The Tea Scoop

Cast Iron Teapots

A recent post on LiveJournal's TeaFreaks community reminded me that while I have espoused the virtues of the cast iron teapot, I have not provided any information on its care, especially for those who have not used cast iron before.

Cast iron is usually seasoned, meaing coated with oil or grease and then baked, but this is not necessary for a teapot, because this process is to keep food from sticking. However, cast iron should not be washed with soap. In a society of antibacterial soaps and all sorts of kitchen disinfectants, this may seem unsanitary. If the teapot is washed immediately, this is not an issue. Simply rinse it out with hot water, and leave it open side up to dry. This way, all the water will evaporate so that the iron will not rust. Leave the lid off for drying as well.

Because you will not be using soap, I recommend not putting milk or sugar directly in the pot. If you do add to your tea, do it for each cup. Clean the pot shortly after use, and you will have no problems!

While we're at it, a short reminder on storing your tea: Keep it in an airtight, lightight container in a cool place. (Not cold, don't refrigerate or freeze it!). Stored this way, tea will stay fresh one to two years.

The Most Beautiful Tea Strainer

I usually use my trusty IngenuiTEA from Adagio when making loose leaf tea. It's quick, easy to clean, and does a perfect job every time. Despite this, I have a variety of other infusers. More than I need probably. And yet, I just found one that I greatly desire.

This is from The Well-Tempered Kitchen, and at $15.50, a great work of art. My collection cries out for one!

The bloom is the strainer and after use you put it on the foliage, which catches the drips. Brilliance!

As said by LiveJournal user motomuffin regarding this particular piece: "Form+Function+Tea=Bliss"

Glass Teasets

Recently while contemplating my glass teapot and warmer, I thought how nice it would be to have a full glass set, and started perusing various sites to see what struck my fancy.

Adagio was the winner, with both beautiful glass cups and a matching sugar and creamer set.

They are very reasonably priced, at $9 per cup and saucer set, and $9 for the creamer and sugar set.

Cast Iron Teapots

Growing up in an anglo family, I've always been more drawn to porcelain and traditional English teaware, but without a warmer or cozy, my tea got cold too quickly if I brewed a large pot. But my Joyce Chen 22-Once ounce Japanese Tetsubin Cast Iron Year of the Horse Teapot with Stainless Steel Infuser keeps it warm for up to an hour, if it is properly pre-heated (which simply means swirling a bit of hot water around before adding the hot water which will be used for steeping). After several pots of tea, I'm already noticing the enhanced flavor as it absorbs and seasons itself. Another nice feature is the built in mesh infuser. It's quite a solid little teapot too. I've dropped the lid a couple times, and it seems more likely to dent the floor than itself. While it's one of my most expensive teapots, I've found it to be worth it, and it is truly an heirloom piece.

Nissan Thermos

As a loose leaf tea drinker, I am constantly searching for a way to make tea on the go that won't be too messy. I'm not a fan of tea balls to begin with, because they don't allow large leaves to unfurl, and the tea just doesn't mix as well with the water, making the flavor less strong. Plus, I find they are a pain to clean out as well. And lo and behold, the answer to my prayers:

This little 11 ounce thermos is quite possibly the most amazing thermos I have ever encountered, and I have a fair number of thermii in my pantry. Forget your Starbucks travel mug, this baby keeps drinks hot for hours. After six hours, tea is still piping hot, and after more than eight hours, the tea was still pleasingingly warm to drink, if no longer steaming. As for the infuser, it works great. There is an absolutely leak-proof cap, and when you put that on top of the infuser insert, you can turn the cup upside-down for a quick infusion, or you can allow it to sit for a full-length infusion. I am always spilling from my travel mugs, because they never seem to be completely leak proof, even one by Starbucks that claims to have a vacuum seal. Not a problem here. And as one reviewer on Amazon notes, the deepness of the sipping lid prevents spilling even while drinking. Another bonus? The same insulation qualities that keep the tea (or coffee) steaming hot also keep the heat inside from burning your hands. As for making loose tea on the go, I carry a ziplock baggie for whichever lid I'm not using. And for some reason, tea doesn't seem to get caught in the mesh of this one as much as it does with other infusers I've used. I am absolutely in love with this mug.

You don't have to take my word for it, just read some of the reviews on Amazon.

Tea Mug Cozies

The tea cozie apparently came about when a woman, tired of her husband complaining of cold tea, plopped his hat down over the pot until he was ready to drink it. She found that it worked, and soon, there were specific little caps to put over teapots, the tea cozies we know today.

Everything Ok! on Etsy.com took the idea of the cozie a step further, and created: the tea mug cozie.

I have a set of four, which were custom-made for me in the color scheme that I wanted, at no additional charge, and they were delivered in a timely fashion as well. I love them, and they really do keep my tea warm. When not in use as warmers, they keep the dust out of my mugs, and make a lovely conversation piece as I keep them out on display!

The Gift of Tea

I was recently given several tea related gifts.

• Four square white ceramic teabag rests
• A chest filled with Bentley teabags
• Bonjour Harmony Glass Teapot

The tea chest is an attractive wooden box painted to look as if it is made out of bamboo and with a nice latch on it. Opening it is a joy as rich aromas waft out from the six varieties of Ceylon tea inside: Peach, English Breakfast, Raspberry, Orange Spice, Earl Grey, and Green Tea. There are ten of each flavor.

The teapot has been an absolute delight so far. It includes the wooden trivet and scoop shown in the image, and comes with instructions to use five scoops for a full pot. The built in infuser has such a fine mesh that hardly any fannings (tea dust) made it through, and there was enough room for even oolong leaves to expand for the maximum flavor. The great thing about glass teapots is that it allows the tea enthusiast to fully appreciate the color of the liquor. It also goes perfectly with my Trendglas Tea Warmer, available from Teavana.