talking about whole loose leaf tea. It starts off small and slowly unfurls into whole tea leaves while the tea is brewing.  Additionally, flowering teas (blooming teas) are even more unique with the leaves hiding flower petals that both open to a magnificent display.  How better to watch this magical process than with a glass teapot.  That’s not to mention the vast variety there is when it comes to the colour of brewed tea — ranging from the dark black teas, to the golden oolongs and the light green teas.  You can see it all through a glass teapot.

 

5) Provides a Visual Guide to Brewing: Everyone has their own preference when it comes to tea strength.  Brewing tea in a glass tea pot gives you an instant view of how steeped your tea is. You will soon begin to realise the strength of the tea simply by watching the colour change as the tea brews.

 

I also like the fact that the glass teapots I sell and use are all individually hand blown, meaning each tea pot is unique in some way. They match well with any tea set or table setting. You can use them equally in a casual social setting or at a formal dinner.  There is no need to try to match them to other dinnerware you are using–glass blends with everything.

I could go on, but I imagine by now I have convinced you of the reason for my preference when it comes to brewing tea in glass teapots. Whether you merely want to display your glass teapot or put it to everyday use, you really can’t go wrong with choosing a glass teapot.