Teapots (and cups and saucers) seem to have gone out of fashion in a day and age when we all seem to make our tea directly in a mug.
However, using a proper ceramic teapot adds charm and whimsy to the simple act of having tea. It can be special to set a tray, put out your best cups, saucers, sugar bowl, and teapot, and “have tea” the old-fashioned way.
Usually, a teapot is used for mixing the tea ingredients (tea leaves and boiling water) and serving the tea.
You may wonder if you can save the step of using the kettle and simply boil the water directly in your ceramic teapot. Read on because we’re going to briefly explore this subject today.
Can You Boil Water in a Ceramic Teapot?
The confusion seems to have come in because some people do not know the difference between a “teapot” and a “tea kettle.”
Teapots are pretty, usually ceramic, pottery, or glass, and are used for brewing and serving tea. Tea kettles, on the other hand, are usually made of metal, plastic, or glass, and are used for boiling water only.
While there are a variety of materials used to make teapots such as glass and stainless steel, ceramic seems to be one of the best. They retain heat well, are attractive, and are easy to clean.
To answer our question today, you can use a ceramic teapot to boil water provided you do it in the microwave.
However, we do not recommend it because many ceramic teapots become hot (including the handle) in the microwave making them difficult and dangerous to handle once the water boils.
Also, it is difficult to judge when the water is boiling and it may become super-heated. This will spoil the taste of the tea or even result in nasty burn accidents.
Ceramic teapots cannot be used to boil water on a stove plate or gas flame because they will crack. They cannot withstand the direct heat.
So, please be sure to boil the water in a kettle or saucepan on the stove and then pour it into the warmed ceramic teapot.
We’ll share the instructions now on how to brew the perfect pot of tea.
- Put the kettle on to boil.
- Meanwhile, prepare your ceramic teapot. Make sure the teapot is clean both inside and out.
- Then, pour a little of the hot water in the kettle into the teapot, swirl it around, and leave it to stand in there until the kettle boils. This will warm up the teapot.
- Pour the water out when the kettle boils.
- Add the tea to the bottom of the pot. You may have chosen tea bags or loose leaves – the choice is yours. There are also many varieties of tea to choose from such as black Ceylon tea, green tea, rooibos tea, and herbal teas.
- Pour the boiling water over the tea into the pot, put the lid on, and leave the tea to infuse for five minutes.
- Pour the tea into the cup and enjoy with or without milk and sugar.
Cleaning the Teapot
Now that you know how to use your ceramic teapot, we will quickly go through how to clean it. Most ceramic teapots are glazed inside and out, making them easy to clean.
- Remember to clean the pot as soon as you have finished using it. Simply toss the tea down the drain or use it to water your potplants.
- Wash the pot in warm water and dishwashing detergent or put it into the dishwasher.
- Rinse well to remove any trace of soapiness.
- If your teapot becomes stained from the tannins in the tea, fill it with water and some bleach. Leave it for a few hours then rinse very well.
To Conclude
Please do not try to boil water in your ceramic teapot or it may end up broken. Use a tea kettle to heat the water then pour the boiling water into the teapot.
NEVER put tea leaves into the kettle. And NEVER put your teapot onto the stove or it may crack.