In this blog post, we will discuss the pros and cons of using . The most popular method to clean a tea kettle uses simply water andwhite vinegar. It's also fairly affordable for an electric kettle, especially one that works this beautifully. You can't really say one or the other heats fastereach individual kettle's thickness and exact configuration determines how fast it boilsso it's really an aesthetic choice more than anything else. Many teapots are dishwasher safe, which is a major plus for frequent tea drinkers. After more than 30 hours researching dozens of tea steepers, interviewing experts, and drinking many cups of tea made in no fewer than 15 teapots and infusers, weve found that the Finum Brewing Basket (the large version) is the most versatile and well-made tea steeper available. It was also one of only a handful of kettles that managed to boil water in under four minutes in our tests. Jason Horn has been writing about food and drinks for more than 15 years and is a Commerce Writer for The Spruce Eats. Its tall handle has a heatproof coating, along with a clever latch that lets you open the whistling spout cover without having to touch it directly. Once the kettle is cool, scrub the inside with a non-abrasive cloth or brush. If you click on links we provide, we may receive compensation. And our tea-making experts told us that they have no problems recommending plastic if its heat resistant. Glass kettles make it easy to assess cleanliness, while metal kettles are a little harder to examine. You can find out more about our use, change your default settings, and withdraw your consent at any time with effect for the future by visiting Cookies Settings, which can also be found in the footer of the site. Its one of the only models that fit both mugs and teapots, and its among the easiest to clean. If so, you may be wondering which type of teapot is right for you. It's also equipped with enamel lining for rust resistance. It rests easily in anything with a diameter of 2.8 to 4 inches. Smeg is known for its high-end kitchen equipmentfrom stovetops and refrigerators tocoffee makersand toastersthat combines modern technology with a retro look. These kettles are designed to boil water quickly over a flame and are made from. Testers also found that the kettle pours well but is a bit heavy and awkward for its size. To select these products, he read customer reviews, researched the history of teapots, and looked into the advantages and disadvantages of different materials. Its important to thoroughly clean inside a kettle at least once every three months; otherwise, mineral buildup can alter the taste of your tea or coffee, and it may prevent some electric kettles from working properly. The Natsume has a slightly more elongated body and a large plastic infuser with super-fine plastic mesh. Many customers say it's the best tea set they have ever owned. RANKING LIST | SORT BY SCORES. One thing to keep in mind is that the porcelain material is durable, but not entirely resistant to chips and scratches. Whether its finding great products or discovering helpful advice, well help you get it right (the first time). The Finums two-piece design is simple and effective. What water temperature is best for brewing tea? Tea kettles come in many different sizes, though the ones we tested ranged mostly from 1 to 2 quarts. The kettle's base is also smaller than many other stovetop models, which means that you should use a lower heat level on a gas stove to make sure flames don't flow up around the sides and potentially melt the handle. Our testers found that it heats quickly and efficiently, with a heat-resistant coating on the lid knob and spout cap that works like it's supposed to. The item can be placed in the dishwasher for cleaning. 9.5. . The pot itself is huge at 34 ounces, which can be good for groups. After the allotted steeping time, the basket moves back up to stop steeping. ", No indication for reaching desired temperature. In contrast, stovetop kettles are cheaper, easier to find, and available in far more design options. Best electric kettle for tea lovers $299 at Amazon This is a holdover pick from our first round of testing and (still) an excellent splurge for a seasoned tea drinker. In general, electric kettles tend to have slightly lower capacity than stovetop ones (and our top-rated electric kettle is also the smallest one we tested). Second, preheat your teapot by rinsing the inside with hot water. A bag suffocates the leaves, preventing them from expanding to their full capacity. This gaiwan from Harney & Sons is made of 100 percent porcelain and has a capacity of 4 ounces. The Cusinium also scores points for ease of useit comes with helpful instructions and a handy chart that indicates the required water temperature andbrewing timefor different types of tea. Unlike other in-cup steepers, which have a less-fine mesh or small perforations in metal, the Finum doesnt allow leaves or leaf particles to escape into your cup, and water flows freely through the infuser. There are many details to consider when looking for a teapotmaterial, capacity, colorbut sometimes you just know the right one when you see it. Milk can damage an electric kettles heating element and may not initiate the automatic shut-off feature, which means a mess (or worse) might happen. The TeaChat forums are brimming with recommendations and suggestions for teaware, depending on what youre looking for. The right teapot not only helps you brew a better cup of tea, it can also tie the whole kitchen together. Steel kettles are sometimes coated with enamel for a colorful look, but this doesn't affect their performance very much. Glass is great on a gas or electric stove, but it also won't work on an induction cooktop, so keep that in mind if there's one in your kitchen. "When in the market for a stovetop tea kettle, find one that both appeals visually and is also made of durable material, like stainless steel. The Finum is also top-rack dishwasher safe, if you want to throw it in with your regular cycle. The Susteas Tea Kettle combines performance and style, making it our pick for the best teapot. If you usually make a single cup of tea or fill a small French press, you might not want a huge kettle taking up space on your stovetop or in your cabinet. However, you really do have to watch this pot: There's no whistle, beep, or light indicating when the water is ready. Not only does this affect the item's aesthetic, it may also dictate whether or not it can be placed on the stovetop. The Home Origins Ultra Fine Loose Leaf Tea Infuser is a new, popular item from a small retailer on Amazon. Other household products like baking soda and lemon juice are effective descaling agents, too, and many household cleaner brands sell descaling solutions in liquid or powder form. The Tritan plastic pitcher is also shatterproof. This sturdy, well-constructed tea steeper has great user reviews. (Several companies make a similar design, varying in size and shape). We also found the material to be truly stain-resistant, and according to customers who have used the kettle for long periods of time, it's rust-resistant, too. At the time, we eliminated tea tumblers entirely because they are designed for on-the-go travel use and make it difficult to remove the leaves after steeping. Water doesnt flow as freely through its holes, and because its shorter than the Finum, tea has less opportunity to come in contact with water in a vessel. There's a removable sleeve that helps keep your tea warm, a bamboo coaster to set the pot on, and a complimentary e-book that gets sent to you via email. Tea kettles are pretty much solely designed to heat water. One of the most common and sturdy materials is ceramic, which retains heat well and is often glazed so it doesnt impart any flavor on the tea. That said, pu-erh tea is not common in Western cultures. Looking for a stovetop kettle that's long-lasting and top-of-the-line? Testers liked that its heavy-duty glass body held heat well, and they appreciated the auto-shutoff safety feature that turns off the heat within 30 seconds of the water coming to a boil. This piece was written byDerek Rose, the coffee and tea expert for The Spruce Eats. We Tested the Best Non-Electric Coffee MakersHere Are Our Top Picks, The 8 Best Tea Infusers of 2023, Tested and Reviewed, The 8 Best Wine Aerators of 2023, Tested and Reviewed, The 9 Best Travel Mugs of 2023, Tested and Reviewed, The 9 Best Coffee Thermoses of 2023, Tested and Reviewed, The 6 Best Coffee Canisters of 2023, Tested and Reviewed, We Tested the Best French Press Coffee Makers in 2023Here Are Our 7 Favorites, The 5 Best Wine Decanters of 2023, Tested and Reviewed, The 8 Best Lunch Boxes for Kids of 2023, Tested and Reviewed, The 9 Best Milk Frothers of 2023, Tested and Reviewed, The 8 Best Spice Grinders of 2023, Tested and Reviewed, The 10 Best Pizza Ovens of 2023, Tested and Reviewed, The 6 Best Reusable Iced Coffee Cups, Tested and Reviewed. The infusing basket also needs a separate plate or coaster to rest in after the tea is done. Tea infusers and teapots come in a number of materials, some better than others. Even if you place full tea leaves into a tea bag, which more and more high-end tea companies have started to do, youre still putting your tea at a disadvantage. The exposed surface area of all those little pieces allows you to get a more quickly brewed cup but produces a stale and less flavorful tea. Buy something simple, small-ish, functional, and with as few moving parts as possible.. We tried a number of steepers in our most recent testing: We love the Hario Chacha Kyusu Maru, so when we saw the new Hario Chacha Natsume, we had to see whether it could outdo the original. The Celebration Teapot's simple, clean lines and perfect proportions blend beautifully with any dcor. According to the experts at Seattle Coffee Gear, it works well for steeping loose-leaf tea. Le Creuset has you covered. There's also no visual or audible indication that the water has fully heated, so you'll also have to keep an eye on the kettle while it's coming to a boil. The Adagio PersonaliTeacame recommended by expert David Kosmider, and is a highly rated teapot. Material: Glass and plastic | Capacity: 40 ounces | Infuser: Yes | Dimensions: 5.75 x 7.25 x 6.75 inches | Dishwasher Safe: Yes. It looks like a worthy contender with its glass-cylinder brew chamberperfect for watching tea leaves do their danceand cast-metal body. Yet, it has more to offer than a bare-bones budget option. Are you looking for the best teapot wirecutter? They spent weeks assessing each one and rating them on their usability, durability, design, capacity, and boiling speed, among other areas. Holding 10 ounces of water, the ceramic neti pot can easily flush out both sides of your nose. The Primula Half Moon Teapot has a fairly large capacity of 40 ounces, and it comes with a stainless steel infuser to make the steeping process easier. The Finum received top marks on Steepster, where it currently ranks as the second-highest-rated piece of teaware, with a score of 95 out of 100. I boil . Material: Porcelain | Capacity: 28 ounces | Infuser: Yes | Dimensions: 7.5 x 6.5 x 5 inches | Dishwasher Safe: Yes. Wirecutter is the product recommendation service from The New York Times. BEST OVERALL: OXO Brew Classic Tea Kettle Brushed Stainless Steel. Just fill your kettle with equal amounts of both, bring it to a boil, and then dump out the water-vinegar mixture. All you have to do is wet a microfiber cloth with either solution, gently scrub the kettles exterior, and dry thoroughly. Material: Porcelain | Capacity: 4 ounces | Infuser: Yes | Dimensions: 3.75 x 3.25 inches | Dishwasher Safe: No. The absolute most versatile steeping device is the Finum Brewing Basket, he told us. Placing tea bags or loose-leaf tea inside a kettle can leave stains and lingering smells, and the acids in tea can potentially damage the kettle itself. And we tested several other infusers in 2013: In the previous version of this guide, we recommended the over-$200 Breville One-Touch Tea Maker, but we think it is too expensive for most people. Very accurate heating and temperature holding, Beautiful design that fits in any kitchen, Gooseneck spout is easy to pour from, stays cool. Best overall electric kettle Fellow Stagg EKG Electric Kettle From $165 Pour spout: Gooseneck | Temperature settings: Precise temperature control and hold | Volume: 0.9 liters The Fellow. To help you make a more informed buying decision, our Lab experts researched and tested the kettles on this list. The $300, 51-ounce capacity. Individual kettles might have special finishes that might be damaged by certain chemicals. Whether you're heating water for a cup of hot chocolate, coffee, or tea, here are the best kettles, according to our tests. If you are a tea enthusiast with a collection of multiple teas, you might want to purchase more than one Finum Brewing Basket in different colorsit comes in black, green, red, and bluefor different types of tea. Capacity: 1.25 quarts | Dimensions:12 x 18 x 13 inches| Weight:1.44 pounds| Material: Stainless steel | Product Care: Hand-wash, "The Hario V60 'Buono' has a VERY nice pour. A great steeper needs to be easy to clean, especially if you drink tea at least once a day. Moving into the stronger teas, black tea ranges from 180 to 212 degrees. Capacity: 1.9 quarts | Dimensions:8.62 x 6.25 x 9.64 inches| Weight:3 pounds| Material: Borosilicate glass | Product Care: Hand-wash, "We liked the Mueller Premium Electric Kettle's straightforward features and ease of pouring. Thanks to its large size and fine-mesh walls, this steeper allows more water flow between the tea leaves. The steeper needs to be big enough for individual leaves to float and expand and dance on their own in the water during the given steeping time. It can brew up to 40.5 ounces of tea or heat up to 51 ounces of water. Unfortunately, it doesn't come with an infuser like many other teapots, but it is dishwasher and microwave safe for added convenience. If you use a stovetop kettle on a gas burner, you may end up with some pesky burn marks. The metal basket fills the whole pot, allowing for the leaves to expand fully. *At the time of publishing, the price was $14. When you're moving boiling water around, you want to do it accurately, and that's where a tea kettle's spout comes in. But it does fit into our alternate choices, the Contigo Autoseal Transit and the Contigo SnapSeal Byron mugs. Avid tea drinkers or customers who often host parties will be pleased to know that Sweese makes a nearly identical teapot at 40 ouncesthe main difference is that the larger teapot does not include an infuser. As one reader points out, you can avoid this problem by using your mug to measure out the amount of water you need first. After we ran it through the dishwasher, most of the patina cleared. All of those tea bags you see packaged in boxes and tins on grocery store shelves are the tea equivalents of instant coffee. According to Shunan Teng, founder and CEO of Tea Drunk, a gaiwan has "become a symbol of the highest quality of tea brewing, even though in China it's quite commonplace." It has a 24-ounce capacity and the ceramic body is built to resist high temperatures and stand the test of time. The Chacha is also easier to pour from than other pots we tried, thanks to its shorter, more pointed spout. Capacity: 1.6 quarts | Dimensions:10.3 x 8.7 x 12.9 inches| Weight:4.97 pounds| Material: Stainless steel | Product Care: Hand-wash, "This is one of the only kettles we tested whose body stays completely cool to the touch, even when the water inside is boiling. Our Top Picks Best Overall: Brew to a Tea Floral Tea Cups and Saucers Set at Amazon Jump to Review Best Glass: Unless you have a clear mug, however, you cant see how much of the tea is pouring into the cup. Capacity: 2.64 quarts | Dimensions:7.16 x 7.16 x 9.25 inches| Weight:2.71 pounds| Material: Stainless steel | Product Care: Hand-wash, "This kettle looks cute on the counter, works well, and has a lid that's easy to remove, which is important for a larger-capacity item. These are tough to remove and may need a couple of different cleaning tactics. This design gives the leaves more room to expand and ensures a flavorful tea. The kettle heats very accurately and fairly quickly and will hold its set temperature for half an hour or more. This stainless steel kettle is covered in porcelain enamel and makes an excellent registry gift or opportunity to treat yourself and upgrade your current tea kettle. (Electric models that have specific temperature settings were also tested for accuracy.) The teapot is on the smaller side, but its capacity is sufficient for personal useyou can expect to brew about two to three cups at a time. They come in various shapes and sizes, including over-the-cup steepers (those that brew tea in a vessel and then drip into the cup), in-cup brewing baskets (which sit inside the cup, resting on the lip), teapots with built-in infusers, tea tumblers with strainers, and electronic gadgets for automatic tea making. The Finums handy lid helps hold the waters heat in while your tea steeps; after brewing, you can flip it over to use it as a drip tray for the basket. Cookies collect information about your preferences and your devices and are used to make the site work as you expect it to, to understand how you interact with the site, and to show advertisements that are targeted to your interests. It also has a sturdy handle. Let the combination sit for around thirty minutes before emptying the teapot and scrubbing inside with a cloth or brush. Other electric kettles we tested heat up faster, but this one's big advantage is its double-walled configuration, which keeps the outside cool to the touch no matter how hot the inside gets. The kettle also can't go in the dishwasher like many stovetop models, though its stainless steel interior is easy enough to wipe down with a soapy sponge. Unfortunately, Smeg appliances carry a price tag to match their famous name, design, and quality. The main drawback is that glass is more delicate than other materials. The Best. 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